Jocko Willink, a former Navy Seal who speaks and writes about leadership and discipline, asserts you will grow if you ask yourself seven questions every day and then act accordingly the next day, based on your answers.

I will spend the next few days reviewing each question one at a time. Here’s the fourth question:

What forward progress have I made?

We’re getting better or we’re getting worse. There’s no such thing as status quo.

We try to get ahead by not “rocking the boat.” We seek a performance that is deemed acceptable and try to maintain it. Our logic is, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

But there is something called entropy. Everything loses energy and declines. If you don’t make an effort to bring the “juice,” the energy begins to slip away. The structure erodes. Decline occurs. You get worse.

You battle entropy by intentionally attacking and getting better:

• You set goals.
• You attack problems.
• You build your resources from learning.
• You acquire skills through training.
• You develop speed and strength through effort.

You get the point.

• You plan to get better.
• You implement the plan.
• You evaluate results.
• You do it again.

If you don’t intend to get better, you won’t fulfill your opportunity and potential. If you go a day or two without being able to describe your forward progress, it’s time to reboot.