Outputs and Outcomes

When chasing an outcome, measure your output.

In an online video — which I’ve since lost — a prodigious barista talks about his quest for the perfect shot of espresso.
”Grams of espresso out is more important than grams of water in. Finding balance is difficult but fixating on any single input is a recipe for failure.”

I found this fascinating but self-evident.
It’s his philosophy of pursuit that struck me.

His output is effort.
The outcome comes or it doesn’t.

For him, this is an ongoing pursuit.
He hasn’t made the perfect shot.
He never will because perfection is a fantasy.
But his output is real.

I get hung up on outcome — Millionaire, Famous, New York Times Best Seller…

When I can’t control outcome, I fixate on optimizing input — Income, Followers/subs/viewers, A better pencil.

But output is what matters — Money invested, Community contributions made, Writing published.

You are what you measure.
When chasing an outcome,
Measure your output.

📐 chantastic