Data Overload
Data is overtaking our attention.
For Creators, it’s Google Analytics, email open rates, views, likes, retweets, etc.
For the health-conscious, it’s Apple Watch rings, Whoop metrics, steps, macros, etc.
For entrepreneurs, is the cost of acquisition, revenue per client, assets under management (shoutout to my fellow financial advisors), etc.
Don’t get me wrong–the data is important and you should be aware of the metrics I listed above, but do not get obsessed with the numbers. Your ongoing decisions should not be dictated by data. Decisions driven by data often lead to making moves that do not align with your spirit, mind, and body. The data-driven decision is not always the decision that feels “right”.
This is the case within my profession. There are spreadsheet answers to every goal and there are answers that feel right emotionally and align with your values. The best financial plan is often a combination of the spreadsheet, or the data, and personal values and preferences–with a tilt toward the personal side.
Tim Maurer famously said it best, “personal finance is more personal than finance” and this is true of most decisions.
THE DATA CAN IMPACT HOW YOUR FEEL
A few weeks ago I saw a tweet that referenced the Whoop band. If you’re not familiar with Whoop, it is a band that you wear on your wrist 24/7 to track your heart rate and other metrics. I’ve worn a Whoop on two occasions but didn’t like having to wear it 24/7, so it was short-lived for me. The data from the bad finds its way to the app and provides scores telling you how hard you worked out, how your body is from a recovery standpoint, and how well you slept the night before. It’s a lot of great data but as the individual whose tweet caught my attention suggested, the data can influence how you feel.
The tweet asked a simple question: “do I feel bad because I slept badly or do I feel bad because the Whoop app is telling me I slept badly?” Is the data confirming how we feel or steering how we feel?
DATA CAN BLOCK CREATIVITY
The best creations are a result of an individual’s ability to freely express herself. When a Creator begins to create solely for the data, their creativity begins to be restricted because what Google cares the most about is not creativity but algorithms and trends–and while they are not mutually exclusive, they typically do not complement each other.
Creators cannot ignore the data though…their work needs to be found. Using the data to help determine where and how to best distribute their work is a good use of data. Creating to optimize the data is not.
I’ve personally experienced this. My best content, both the content itself and the impact and reach (aka data), has been the content I’ve created with no thought about the data. Creating to create with no expectations of big numbers has allowed me to freely express myself and in turn create my best content, as confirmed by the data.
Don’t take it from me…listen to Rick Rubin talk about the creative process. Read Questlove’s Creative Quest to see how he and other creatives he’s worked with over the years prioritize the art over the outcome.
There is no shortage of data available and I imagine we’ll only see more data becoming available to us in the future. In most areas of your life, the data will be helpful to provide feedback on your progress, what’s working, and help spur your creativity. However, if you become obsessed with the data it has the potential to work against you causing you to stress about the numbers, feel worse because the data says you should, and stifle your creativity. As the old adage suggests, “everything in moderation”.
Control the data, don’t let the data control you.
See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,
JC
