NFA Finance

The Day I Stopped Guessing and Started Measuring

This morning I created a digital snapshot of my body.

Not with a mirror.

Not with a guess.

Not with whatever story I wanted to tell myself.

With data.

A simple scan generated an avatar and gave me a breakdown of where I actually stand today.

Body fat.

Lean mass.

Weight.

Measurements.

Ratios.

The truth.

And honestly, that’s what I was after.

Not validation.

Not motivation.

The truth.

Because the older I get, the more I realize that guessing is expensive.

I’ve spent most of my life measuring things.

Businesses.

Car deals.

Investments.

Properties.

Cash flow.

If something matters, I measure it.

So why would my health be any different?

The reality is that most people don’t have a health plan.

They have a hope plan.

They hope they’re doing okay.

They hope they’re eating right.

They hope they’re making progress.

They hope they’ll feel better next month.

Hope is not a strategy.

Data is.

When I looked at that little digital avatar this morning, I wasn’t looking at who I am.

I was looking at where I am.

There’s a big difference.

Where I am today is not where I’ll be six months from now.

It’s not where I’ll be a year from now.

It’s simply the starting point.

A line in the sand.

A baseline.

At 47 years old, I don’t feel old.

I feel responsible.

Responsible for my health.

Responsible for my energy.

Responsible for the body that’s going to carry me through the next chapter of my life.

The goal isn’t perfection.

The goal is progress.

The same way I maintain my cars.

The same way I maintain my business.

The same way I maintain my home.

Measure.

Adjust.

Improve.

That’s the formula.

One day at a time.

One workout at a time.

One meal at a time.

One decision at a time.

Years from now, I may look back at that little gray avatar and laugh.

But I have a feeling I’ll remember exactly what it represented.

The day I stopped guessing and started measuring.

— Nicholas Francis