METRICS THAT MATTER

We are obsessed about measuring everything. We want to know the number o connections, number of followers, number of pageviews, number of minutes someone spends on our website, number of clickthroughs, number of times the shopping cart was abandoned, number of repeat visitors, number of new visitors.. and the list goes on.

Sometimes we forget that most of what we measure is means to an end and not the end itself.

Sometimes we forget that many things we should focus on cannot be measured with any scale (caring, love, joy, happiness, compassion etc.)

Sometimes we forget that we are in a rat race where everyone including the winner loses.

Sometimes we forget that we forget to see the forest for the trees. We want to improve on the metrics for the sake of improving on the metrics.

Sometimes we forget to measure the amount of time we spend being obsessed with measuring the metrics.

Measuring the wrong things is like running fast in the wrong direction.

End of the year is a great time to stop, reflect and think about what are the metrics that really matter most to you.

BEING SOCIAL

 Let us look at the smart and social landscape.  we can slot people into four quadrants namely:

1. Not Smart and Not Social: These people are Invisible and except for people that have relationships with them, others won’t notice that they are missing.

2. Not Smart and Social: These are Noise Generators. With the barrier to entry for any social media tool being so low, they talk a lot but the value of what they say is questionable.

3. Smart but Not Social: These are Hidden Gems. I have to be careful here as there are many people in this category that are not “hidden.” Their work is so valuable that others will amplify it for them.

4. Smart and Social: These are Amplifiers. They bring a lot of value and begin social they know how to amplify their value.

CHOLESTEROL

High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) is a "silent killer." It is estimated that nearly one-quarter of the population has high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are no symptoms or ominous signs that serve as a warning until it is too late. Left untreated, it can cause an increase in heart attacks, strokes, arterial narrowing and heart disease. This is why it is crucial to be screened for high cholesterol once every five years.

High cholesterol does run in families. However, the following can increase your risk of developing high cholesterol:

• Obesity
• Drinking alcohol excessively
• Hypertension (damaged artery walls are more vulnerable to attachment of fatty deposits)
• Diabetes (high blood sugar lowers HDL and raises LDL)
• Smoking (damages blood vessels making them prey to cholesterol adherence)
• Lack of exercise (raises LDL and lowers HDL)

Though the danger of excess cholesterol has clearly been shown, there is an important function that cholesterol serves in our body.

Cholesterol, a waxy substance similar to fat and made in the liver, is needed by the body to create hormones, Vitamin D and bile acids. However, an excess of the wrong type of cholesterol can increase your risk for stroke, heart disease, heart attacks and plaque formation in the arteries.

There are two varieties of cholesterol--LDL (low density "bad" lipoproteins) and HDL (high density "good" lipoproteins)

HDL is considered the "good cholesterol" since it removes excess LDL from the bloodstream, protecting against heart disease. High levels reflect a healthy metabolic system.

LDL is considered the "bad cholesterol" since it adheres to arterial walls, creating obstructions or narrowing which increases risk of cardiovascular problems. There is a link between high levels and arterial artherosclerosis (plaque building on arterial walls causing narrowing or obstruction).

While triglycerides are not actually part of cholesterol, it is usually screened as part of the cholesterol panel since it also increases heart disease risk.

LAW OF GARBAGE TRUCK

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly.

So I asked, ‘Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!’

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so…… ‘Love the people who treat you right. Forgive the ones who don’t.’

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!