Want to Improve: Measure!

To improve in anything we must hold ourselves accountable. We must find a way to measure the progress towards our goals. If our goal is Eudaimonia, we must measure our progress toward living with integrity with our highest values.

Are we operationalizing virtue each day?

Here is an example of how your Carpe Diem Journal can help you measure your progress towards your ideal identity for the Big 3 Areas of Your Life (Energy, Work/School, Relationships) It’s a good practice to plan your goals in the morning in our (AM time block) and reflect each night in our PM Time Block).

• Energy (0,1,10,100,1k,10k,25): These numbers can mean anything to you, the idea is to continually move throughout the day. We don’t want to work out once and act like slugs for the rest of the day. As humans, we have to move, to cultivate the energy we need to grow in our chosen work and love. here are some ideas of what the numbers may mean to you:
  • 0 – Did you meditate? Reflect for a moment, Decide to be great today? check it off!
  • 1- 1 sun-salutation when you wake up, 1 smile, 1-moment of gratitude, 1 push-up
  • 10- 10-pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 10 min of meditation, 10-breaths when you feel intense emotion.
  • 100- 100 burpees, push-ups, air squats spaced throughout the day. Movement is better than a cup of coffee, we need to stay focused.
  • 1k -1k meter row, 1 mile, a floor of an endurance exercise each day.
  • 10k – steps!
  • 25 – 25 min work-out, movement activity segment each day.
• Work ( Deep-work, Team-work, Monkey-Work): Tally each work-block throughout your day
  • Deep-work – Phones/notifications off. No distractions. Homework, practicing your sport, etc.
  • Team-work – Collaborating with others: team practice, group projects, partner activities.
  • Monkey-work – Checking emails/phones while performing work. Responding to other demands.
• Love (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0):
  • 0.0 – Did you take time to energize yourself today? (read, journal,work-out, meditate, write, time in nature?
  • 1.0 – Did you spend time 100% present with a friend, teammate, or family today ( no checking your phone, or watching TV unless intentionally doing so i.e. deciding to watch a movie together).
  • 2.0 – Did you share a MMPR (micro-moment of positivity) with a stranger, classmate, store clerk. Try to go a layer deeper than hello!
  • 3.0 – Did you encourage someone to do more of what they’re great at today? Did you intentionally compliment someone to let them know how much you appreciate them?