This episode introduces a profound yet simple principle: knowing your baselines. This concept is crucial for effectively detecting and measuring change in your life and career.

Uncover the fundamental idea that to recognise when something has changed, you must first understand what things were like before the change occurred. Often, people haven't been measuring their lives, making it challenging to spot shifts because their baselines are unknown.
Learn to identify your personal baselines across various aspects of your life. This includes understanding typical daily habits, such as whether you tend to skip lunch, or how many hours you usually work (e.g., 6, 8, or 10 hours). While general data might suggest optimal working hours (e.g., 35-45 hours for most benefit, rarely more than 55 hours), your personal baseline is unique, and the goal is to empower you to make conscious decisions about your habits.
Explore other crucial areas for baseline measurement, including simple health metrics like your typical body weight, baseline levels of activity with friends, expected energy levels, and even your baseline for positivity.
Discover how establishing these 'operating norms' for your life can be a critical factor in recognising positive changes, identifying when you are unconsciously changing a behaviour, or even detecting signs of burnout. For instance, if your body weight trends upwards, it might signal decreased activity. Similarly, knowing your baseline learning rate can help you assess if you are learning at an acceptable pace.
Understand the significant benefit of sharing your baseline measurements or expectations with others. What others observe about your life can provide a valuable starting point or confirm changes you might not perceive yourself. It's encouraged to get curious about what others are seeing, rather than dismissing their observations.
Grasp why this principle is so important: it helps align your actions with your values and purpose. If you care about spending quality time with family or friends, understanding your baseline investment in these relationships allows you to recognise if you're moving away from your expected commitment. Knowing your baselines demonstrates that you're putting action behind your values, rather than just stating them.
Consider starting by engaging a trusted person to help you be aware of your baselines, especially concerning the things that matter most to you. This provides external observation and support.

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Follow This Principle - Establish Your Baselines

Developer Tea