Process-Oriented Goals, and Q1 New Year's Resolutions

Well, here we are, a whole new year. (source)

James's blog has a good discussion of the difference between results-oriented goals (e.g. I want to be a NYT best-selling author) and process-oriented goals, or systems as he calls them (such as, I want to write 1,000 words every day). There's too many money quotes in the article to quote them all here, but James's main thesis is this: "[Results-based] goals are good for planning your progress and systems are good for actually making progress."

Let me give an example of how focusing on results rather than process has given me sub-optimal outcomes over the last few months. Below is a chart of my performance on chinups (measured via a one-rep max formula) from the beginning of September until around Thanksgiving:

Now, you should ignore the fact that my September 1RM was greater than my November 1RM, because in my opinion this formula puts an overemphasis on reps rather than weight (the September 7th spike is 14 reps of bodyweight, whereas the highest point in November is 9 reps of bodyweight plus 30lbs). Rather, look at the horizontal distance between the data points. In September, I was averaging between 2 and 4 days between each workout. Then all of the sudden I had a 12-day gap, then a couple of 5-day gaps, then two more 12-day gaps between each of my workouts. While each of these are explainable (my half-marathon training being the reason for one of the 12-day gaps), it demonstrates a poor control of process. While my performance (and therefore strength) did continue to improve as time went on, this chart shows a real lack of discipline.

So why was I so undisciplined? One explanation is that my process was goal-oriented: my goal was to increase performance in each workout, and eventually get to a 1RM somewhere north of 300lbs by some future date. There was absolutely no thought or rigor given to controlling the rate of work performed so as to maximize these outcomes.

Contrast this with other notable productivity systems such as:

• Nick Saban's: “Well, the process is really what you have to do day in and day out to be successful... we don’t try to focus as much on the outcomes as we do on being all that you can be."
• Stephen King's: "King strongly believes in setting writing goals, and recommends a minimum of a thousand words a day, six days a week."
• Jerry Seinfeld's: "If you made progress on your scripts every single day for an entire year, how many could you finish? Two? Four? More? Now, imagine that you've finally gotten the ear of an agent, producer or director. If you don't break the chain for two or three years, chances are you'll end up with a script to please just about any buyer....  if we want to succeed as writers, we must acknowledge our craft and respect the process."

So, with that in mind, I've decided that my New Year's Resolution for 2014 is to transform my results-oriented goals into process-oriented goals, and deliver on them. Rather than set goals for the entire year, I'm going to begin with 3-month periods (similar to Martin's checkpoints) so that my motivation does not lag after several months have passed. Tracking my progress (both in terms of work performed, and performance at said work) is essential. Here's what I've currently set for Q1 (through the end of March):

1. Run 200 total miles. I looked back at my half-marathon training logs and saw that I ran exactly 100 miles over a six-week period. Given that my training was far from perfect over that timespan (lots of 5- and 6-day breaks), it seems reasonable that I could keep a 15 mile per week cadence for a full three months.
2. Have 40 weightlifting gym sessions. That's 3 days per week: one for push/chest/tri, one for pull/back/bi, and one for legs. While I've regularly made it into the gym two or three days a week, I've also regularly punctuated that progress with a lot of missed time due to travel, illness, etc. This time around, we're getting to forty, period. Note that I'll also be tracking my progress on specific lifts, but my approach will be that progress follows process, not the other way around. My expectation is that if I make it into the gym forty times and bust my ass while in there, then I will see significant and sustained strength improvements. Here were my best performances of the past 3 months:
• Bench Press: 185lb x 6
• Weighted Chin-Ups: Bodyweight+30lbs x 9
• Squat: 225lb x 8
• Deadlift: 255lb x 7
3. Read 8 books cover-to-cover. This is another part of my life that has a lot of inertia. When I start rolling, my progress is quick, but I can easily go weeks between cracking a page. Hopefully, setting a specific goal of 11 days per book will help me overcome this.
4. The Goal Backlog. Obviously, I want to be better at more than just running, lifting, and reading. I could easily set a dozen goals that include writing, playing the piano, making money, learning a skill, etc. But as most self-improvement gurus will tell you, it's folly to work on too many goals at once. I tend to like the Rule of Three: Try not to work on more than 3 things at once. When I think of other aspects of my life that I want to improve, I make a note to revisit them after the 3-month period has ended. That doesn't mean that I'm not working on them (for example, I'm trying to do a better job of calling my friends/family on a daily basis), but I'm just not actively tracking the process.

Well, there you have it, my resolutions for the start of 2014. This past year has been extremely productive, but I know that all of us (and myself included) can improving our ability to... improve. I'll be posting my progress over the next few months. Thanks for reading.

Happy New Year, everybody.