Hi ,

There are 3 things in the 'Spectrum of Control'.

"What's the 'Spectrum of Control', Ajitesh?"

Imagine a straight line. At the left most point is 'Input'.

At the right most point is 'Outcome'. In the middle is 'Output'.

As you move from Input to Output to Outcome, the amount of control you have over the situation decreases.

You have maximum control over what inputs you put in. But minimum control over the outcomes.

This is something I came across in Ali Abdaal's newsletter. Thought I'd share with some context.

So when it comes to losing weight, what could this look like?

Inputs (the effort you put in each day):

➡️ Being mindful of food intake

➡️ Moving frequently throughout the day

➡️ Engaging in physical exercise

Outputs (measurable markers of effort):

➡️ Total calories consumed over the course of the day

➡️ 10,000 steps

➡️ Lifting an extra 5 kgs of weight for a specific exercise

Outcomes (things you actually want):

➡️ Lower body weight

➡️ More energy

➡️ Increased confidence

Which of these things should you focus on while setting goals?

It depends.

If things seem too repetitive and you're tired of just walking to increase your daily activity. Aspire for a different output based goal. Get a stationary bike and aim to get more kms of cycling done. Or get a jump rope and count skips. Aim to lift a certain weight in an exercise by end of 4 weeks.

If goals seem overwhelming, focus on the inputs. Were you mindful in all your meals? Did you take a walk after every meal? Did you do some physical exercise thrice a week?

Set macro goals monthly by reminding yourself of the outcomes you're trying to achieve. You have minimal control over these.

But outcomes serve as a guiding north star towards what you're trying to achieve.

- Ajitesh

P.S. If you're frustrated that your weight loss progress is stuck. That you don't know what you might be doing wrong. You're in luck, .

I recorded a recent podcast episode where I discuss the '5 Fatal Flaws that Hold You Back from Losing Weight'.

If you aren't moving towards your goals, it's because you're suffering from one of these 5 fatal flaws.

Listen to the episode to learn more about how to fix this.

Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube