During my first year in solitary confinement, Officer Wilson introduced me to books that changed how I saw the world.
- Reading about Socrates taught me to ask better questions.
- Reading about Frederick Douglass taught me to believe in possibilities.
- Reading about Epictetus taught me to accept the world as it is and still strive to make the most of my circumstances.
Yet learning to think differently was only the first step. To truly transform, I would need to take small, incremental action steps every day. Those daily commitments would become like stones cast into a pond, creating ripple effects that could open new opportunities, even during times of great adversity.
When I transitioned from solitary confinement to a high-security penitentiary, I remember standing in the exercise yard. A 40-foot wall blocked the horizon, but at least I could look up and see the blue sky, something I hadn’t seen during my first year in isolation. I could also breathe fresh air. Although I longed for freedom on the other side of that wall, I had to focus on what I could control. For example, each day I could think about the possibility to develop more knowledge and skills.
The library would always be a good place to start.
Scanning the bookshelves, I found a tattered copy of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. At the time, I didn’t know Malcolm X, but when I learned that he’d transformed his life in prison, I thought I could learn from him. He taught himself to communicate effectively by writing down every unfamiliar word he encountered, looking it up, and studying its definition. That strategy helped him build a formidable vocabulary, one word at a time.
That lesson impressed upon me the importance of daily improvement. I began setting goals—learning 25, sometimes 50, new words each week. Later, I expanded my goals and pushed myself to write an essay, or journal entry of at least 1,000 words every day. As my vocabulary grew, so did my confidence.
I also wanted a better way to measure my progress and hold myself accountable. From studying business leaders, I learned about Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)—quantifiable measures that track progress toward specific goals. For example, a business leader might set a quarterly KPI of acquiring 100 new customers to gauge the effectiveness of marketing and sales strategies. By monitoring those metrics, leaders gain insights into what’s working and where they need to adjust.
I began to see myself as the CEO of my own life. I established my own KPIs—number of new words learned each week, pages read, or words written each day. Each metric showed me where I stood on my journey of personal development. Over time, those small steps rippled out into larger life changes. Measuring my progress helped me become a better thinker, a more capable communicator, and ultimately, a person better positioned to transform adversity into opportunity.
The strategy helped me immensely for many reasons, including the fact that I could work toward it daily. Regardless of where authorities kept me, I could always work to develop my vocabulary. I could always write an essay and learn how to use words effectively. My only limitation would be my ability to work toward personal development. If I made a commitment to goals, I could measure progress daily. That sense of personal accountability helped me build confidence, and with confidence came a semblance of liberty. I was choosing how to respond to my environment.
That sense of personal responsibility continues to guide me, and it’s why I still track my progress with daily accountability logs. Even now, those KPIs create ripple effects in every part of my life.
Readers of our work may want to reach a higher potential. One strategy that may work for them would be to make that commitment to incremental progress. If anyone doesn’t know how to pursue that daily progress, learn by reading how others moved forward, or find a guide. In Earning Freedom, I show all the guides who helped me.
Self-Directed Learning Question:
- What small, measurable steps could you commit daily—your own personal KPIs—that would help you move toward a higher potential, regardless of the walls or barriers you may be facing?