PerforMind [Performance + Mindset] Managing Progress with tools like traffic lights or the Outcome Star

PerforMind – Managing Progress with tools like traffic lights or the Outcome Star

PerforMind (Performance + Mind) is a podcast series about terms and performance in business and in sport.

Today, I want to talk about how using tools like traffic lights or the Outcome Star can help manage your goals, performance, and progress. As a triathlete, you have to juggle multiple disciplines—swimming, biking, and running—plus strength, flexibility, and recovery. Life isn't about measuring performance in just one area; it's about managing progress across a range of activities, and frankly, there aren’t enough days in a week to do it all. The same can be said for life in general—whether you're an athlete or not.

Timescales and Planning

The first step is to stop thinking in strict weekly cycles. Instead, consider longer periods, like 14 or 21 days. Maybe one week you focus on swim and bike, and the next week it's run and flexibility. This allows you to spread the workload and avoid trying to cram everything into a single week, which can lead to burnout, both physically and mentally. By extending your planning horizon, you can balance your goals without overwhelming yourself.

Flexibility Over Perfection

Next, it's important to avoid binary thinking—where success means hitting all your goals, and failure means missing them entirely. Life happens, and conditions can change. For example, if you're scheduled to ride your bike but it’s snowing or icy, it's better to switch to a different activity rather than risk injury. Flexibility is key. Have goals, have a program, but don’t be rigid. Adapt your plan according to circumstances while still making progress.

Traffic Light System

I often think of performance in terms of a traffic light system: green means you've hit your targets, amber means you’ve made some progress, and red means you’ve fallen short. But falling short isn’t failure. Like bodybuilders who have "cheat days," where they relax their strict nutritional regimen, you can allow flexibility without derailing your overall plan. Think of it as a balance—stick to the program most days, but allow for treats or adjustments when life calls for it.

Keeping the Score

For me, using the traffic light system in triathlon meant aiming for three greens—one each for swim, bike, and run—but that rarely happened perfectly. Some weeks, I had one red, one amber, and one green. The key is to avoid three reds in a row. Even on tough days, there’s always something positive to do—whether it's stretching, flexibility work, or simply resting. Progress is still progress, even if it’s slower than planned. Over time, if you track your efforts, you’ll see that the greens and ambers outnumber the reds, which means you’re on the right track.

Outcome Star or Performance Pizza

The Outcome Star, or as I like to call it, the "Performance Pizza," is another tool for managing progress. Picture a starfish or pizza slices—each slice represents an area of focus like swim, bike, strength, or even broader life areas like family, finance, or fun. You don’t need to tackle every slice at once. Instead, work on one or two areas at a time, and over the course of weeks or months, you'll see cumulative progress. Success isn’t about perfection in every slice; it’s about making steady gains across different areas of life.

Key Lessons:
Extend your planning horizon: Don’t try to achieve everything in one week.
Stay flexible: Avoid binary thinking and adapt when necessary.
Track your progress: Use the traffic light system to measure effort, not just results.
Cumulative progress: Focus on making gains over time, even if each week isn’t perfect.

#GoalSetting #PerformanceTracking #Flexibility #ProgressNotPerfection #TrafficLightSystem #OutcomeStar #Endurance #LifeBalance

Tim Rogers
Consultant/ Project Manager
[email protected]
Phone 07797762051

MBA Management Consultant | Prince2 Project Manager, Agile Scrum Master | AMPG Change Practitioner | BeTheBusiness Mentor | ICF Trained Coach | Mediation Practitioner | 4 x GB Gold Medalist | First Aid for Mental Health | Certificate in Applied Therapeutic Skills