Improve Your Inputs to Improve Your Life

When something in your life, whether in business, career, sports, health, nutrition, relationship, is not working for you, you’ll often focus and be upset about the outcome.

Only a few realize and actively focus on the input and process, that led to the output.

Think of it like a pipe system:

Your input flows into the system, gets processed, and creates an output.

If the input is garbage and the flow is weak or clogged, the output is garbage too.

In this edition, you’ll learn:

• Why focusing on the wrong things keeps you stuck

• How to diagnose whether your problem is with the input or the process

• The secret to getting better results in less time

Quote of the week

Deep Dive: Why Inputs Matter More Than Outputs

Let’s start with a truth that applies to every area of life—business, health, relationships, you name it: Garbage in, garbage out.

The quality of your results (your output) is always a reflection of two things:

1. The inputs you’re putting into the system.

2. The process you’re using to transform those inputs.

The Problem: Most people obsess over the outcome (the output) and blame their process when things don’t work. But often, the real issue isn’t the process—it’s the inputs.

Let me paint you a picture.

Imagine you’re running a farm.

If the land is poor and the seeds are bad, no amount of watering or sunlight will give you a good harvest.

Similarly, in life, if your inputs are flawed, the process won’t matter.

Diagnosing the Input vs. Process Problem

Here’s a quick framework to understand whether your problem lies in the input or the process:

1. Input Problem: You haven’t put in enough effort or volume to even assess the process.

2. Process Problem: You’re putting in consistent effort but still not getting results.

Let’s look at some examples:

1. Health
   You want to lose weight, but the scale isn’t budging.

   Before you tweak your workout or diet (process), ask yourself:

   Are you consistently eating clean and exercising (input)?

   If the answer is no, that’s your problem.

2. Career Growth

   Imagine you want to land a better job but aren’t getting any interviews.

   If you’ve only applied to three jobs in the last month, the input is clearly too low. Once you’ve sent out 50 well-crafted applications, then you can assess whether your process—like your resume or cover letter—needs adjustment.

3. Relationships

   A friend says he’s struggling to meet new people.

   When you ask how many people he’s approached or messaged recently, he says, “One.” The input isn’t enough to judge the process.

   On the flip side, if he’s talked to 50 people and still isn’t making connections, the process (how he’s approaching people) needs a closer look.

How to Fix Your Inputs and Processes

1. Start with What You Can Control
   Outputs are not directly controllable. Inputs and processes are. Shift your focus to these controllable areas.

2. Focus on Your Inputs
   Success, intelligence and ability are largely a result of the quality of inputs. No matter how advanced the system is, bad inputs will lead to bad results.

   This applies to everything—mentors, books, experiences, even the people you surround yourself with.

3. Refine the Process Later
   Once you’ve improved and/or increased your input, evaluate how effective your process is.

When you focus on improving your inputs, you naturally improve your outputs. The cause-and-effect principle works in your favor when you focus on what you can control.

See you at the peak.

– Team Hybrid Athlead