Atomic Habits
Measurement is only useful when it guides you and adds context to a larger picture, not when it consumes you. Each number is simply one piece of feedback in the overall system.
In our data-driven world, we tend to overvalue numbers and undervalue anything ephemeral, soft or difficult to quantify. We mistakenly think the factors we can measure are the only factors that exist.
But just because you can measure something, doesn’t mean it’s the most important thing. And just because you can’t measure something, doesn’t mean it’s not important at all.
“When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.”
– Goodhart’s Law
Small habits don’t add up, they compound.
Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity. This is one reason why meaningful change does not require radical change. Small habits can make a meaningful difference by providing evidence of a new identity. And if a change is meaningful, it is actually big. That's the paradox of making small improvements.