A Set of Personal Metrics

There are countless metrics one might look to for help in understanding and improving their results. These metrics aren’t for managers or leaders, even though anyone in that role would be served by using this list to judge their own performance.

1. Effort: Some days you will have more energy than others. There will be days when your energy wanes and days where you will be ill. The metric worth tracking is how much effort you put into your work—based on how you feel. A score of 10 on a day you feel bad might be a 6 on a day when you feel good and have excellent energy. Did you give your best effort?
2. Right Work: You can go to work and not really be working. You can choose to do work that isn’t the right work, or the work that produces the results for which you are responsible. It’s possible to cross a lot of things off your to-do list and still get nothing done. Alternatively, you can give yourself over to the most important work you need to do. Did you do the highest value work available to you?
3. Attitude: A large part of the results you produce are going to have a great deal to do with your attitude. A positive attitude enables positive results. A negative attitude never produces much of anything but complaints and whining and blaming. Did you have a positive, optimistic, future-oriented, and empowered attitude? Were you a force for good?
4. Contribution: You are here to make a difference. The work you do, regardless of the work itself, makes a difference for others. But to make that difference you have to make sure the work serves others. You have try to make it better. Did you make the contribution of which you were capable?

These are four simple things that are mostly within your control, and all of them will help you do better work—and enjoy doing it.