Roadmap
At work, we set goals.
We define measures to see how close we are getting, then make plans to improve them.
While doing that work, a thought occurred to me.
Why don’t I have something like this for my own life?
I work as a leader in the Equipment Performance Management team at ASML. Part of my role is setting KPIs for the team. I also calculate and manage KPIs related to the performance of our EUV equipment.
KPI stands for Key Performance Indicator. I think of it as a way to check whether we are moving toward the goal we want to achieve.
One thing I have noticed while working in the Korean organization is how much attention goes into setting and meeting these measures. My experience doesn’t speak for every company in Korea, but it is something I see in my own working environment.
And I find it useful.
We can see how much we have improved and where we are getting stuck. Beyond the feeling that we are working hard, we have a shared way to see which direction we are moving in.
There is a condition, though.
The KPIs have to be well chosen.
First, there needs to be a goal we want to reach. Then we need measures that tell us whether we are getting closer.
Meeting a KPI should also bring us closer to the actual goal. That connection is what gives the number meaning.
Choosing what to measure matters for that reason. We need to think about how closely an improvement in a number is connected to the outcome we want.
Then comes the work of changing something.
A measure won’t improve just because we define it and watch it. We need to do something consistently, and change our approach when it isn’t working. We also need to decide where to start, what order to work in, and when to check our progress again.
A roadmap lays out that path.
A goal is where I want to go. A KPI helps me see whether I am getting closer. A roadmap is my plan for how to get there.
We put so much effort into producing results at work.
We set goals, check the numbers, adjust our plans, and try again.
How often do I do that for my own life?
What kind of life do I want? Is the way I live now taking me in that direction? If I want to change something, where could I begin?
I started wondering whether I could apply a little of what I do at work to my own life.
Of course, life is much broader and has many more variables. The goal itself might change. Plenty of things won’t go according to plan.
Still, wouldn’t it be worth choosing a direction and trying?
In the past, defining goals, choosing measures, keeping records, and reviewing them might have felt like too much work in itself. Now I can work through that process gradually with AI. It can help me organize what I have recorded, ask questions, and revise my plans.
I want to live a data-driven life.
I expect that phrase to appear often in the writing I share here, the apps I build, and the ideas I explore.
My work is about helping people make decisions using data. In my own life, I would like to observe how I actually live and use those records to help me choose what to do next.
Which days felt good? What ways of living suited me? What kept making things difficult?
I want to hold on to some of the things I have let pass with only a feeling or a memory.
Described this way, it might sound like a rigid approach to life.
But the goal I have in mind is happiness.
As a small preview, these are some of the questions I want to record in the personal app I am building.
Was I happy today?
Am I satisfied with how today went?
I want to find a way to put those answers into numbers. One number won’t capture an entire day, but as the records accumulate, they might offer clues about when I was happy and what I found satisfying.
Having a lot of money may be a meaningful goal for someone else. They may live happily by their own standards.
For me, having more money doesn’t fully explain what I want. I want to understand why I need it and what kind of life it would help me live.
I think the goals and measures I choose should keep coming back to that question.
Is this helping me get closer to the life I want?
Of course, my thinking may change. I might discover contradictions along the way. The goals or measures I choose at first may turn out to be a poor fit.
When that happens, I want to look at them again and make adjustments. I would like a roadmap that gives me a direction that fits who I am now, and that I can keep revising as I live.
I plan to continue this over a few posts.
First, observing myself and looking back at my experiences to think about what kind of future would suit me.
Then, choosing KPIs that fit those goals and finding ways for everyday records to accumulate naturally, without too much effort.
And using those records to map a path forward.
For now, this is where I want to begin.
By asking my own life some of the questions I already ask at work.