Think more simply and singularly about your success metrics

Measuring the return on investment can be a complicated formula.

There are many ways to calculate it, depending on any number of variables, including costs, inputs, goals, processes, etc.

Now, not being much of a math person myself, I’ve always approached return on investment as a metric that should be simple and singular.

Meaning:

What is the one positive result that has to happen for me to believe that this project or task was worth my time, money and effort?

This minimalistic approach makes the number much faster and easier to calculate inside my head and, and it increases the likelihood of positive outcomes.

Think of it like going to see your favorite rock band in concert, and they play the one song that you came there to hear. It’s pure bliss. Time stands still for those four minutes. And once you catch your breath when the song is over, you think to yourself, I could go home right now and feel completely satisfied with this experience.

That’s the way I think about the return on investment of almost everything. It’s not so much a strategy of commerce as much as a strategy of contentment, which is something my mentor taught me years ago.

He said that if you publish a book, for example, you can’t get caught up in the number of copies sold. Because that’s not a reliable metric. You have to think simple and singular.

Who is the one reader that, if they read this book, it will transform their life? What is the one organization that, if they add this book to their curriculum, will have a massive impact on the way they work? What is the one door of opportunity that, if this book wedges it open, will send your career on a positive trajectory?

That’s return on investment. Sometimes you only need to get one copy in one person’s hand to make the entire project worthwhile.

Decades after my mentor gave me that advice, the three founders of my startup wanted to publish a book, and wanted me to lead the project. Fantastic.

And so, when we sat down for our kickoff meeting, they asked me how many copies we could expect to sell. I told them it didn’t matter. We weren’t going to get on any bestseller lists, and we weren’t going get rich selling thousands of copies, because those were irrelevant numbers. Vanity metrics weak authors use to make themselves sound credible.

Instead, our return on investment is going to be client acquisition. If this new book unlocks the door to a conversation with a large brand who ultimately hires us, then it will have been worth every minute, penny and calorie we put into it.

Sure enough, that happened. Several times. We leveraged our new asset to get new clients, start conversations with key partners, and ultimately add value to our brand, which later got acquired by a massive agency for millions of dollars.

Think any of our founders were still asking me how many copies of that book we sold at that point?

Shit, I have no idea how many copies were sold. I don’t need to know, and I never will know.

Because it doesn’t matter. That startup doesn’t even exist anymore, so a far as I’m concerned, that book served its purpose and is as good as dead to us now. We’ve all moved on to other, better jobs with money in our pocket and one hell of a story to tell.

That’s return on investment. Simple and singular.

Whatever new project or endeavor you’re about to start, start by asking yourself this question:

What is the one positive result that has to happen for you to believe that this project or task was worth your time, money and effort?

Remember, it’s not about commerce, it’s about contentment. This may be more right brained than you’re used to being when it comes to calculating value.

But let’s not pretend that money is what we really care about. Money is merely fuel. It’s what underwrites our ability to create a meaningful life that we wouldn’t trade.

Fulfillment trumps finance. I promise that the easier you make it to calculate return on investment inside your head, the faster you can make good decisions, and the more likely you are to have positive outcomes.

If you could think more simply and singularly about your success metrics, how would your life be different?