My family and I switched insurance companies and are participating in their Drive Safe and Save program. This requires each vehicle to be outfitted with beacons that communicate with our smartphones and track how safely we are driving. 

Suffice it to say, we are all learning a lot about the way we each drive, and wow, having access to this data is really eye opening. 

Within the first few trips it became obvious that as a family we need to slow down. From our speedy takeoffs to our speed in general to braking and taking corners too quickly, we all need to slow down. Yes, even me. The “grandpa” driver.

This whole experience has me thinking about a couple of things. One, access to our driving data is cool, but it is not the thing driving change. Nope, it’s the way the data is making us feel. And two, my perception of how well I do something will most likely always be skewed in my best interest. 

This is where quantifying things is really helpful. Using data to create an emotional response within yourself is vital to moving forward. Whether it’s measuring your actual activity with a fitness tracker or the amount of time you spend streaming videos, the way this makes you feel may be the key to overall health and wellbeing. 

This is why the Moving Forward Reframe-Work best practice is to try to quantify everything. Find a way to score yourself and collect data in each category and then pay attention to how that makes you feel.