Life Metrics
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only. I am not a physician, and nothing below is medical advice. Consult a qualified professional before adopting any practice or supplement. Everything described is my personal experience combined with a review of available research.
I maintain a daily record of my sleep quality, supplement intake, physical activity, and work productivity. To manage this data effectively, I use a structured tracking system within Obsidian.
Why Is This Necessary?
Health tracking allows me to identify the specific factors that influence how I feel and perform. By analyzing these metrics, I can pinpoint the exact cause of changes in my well-being—whether positive or negative.
- Identifying Declines: If I experience brain fog, difficulty focusing, or increased irritability, I can review my records to find the root cause. Often, the data reveals a clear pattern—such as several nights of poor sleep, a drop in heart rate variability (HRV), or a lack of consistent exercise over the past month.
- Capturing Improvements: The system works equally well for positive changes. If my energy levels or mood improve, my records help me understand why—perhaps it coincides with a new supplement, a shift in bedtime, or the decision to stop eating late in the evening.
Every entry provides a deeper understanding of my health, allowing for precise adjustments that bring me closer to a state of optimal well-being.
What Exactly I Track
For the system to work, it must not be time-consuming. Filling out my daily template takes just a couple of minutes and includes two categories of data: objective (from wearables) and subjective (my own sensations).
1. Sleep and Recovery
- Total sleep time and time in bed.
- The period of falling asleep and waking up.
2. Supplements
- Which specific supplements/nootropics were taken today.
- In what dosages.
3. Physical Activity
- Daily step count.
- The presence and type of workout (strength, cardio, stretching).
4. Society
- Whether there were social interactions.
- With whom I communicated.
- How the meeting went.
5. Subjective Metrics (Scale of 1 to 10)
- Subjective rating of the day: besides the daily score, I can write a few words about what happened or evaluate other factors.
- Energy levels throughout the day.
- Mood and stress levels.
- Productivity and focus (how easy it was to maintain attention on complex tasks).
My Obsidian Tracking Table Example
Here is a snippet of my monthly log. One row equals one day. This format allows me to quickly scan the week and notice dips or, conversely, highly productive periods:
| Date | Sleep | Supplements | Training | Work | Society | Point | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22-06 (8h) | D3, creatine, mel. | Strength | 4h | S | 9 | Working on a project with a friend |
| 2 | 22-06 (8h) | D3, creatine, mel. | Strength | 4h | S | 10 | Working on a project with a friend |
| 3 | 23-04 (5h) | D3, creatine | Strength | 3h | - | 5 | Didn't sleep much |
| 4 | 21-05 (8h) | D3, creatine | Strength | 5h | - | 9 | By the end of the workout, my side was hurting |
| 5 | 22-06 (8h) | D3, creatine | Running | 5h | - | 9 | 7 km, working on a project |
| 6 | 22-07 (8h) | D3, creatine, bacopa | Stretching | - | S | 10 | Volleyball, board games, girls |
| 7 | 22-06 (8h) | D3, creatine, mel. | - | - | S | 9 | Discussion of the project. Read David Goggins' book |
How It Works in Practice
The main secret to tracking is consistency. Once you accumulate several months of data, Obsidian (especially with plugins like Tracker or Dataview) allows you to build graphs and spot non-obvious correlations. For instance, you can visually observe exactly how a glass of wine at dinner crashes your overnight HRV, or how taking magnesium before bed consistently improves your focus the following day.