OKRs, KPIs, and Metrics: Why We Keep Mixing Them Up (And My January Reality Check)

As I'm learning more and more about setting up SMART goals, I learned that many companies are mixing up what are goals, OKRs, KPIs and metrics. That includes many places where I used to be employed.

It got me thinking how and why this gets mixed up. And I have set up KPIs for 2026, so after one month it is time to review them, and also try to give my point of view on the mix-up.

But first, let me be honest: January was rough. Like, really rough. I got sick twice, and my "personal startup" had what you'd call a challenging first quarter. If I were presenting to investors, they'd be asking some tough questions right about now.

Still, there's value in looking at the numbers—even when they're not pretty. Especially when they're not pretty.

Let's start with the basics, because I've seen these terms thrown around interchangeably in too many strategy meetings to count.

Goals

Goals are your aspirations. They're the "what" you want to achieve. They can be vague ("get healthier") or specific ("run a marathon"), but they're directional. Think of them as your company vision: important, inspirational, but not something you measure day-to-day.

Example: "Improve my physical fitness in 2026."

OKRs (Objectives and Key Results)

OKRs are a framework for setting ambitious goals with measurable outcomes. You have an Objective (qualitative, inspiring) and 3-5 Key Results (quantitative, specific). They're usually set quarterly and designed to stretch you. Google made them famous, and now every startup puts them in their pitch deck.

Example:

• Objective: Build a sustainable fitness routine

• Key Result 1: Exercise 5 days per week for 12 consecutive weeks

• Key Result 2: Increase active calorie burn by 20%

• Key Result 3: Complete one fitness certification course

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

KPIs are ongoing metrics that tell you if you're healthy as a business (or person). They're not aspirational—they're operational. They track performance over time and help you spot trends. Unlike OKRs, which you might change quarterly, KPIs tend to stay consistent.

Example: "% of days with 600+ active calories burned" (my actual 2026 KPI)

Metrics

Metrics are just data points. Everything you can measure is a metric. Website visits, calories burned, pages read, emails sent—all metrics. Not all metrics matter. Most are just noise.

Example: Total steps taken, heart rate, workout duration, calories consumed.

In short what's the Difference?

The goal gives you purpose. The OKR gives you a target. The KPI tells you if you're on track. The metric is just... a number.

Why Do Companies Mix These Up?

Honestly? Most people just don't know the difference.

It's not malice. It's not stupidity. It's lack of training. I've worked in companies where "KPIs" were actually goals, "OKRs" were actually KPIs, and nobody really knew what a metric was supposed to be. We'd have meetings where someone would say "our KPI is to launch three new features this quarter" and nobody would bat an eye.

The problem is that these frameworks come from different worlds. OKRs come from Silicon Valley. KPIs come from traditional business management. Goals are universal. And everyone's reading different books, attending different workshops, and copying different templates from the internet.

Add to that the fact that most people learn these concepts in abstract presentations, not by actually implementing them, and you get a mess. It's like learning to cook by reading recipes but never stepping into a kitchen.

The result? Teams set "OKRs" that are actually just tasks. They track "KPIs" that don't indicate anything meaningful. They collect metrics nobody looks at. And then they wonder why their strategy isn't working.

My January Metrics: The Reality Check

Remember in my previous post where I set up my personal KPIs for 2026? Well, January happened. And if my life were a company, the board would be scheduling an emergency meeting.

Here's how my "Q1 Month 1" actually went:

The Body

• Active Burn Consistency: 14 out of 31 days hit (45%)

  • Target: >50% of days

  • Caveat: Only 6 of those 14 were actual all-out workouts

  • Status: 🔴 Below target

• Hatha Mastery: Not started

  • Target: 30-day streak in H1

  • Status: 🔴 Zero progress

The Mind

• Publishing Cadence: 8 articles published

  • Target: 10 articles/month

  • Status: 🟡 Close, but missed

• Certification Velocity: Started 2, finished 0

  • Target: 3 every 6 months

  • Status: 🔴 Behind schedule

• Deep Reading: 230 pages

  • Target: 310 pages (10/day × 31 days)

  • Status: 🟡 74% of target

The Spirit

• Mindfulness Frequency: Finished one cycle, started new one

  • Target: Two 90-day cycles/year

  • Status: 🟢 On track (carried over from 2025)

• Wim Hof Adherence: 24 out of 31 days (77%)

  • Target: 100% (365/365)

  • Status: 🔴 Needs adjustment

The "R&D"

• YouTube Cadence: Nothing

• Homa Projects: Nothing

  • Status: 🔴 Both DOA

What Worked vs. What Didn't

Here's the thing: none of this was easy. I got sick twice in January. Not "a little under the weather" sick, but proper "can't get out of bed" sick. Twice.

If this were a company earnings call, I'd be saying something like: "We faced significant operational headwinds in Q1 due to unforeseen systemic issues that impacted our ability to execute across multiple verticals."

Translation: I was too sick to do most of this stuff.

But here's what I learned:

The KPIs don't lie. Even when I felt like I was doing okay, the numbers showed I was at 45% on fitness, 77% on breathing, 80% on writing. These aren't failures, but they're not hitting the bar I set. And that's valuable information.

Some KPIs need adjustment. The Wim Hof 100% target? Unrealistic. Life happens. Sickness happens. A more honest KPI might be "80% adherence" with built-in flexibility for bad weeks.

Lagging vs. Leading Indicators matter. My "finish certifications" KPI is lagging—I only know I failed when the deadline passes. But "hours spent studying" would be a leading indicator I could track weekly. That's a metrics design problem.

The things I didn't touch reveal priorities. YouTube and woodworking got zero attention. Not because I was sick the entire month, but because when push came to shove, they weren't actually priorities. The KPIs exposed that.

The Final Verdict

So here's my honest take after one month of treating my life like a startup:

Setting KPIs was absolutely worth it. Even—especially—when the results are bad.

Because here's what I didn't have before: clarity. I could tell myself "yeah, I worked out a few times" or "I read a decent amount." But 45% vs. 50%? 230 pages vs. 310? That's concrete. That's accountable.

The difference between goals, OKRs, KPIs, and metrics isn't just semantic. It's functional:

• Goals keep you inspired

• OKRs keep you ambitious

• KPIs keep you honest

• Metrics keep you informed

Most companies mix them up because nobody teaches the difference. They treat KPIs like goals ("our KPI is to be the best!"), goals like metrics ("we want 10,000 users"), and OKRs like wish lists.

But when you get it right—when you know what you're measuring and why—the system actually works.

Even when January kicks your ass.

So am I worried about my January performance? A little. Am I going to adjust my approach? Definitely. The Wim Hof target needs to be realistic. The YouTube and woodworking KPIs might need to be deprioritized or pushed to H2.

But am I giving up on the KPI framework? Not a chance.

Because the moment you stop measuring is the moment you start lying to yourself. And I've done enough of that in previous years.

February already started. Let's see if this company can turn things around.