When Yardsticks Become Goals

When a measure of health becomes a goal, it’s a problem.

Here’s a photo of what happens, for instance, when muscle mass stops being a measure and starts being a goal.

(Shiver!)

People: Please figure this out, like, today:

The metric is not the goal. It’s a way to measure your progress toward the goal. Which is it’s own thing.

For people who are not bodybuilders, but—say—professionals in the “rat race,” this concept translates into: “It’s not that ‘having luxury brands means you’ve made it,’ it’s, ‘making it means you get to enjoy luxury brands.’”

Chew on this. Internalize it. Talk it over with someone. Imagine rolling up to your friend’s house in a smaller car. Imagine not caring about having a 60″ TV.

Because frankly, this is the secret to happiness.

Jason Seiden is Co-founder and CEO of Ajax Social Media, a training company that shows professionals how use social media to work more effectively.