From time to time I will get up in my head.  I will get worked up about something because I heard somebody say this or that or I am low on sleep or I received an email, etc.  These are knee-jerk emotional reactions that rarely do me any good, in fact I cannot remember a time when they proved beneficial.

What is almost always beneficial (except for when listening to the media or the government) is digging into the numbers.  Numbers for what, you may ask, numbers for everything.  Numbers are extremely transparent and paint a very clear picture.  Numbers help you see through the emotional clouds and clear up any mental mud.  

What number of hours are you spending on each area of your life?  If you are not seeing the results you want in a certain area I can almost guarantee the hours spent in that area are not high enough.

You are not losing weight or getting in the shape you want?  Check your numbers.  How often are you eating?  How much are you eating? How many hours per week are you working out?

You get the idea.  Nearly everything important can be quantified in one way or another with numbers.  Numbers allow us to see things in black and white.  Often the numbers you will measure will be the benchmarks you need to hit your goals not the actual goal.  The goal number is the side-effect of hitting your numbers.  

Next time you find yourself complaining about an area of your life not being where you want, check your numbers.  This will be refreshing and provide one solution to your frustration.  Whether you choose to act on your new solution is your call, but at least the nebulousness of it will be cleared away.  This nearly always calms me down and helps me think more clearly even when I don’t choose to improve my numbers. 

You have “A Beautiful Mind” you just have to use it to prevent the paranoid schizophrenia and delusional episodes that are sure to kick in otherwise. (maybe it’s just me that feels that way, shhh don’t tell anybody)