Data Overload
I realized recently that I am constantly gathering data about the little events in my life: my running times, my basketball stats, my morning and evening commute times, an RSI log, etc. I have data in Excel spreadsheets and MySQL databases, on clipboard charts and post-its on desks and monitors. I am always monitoring levels and tracking variables in order to determine a vague trend or chart progress. The immediate reason for keeping each of these sets of data is obvious but I wonder what deeper reason compels me to track everything so methodically. Have I been conditioned by my pseudo-engineer's background in science and math or unknowingly influenced by growing up in this information age? And to what larger end am I doing all of this? Will there be a moment at the end of my life when I will hand over all of my data for some ultimate analysis? (The response to this analysis would inevitably be 42.) Aren't the unquantifiable parts of life the only things worth tracking anyway?
Well, instead of doing the reasonable thing and just giving up this nonsense altogether, I have decided to apply this neurotic impulse to another endeavor in order to restore a little balance. Enter the Moleskine notebook (Volant Pocket Plain, to be specific), which I first heard of when Bill announced that he was carrying one on a trip to Italy. I ordered my first set a couple of weeks ago and I've been carrying one around ever since, filling a page or two now and then. The plan here is to begin capturing ideas instead of numbers, feelings instead of data. It's working out great so far. It's interesting what you find when you take a minute or two to explore an idea or impression in writing instead of merely lingering on the thought and moving on. I just hope I can keep it up. I'm sure the supercomputer will have a lot harder time processing these notebooks than plain old numbers.