Lead Measures vs. Lag Measures

— And Merry Christmas you filthy animals

Most people live their lives staring at the scoreboard, wondering why the numbers never seem to change. They obsess over lag measures—the outcome metrics that only appear after the work is done. The weight on the scale. The finish time on the ruck. The money in the bank. The number of followers, the plates on the barbell, the promotion at work.

They want the win, but they don’t focus on the metrics that get them there. That’s why they stay stuck.

In special operations, we never measured success by the number of insurgents we pulled off a target. We measured success by the actions we took: patrols run, houses cleared, and training hours logged. Those were the things we could control. Those were the lead measures: the actions that, executed consistently, produce the outcome.

The idea behind RTFU is the same. You don’t get fit by wishing for a lower number on the scale. You get fit by measuring the miles you ruck, the calories you stuff in your face, the workouts you complete. And you don’t get mentally tougher by hoping for a stronger mindset. You get tougher by doing hard things every day. Lead measures are the controllable inputs that stack the deck in your favor.

The problem is that lag measures come with dopamine. They make you feel good, like you are progressing even when you aren't. Lead measures demand honesty. They expose your habits, or lack of them. They show whether you’re moving the needle or just bullshitting yourself.

RTFU means doing the work before you see the results. It’s about molding yourself into a person who gets things done, whether or not the scoreboard has caught up. When you focus on the lead measures, you reclaim power. You stop waiting. You start producing.

Here’s the hard truth most people can’t accept:

You can’t control the outcome. You can only control your actions. But outcomes bend to those who act with consistency.

When you measure your daily miles, your daily discipline, your daily inputs, something shifts. You remove emotion from the equation. You stop negotiating with yourself. You execute the plan.

Lead measures are the battle flag you plant every morning. Lag measures are the stories you tell later.

You want to win? Track what you control.
You want to change your life? Track effort before results.
You want to Ruck The Fuck Up? Track the grind, not the glory.

The scoreboard will always catch up for the person who measures the steps it took to get there.

Merry Christmas,

Until next week,

Ruck The Fuck Up,

John

If you need any last-minute gifts that will not arrive on time, check out the RTFU store.

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