#17: From Outcomes to Inputs
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In This Issue:
Quick Takes: Outcome-based goals give us direction, but we should focus on the daily inputs that will help us achieve results.
Community Buzz: WFH walking pads, devices to track perimenopause symptoms, reduce menstrual pain, and more.
Member Spotlight: The Mitchell family participated in Benchmark together, giving them new insights, support, and accountability.
Company Updates: We're moving! Soon you'll find us a couple blocks away, in a newly renovated space. More to come!
QUICK TAKES
Takeaways from content we’ve enjoyed & other timely topics
From Outcomes to Inputs
We’re halfway through January, and goal setting is in full swing. At work and at home, we tend to frame our goals around outcomes: earning the promotion, hitting a sales target, building muscle, running a faster 10K.
Those outcomes matter. They give us direction. But on their own, they’re not very useful in deciding what to do day to day, tracking progress along the way, or adapting when things don’t go as planned. To make progress, we need more than a destination. We need to chart a path to reach it.
One framework we’ve found particularly helpful comes from The Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX), which makes an important distinction between lagging and leading metrics.
Lagging vs. Leading Metrics
Lagging metrics reflect results. In business, that might be revenue or customer growth. In health, it could be body composition, aerobic fitness, cholesterol levels, or strength. These metrics are critical. They tell you where you ended up at the end of a defined period. The challenge is that by the time you measure them, the behaviors that produced them are already behind you.
Leading metrics measure the actions that make those results more likely. In the business world, think: number of weekly sales calls or content pieces published. For your health, this may be: number of workouts per week, consistent early bedtimes, food logging. These are the small, repeatable inputs that drive the target results over time.
Leading metrics should meet a few conditions:
They’re predictive: You’re confident that doing them consistently will drive the desired outcome.
They’re repeatable: They’re tracked frequently, often daily or weekly, and you refine them as you learn along the way.
They’re controllable: Whether you hit these or not is largely based on your own actions.
Lagging metrics tell you whether your strategy worked. Leading metrics tell you whether you’re doing the right things now to achieve success.
Managing What You Can Control
Where 4DX becomes especially useful is in how it shifts your focus day to day. You can’t actively manage a lagging metric in the moment. You can only react to it after the fact. Fixating on outcomes alone can create uncertainty and frustration, because they move slowly and can’t be changed on demand.
Leading metrics, by contrast, offer immediate feedback. They’re the tangible actions you can choose, or skip, each day. That doesn’t mean abandoning outcome goals. It means using them as direction vs. fixation.
A helpful mental shift is this:
Use lagging metrics to set direction and evaluate progress
Use leading metrics to guide daily decisions and behaviour
We think about this a lot at Benchmark. It’s at the core of how we build our assessment programs, and how we help our members set achievable goals. Assessments, by design, tend to focus on lagging metrics: lower HbA1C, higher lean mass, lower resting heart rate. But when we examine these along with the drivers behind them (daily glucose control, early bedtimes, frequent movement, strength workouts), we unlock a deep understanding and personal awareness that can drive lasting change.
As we’ve discussed before, achieving our goals depends on a system of habits. As James Clear put it, “fix the inputs, and the outputs will fix themselves.”
As you set your goals this year, don’t just think about what you want to achieve. Ask yourself, what are the few actions I can take today that will make my desired outcome far more likely?
COMMUNITY BUZZ
Highlights from Benchmark’s community
Walking, Without Leaving Your Desk 🚶
We know how important it is to move frequently throughout the day. But many of us are desk-bound for the workday. Plus, the winter windchill is real.❄️ Hence, we are big fans of under-the-desk treadmills (or “walking pads”) as a way to get moving between Zoom calls, or to zoom right through them!
A few members recently asked for recommendations. Our take? Don’t overthink it, and look for a machine that works reliably. That said, there are two key factors to consider: 1) Portability: Some are very lightweight and can be easily set aside if you don’t have the space to leave it out all the time. 2) Noise level: Particularly if you plan to take “walking meetings,” make sure noise is no issue. Check out Wirecutter's picks and discussion. If you go with one of these, or follow the Amazon ratings, we trust you’ll be happy you did.
Gadgets & Gizmos 🤖
The 2026 CES expo just wrapped up and featured some intriguing health & wellness devices. The winner of Best Wellness Tech was Peri, a device worn on the torso that tracks symptoms of perimenopause, including menstrual changes, hot flashes, and night sweats. It analyzes your data and provides AI-powered insights. Another female-focused device was OhmBody, which uses gentle neuro-stimulation designed to reduce the severity of menstrual cramps, and support lighter menstrual flow. Another type of tracker getting attention these days is the smart toilet. Joining Kohler’s Dekoda and Throne, the Vovo Toilet has a sensor to analyze urine for wellness tracking, and is flush with high-tech features. 😉
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Featured members and their health journeys
Larry, Cheryl, and Zachary Mitchell
The Mitchells took on Benchmark as a family. Larry saw a gap in the health system for those seeking key data, deeper insights, and ongoing improvement. The Mitchells learned together, and supported one another to realize their health goals! Read on...
COMPANY UPDATES
The latest updates from Benchmark HQ
New location renovations are underway!
We're Moving! 📍
We're excited to welcome you soon to a newly renovated space, just a few blocks from our current location! It's bittersweet, given how much we've enjoyed working with the wonderful team at Velocity, but this will expand our capacity and we think you'll love the new digs! 🙌
We'll update you via email in the coming weeks. In the meantime, follow us for sneak peeks! 📸
