Some things work quantitatively, some don't. I like using quantities for athletic training.

If I was training for a marathon I would set numerical goals for how much I would run a week coming into it. If I am recovering from an injury that's even more the case.

Lately my son and I have been learning a martial arts form that has about 80 steps in it. There is a lot new about it for us: I've never done a two-person form or a weapons form before, and he's never trained in a form at all. You learn this kind of thing by breaking it up into pieces: so we have a burndown chart on the wall for it, which I think is a good motivation.