The “quantified-self” movement is all about using technology and self-tracking techniques to collect and analyze data about your own behavior, habits, and physical state. It’s a way to get a better understanding of yourself and your body, and to use that knowledge to make more informed decisions about your health, well-being, and personal development.
A few examples of the types of things you might track as part of the quantified-self movement:
Physical activity: You might use a fitness tracker or a smartwatch to track your steps, calories burned, and other metrics related to your physical activity.
Sleep: You might use a sleep tracker or a smart alarm clock to monitor your sleep patterns and quality, and to identify any potential problems or areas for improvement.
Mood: You might use a journal or an app to track your mood over time, and to identify any patterns or correlations with other factors such as diet, exercise, or stress.
Nutrition: You might use an app or a food diary to track your food intake and to identify any potential issues or areas for improvement in your diet.
The goal of the quantified-self movement is to help you get a better understanding of yourself and your habits, so you can make changes and improvements where needed.
Potential advantages of quantified-self are:
Track and improve your health and wellness: By collecting data about your behavior and physical state, you can gain a deeper understanding of your own health and wellness, and identify any areas that might be in need of improvement. For example, if you’re tracking your sleep patterns and find that you’re not getting enough deep sleep, you might try making changes to your bedtime routine or sleep environment to try and improve your sleep quality.
Identify trends and patterns: By collecting data over time, you can start to see trends and patterns emerge in your behavior and habits. For example, if you’re tracking your mood and find that you’re consistently more anxious on days when you skip breakfast, you might decide to make sure to eat breakfast every day to help improve your mood.
Set and track goals: The quantified-self movement can be a great way to set and track your health, fitness, or personal development goals. For example, if you’re using a fitness tracker to track your physical activity, you might set a goal to walk 10,000 steps per day, and use the tracker to monitor your progress. This can be a great way to stay motivated and on track with your goals.
Foster self-awareness and self-improvement: By collecting data about your own behavior and habits, you can gain a better understanding of yourself and your patterns. This can be a great way to foster self-awareness and identify areas for self-improvement. For example, if you’re tracking your food intake and find that you’re consuming a lot of sugary snacks, you might decide to make changes to your diet to improve your overall nutrition.
Fun and engagement: Some people find the process of self-tracking to be enjoyable and engaging in and of itself. They might enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from reaching a fitness goal or the feeling of control and self-awareness that comes from tracking their mood and habits.
A great way to connect with others: There are many online communities and forums dedicated to the quantified-self movement, where people can share their experiences, ask for advice, and connect with others who are interested in similar topics. This can be a great way to find support, encouragement, and motivation from others who are also interested in self-improvement.
Provide a sense of accomplishment: The act of regularly self-tracking and meeting your goals can be a great way to boost your sense of accomplishment and self-worth. It can be gratifying to see your progress over time and to celebrate your achievements.
Of course, there are also potential drawbacks and limitations to quantified-self movement. Some people might find the process of self-tracking to be overly time-consuming or burdensome, and it’s important to be mindful of the potential for self-tracking to become obsessive or unhealthy. Additionally, there are concerns about the potential for privacy violations when collecting and sharing personal data.
Quantified-self, overlaps with the practice of lifelogging and other trends that incorporate technology and data acquisition into daily life, with the goal of improving physical, mental, and emotional performance.
“The things we measure are the things we improve. It is only through numbers and clear tracking that we have any idea if we are getting better or worse”
(James Clear)
“When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates”
(Thomas S. Monson)
When I met the movement for the first time, a few years ago, I knew that all my decisions had to be driven by numbers, not by opinions. At the same time, my practice to keep a diary was integrated with daily journaling, while I was storing not only biometric data but also creative and working performances and mental and emotional values.
In this blog, you will find some posts about my experiences, the devices that I used, and the ones that I built.
