Optimization Vs Improvement

As we all seek to become a better version of ourselves, it’s critical that we understand the difference between improvement and optimization. Improvement is a measurement. It’s an interpretation for how things changed over time.  When the measured reality of how things are now are closer to what you want than how they used to be, then things improved! If the results stayed the same or are further from what you want, then they didn’t.

Optimization is the trial and error process behind improvement where one positive adjustment at a time, things continue to get better. If improvement is a way of stating what happened, then optimization is the mechanism of how it happened. Life change happens randomly and all the time, sometimes things improve without you doing anything about it. Optimization is the process of intentional improvement that makes things better, more effective, and more efficient.

The relationship is similar to that of habits and systems. Many people focus on building better habits, but habits are just the byproduct of the underlying system that produced it. Similarly improvement is what we want but it’s not something that’s actionable. Optimization creates improvement. It’s cause and effect. Better systems lead to better habits. Optimization generates improvement.

Optimization is an iterative process. One adjustment at a time things slowly improve. Optimization runs on a feedback loop where you observe how things went, understand what influenced the result, brainstorm things to change that will make things better, and then try again. Every repetition reveals a new insight into how inputs lead to outputs, how cause becomes effect, that informs the adjustments you make.

When you’re optimizing a process, you observe how fast and smoothly it went. When you identify the constraint, you take action to fix it. When you’re optimizing for a result, you connect the actions you’re taking with the outcomes they’re producing, and understand what’s working and what’s not. The more you curiously look at life and identify opportunities for improvement, the more directly you can optimize for it.

Preparing these Self Improvement Daily tips is a perfect example of that. I used to prepare one a day. Now I batch them together. Overall it takes less time and energy to do and the quality has improved!

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