Counting

Counting may be the most powerful tool for achieving our goals.

It's simple. It's effective. It just works.

• Want to save more money? Set a goal and count your savings.
• Want to invest more? Set a goal and count your investments.
• Want to lose weight? Set a goal and count your calories.
• Want to exercise more? Set a goal and count your miles run, weights lifted, or time active.
• Want to write more? Set a goal and count your words.

The act of counting brings awareness to our actions and progress. It also provides accountability.

Before you run off counting, here are two tips that work for me.

1. Track both the activity (e.g., miles run) and the outcome (e.g., improvement in your pace).
2. Count very few things at a time, maybe two or three. If everything is important, then nothing really is. Focus on what matters most to you right now.

Remember, the goal isn't to count forever. After consistently tracking for a while, you'll internalize the numbers and develop an intuitive sense of your progress. At that point, you may not need to count as rigorously—the habit will have become part of your lifestyle.

If you want, count something else.

That's what I do.