Chapter 3: The Power of Externalization – Measuring What Matters
Once you’ve identified your values, the next step is externalization—turning those internal beliefs into tangible actions and measurable progress. Externalization ensures that your values guide your daily life, helping you stay on track and move toward your goals.
What Is Externalization?
Externalization is “putting what’s inside your brain, outside your brain.” It’s the process of translating your values into specific, actionable steps. It involves setting goals, creating metrics, and specifically measuring your progress. Without externalization, your values remain abstract concepts, and it’s challenging to assess whether your actions align with what matters most to you.
Why Metrics Matter
Metrics provide clarity and accountability. They allow you to:
Define success in terms of your values.
Evaluate progress toward your goals.
Identify areas for adjustment or improvement.
When creating metrics, it’s essential to ensure they truly reflect your values. Using SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Based) can help.
Examples
Value: Kindness
Metric: Volunteering at a local food bank twice a month, regularly checking in on friends and family, and offering help to someone in need at least once a week.
Value: Health
Metric: Exercising for 30 minutes three times a week, preparing healthy meals five days a week, and scheduling routine check-ups with healthcare providers.
Red Flags of Poor Externalization
A sense of underperformance despite effort.
Inconsistent direction or purpose.
Feeling that your actions aren’t bringing fulfillment.
Inability to get things started (overwhelmed by a lack of structure, direction, or system).
Perfectionism (measuring success by “the best”, instead of progress; often compromising other priorities for perfection).
By externalizing your values, you create a roadmap for living authentically. In the next blog post, we’ll delve into the concept of Margin and how it ensures you have the bandwidth to succeed.
