Why you can’t lose those 10 pounds – And why Oprah should run for President
Americans are obsessed with weight loss
Our culture is fixated on it. Everywhere you turn you see diet books, thirty day plans, and commercials for weight loss products. There are entire television series devoted to it. It seems like everyone at Trader Joe’s is infatuated with kale.
Even Weight Watchers can’t seem to go wrong. Call it the Oprah effect.
Anyone who thinks Oprah’s brand power has faded is insane. Maybe she should finally run for President . . .
Weight Watchers International (WTW), May 4th into May 5th, Source: Google Finance, Bridgesphere Research
When lots to lose results in more to gain
The New York Times published a study last week citing that most of the winners of the reality television show “Biggest Loser” gained a significant portion of their weight back.
It seems the takeaway for 99% of America was that weight loss is hopeless
After all, the study showed that most of the winning contestants suffered from a material slowdown in their metabolism. This change never reverted back to levels observed before their rapid weight loss.
The result? Contestants had to consume hundreds of calories less than the “average human being” in order to keep their weight off after the cameras stopped rolling and the spotlight turned away.
You can debate the merits and mathematics of the study all you want (yes, they are entirely debatable), but the fact remains that a few contestants did keep all of their weight off. Their secret?
Goal setting & data.
They worked out every day. They monitored every nutrient that entered their body.
They set a goal to keep the weight off — and they had a plan to get there. They consistently monitored their progress. When things got out of whack, they adjusted their course.
There’s a lot of variables that go into weight
But the fact remains that left to their own devices, a slower metabolism was a recipe for failure. Without monitoring their metabolism, physical activity and nutritional intake, they were destined to gain the weight back.
They needed data. Without a guidepost, the weight piled back on. They never had a road map for sustainable success.
The same goes for your business
In a world where the external influences on your business are as varied and dangerous as fast food drive-thru’s and aisles of potato chips are to weight loss, data is your key to success.
How did you perform on your key metrics last week?
Which KPI should you be focused on during May? How did this Mothers Day Weekend compare to last? What does that foreshadow for Fathers Day (and June)?
Business Performance Planning holds the answer. Regular measurement of your key drivers of profit and growth will help you boost the performance of your business and empower you to enter the zone of continuous improvement.
Approach your business like your body. Strive for continuous improvement. Never confuse your present reality with your long-term destiny. You have the power to make things better.
Just focus. Measure. And act.
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Own it.
Whenever someone says they want to “manage” something, I cringe.
I immediately ask myself, is there a better word? After all, words matter. The words we chose carry deep significance, not just because of their inherent meaning, but because they give insight into our actions. They cast light on our motivations.
So when people tell me they’re going to manage something (or even worse, manage-through something), I immediately try and discern whether they’re setting themselves up for failure.
After all, ownership breeds success. Management reeks of passivity.
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The Hottest Thing on Tidal Since Beyoncé
Walking along Ocean Beach, I couldn’t help but gaze at the jaw dropping distance between where surf hit the sand and the waterline marking high tide from the night before.
A mere nine hours earlier, waves were crashing at a distance that would take a full 90 seconds to walk. To think that the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun are entirely responsible for these changes is astounding.
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Misery Loves Company: A Heatwave, Dr. Faustus & Economic Coincidence
Everybody’s talking about it. It’s hot. And it’s only April. Mission Dolores Park was overrun with Millennials (and those who wish they were Millennials) escaping the suffocating heat of their rent-control apartments.
The beaches were packed. The screen on your iPhone was hot enough to cause second-degree burns. We just had two of (hopefully) ten nights this year when San Franciscans wish they had air conditioning. Almost no one does.
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