Are you leading or lagging?

Recently, my partner and I have been binge-watching?Formula 1: Drive To Survive?on Netflix.

If you too are late to the party, it's a docuseries that chronicles the drivers, teams, and managers behind-the-scenes of what has to be one of the most cutthroat industries in the world (seriously… I thought the magazine world was bitchy and competitive!)

Given that I’m not really a team sports person, I didn’t expect to enjoy it. Luckily, in reality, F1 is about as much of a team sport as pub trivia. Sure, you can?pretend?it’s a group effort, but really it’s just an opportunity for everyone to flex their individual superiority.

Anyway — now, I live for the trackside drama, the underdog stories (naturally, I cheer for whoever that particular episode is focusing on), and Guenther Steiner’s dry ‘jokes’ that almost always fall flat.

I’ve also noticed that F1 is an interesting microcosm of the nature of success.

You can watch four seasons of the show, and still have no idea what’s going to happen race-to-race. The drivers are all so close in ability that literally anything can happen. Sometimes the OG favourites win, and other times, they bin it into a wall on their first lap. On some occasions, some random driver you’ve never heard of will rise up and dominate. That’s what makes it so exciting!

It reminded me of a concept I encountered working in the tech world:?leading and lagging metrics.

These are data points used by organisations to predict and measure business performance.

A?lagging metric?measures what has already happened. It factors in past performance and output to gauge patterns that are already in progress. It takes a long time to change and shows the long-term result of your efforts.

A?leading metric, on the other hand, looks at future performance. These metrics are easier to influence and measure. They’re predictive measures of the actions that are going to help you achieve your outcome.

In F1, the world championship rankings are a key?lagging?metric. They indicate who has consistently performed the best over the last series — and unsurprisingly, they’re an important factor for team owners trying to decide who to sign next season. Much to the dismay of drivers, nothing can be done to change these once they’re set in stone.

The qualifying rounds, though, are anyone’s game. Before a Grand Prix, the drivers perform timed laps to determine their placement on the grid. If you get the fastest qualifying speed, you’ll start at the front of the pack for the race — which is a major advantage.

This is a leading metric because it’s more easily influenced. World champion Lewis Hamilton (sorry, that’s?Sir?Lewis to me) doesn’t always dominate in qualifying rounds, and that’s because there are many, more granular factors that can affect this — from how many hours of sleep the driver got the night before, to how comfortable they feel with the current state of the car.

Looking at lagging metrics, you can bet your sweet bippy that Lewis Hamilton is going to be on the podium (top three) for pretty much every race. But, the qualifying rankings (your leading metric) also play a pretty big role in determining race performance too, and the drivers in pole position will often come out on top.

If lagging metrics are peering back in the rear-view mirror, leading metrics are looking forward at the road ahead.

Now, if motorsports are about as enthralling to you as watching rice boil, you’re probably wondering, “What has this got to do with me, exactly?”

Well, firstly, congratulations on making it this far. As Daniel Ricciardo would say “Get it, girl!” (or guy). But also:

You’re probably putting too much stock in your lagging metrics, and not enough energy into your leading metrics.

So many of us get too caught up in what we have (and haven’t) achieved in the past. We dwell on our past ‘failures’ and let them prevent us from taking action in the future.

And sure, this data can give you some indication of where you stand, performance-wise. But it’s called a lagging metric for a reason. You can be doing all the right things to move toward your goals, but your perception of yourself is slow to catch up. So, you remain entangled in the web of old narratives about who you are and what you’re capable of.

Meanwhile, focusing on your leading metrics is far more empowering. Why? Because they’re actually in your control, and give you immediate feedback about your progress (not to mention, a dopamine boost!) These are your daily habits — the actions you take every day that will influence future outcomes.

Consider this:

Who is more likely to finish writing a book in the next year? The veteran author who has published 10 books, but hasn’t put pen to paper in 3 years? Or the newbie who has been consistently writing 500 words a day for the last 6 months?

Who will perform better in a half-marathon: the person who did cross-country running in high school but is now a couch potato, or the first-timer who has been training for a year?

It’s hard to say for sure. But there’s one thing I do know:

In the battle between past you and present you, the version who is prepared to take consistent, imperfect action?will?lap you.

Over and over and over again.