Redefining Success: Changing Your Metrics for Growth

There’s nothing more frustrating than stepping on the scale and seeing a number that doesn’t match your effort. You’ve been eating better, moving more, and yet—no change. But what if the problem isn’t your progress, but the way you’re measuring it?

For years, I believed that fitness success was tied solely to weight loss. If the scale wasn’t going down, I must be doing something wrong. But then I started asking different questions: Do I feel stronger? Am I managing stress better? Is my sleep improving? When I shifted my metric of success from weight to well-being, I started to feel like I was winning every day. My workouts weren’t just about burning calories—they were about mental clarity, emotional resilience, and proving to myself that I could show up even when it was hard.

This same mindset applies to any big goal in life. Take social media, for example. If I compare myself to influencers with 10K followers, I might feel like I’m failing before I even begin. But what if, instead, I measured my progress by engagement, consistency, or personal growth? What if I focused on the fact that I posted five times this week when last month I barely showed up at all? What if I celebrated my first 100 followers rather than obsessing over the thousands I have yet to reach? Suddenly, I’m building momentum instead of drowning in self-doubt.

James Clear talks about this in Atomic Habits—it’s not about chasing big results but about refining the system that gets you there. If I focus on improving by just 1% each day, those small wins compound into something massive over time. Success isn’t the grand milestone at the end; it’s built in the daily habits that move us forward.

Think about it this way: A writer doesn’t become a bestselling author overnight. They start with a single page, then another. A runner doesn’t complete a marathon without first training for weeks, even months. Progress is incremental, and when we focus too much on the end goal, we lose sight of the victories happening in real time.

So if you feel stuck, ask yourself: Am I measuring progress in a way that keeps me motivated? Or am I setting myself up for frustration? Because sometimes, success isn’t in the number—it’s in the feeling, the consistency, and the quiet victories along the way.

Instead of fixating on the outcome, shift your focus to the process. Are you showing up for yourself? Are you building habits that support your goals? Are you making choices today that your future self will thank you for? If the answer is yes, then you’re already winning.

Your metrics for success should inspire you, not discourage you. Change your metric, change your momentum, and most importantly—keep going. Your growth is happening, even if you can’t always see it in the numbers.