The Stats of Life « It's the small things that make a difference.

Life

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What is it about statistics that makes a geek jump for joy?

Perhaps it’s because statistics are like “looking under the hood” as a mechanic would with your favorite car. Taking a look at the inner workings of something is our way to trying to understand the mystery of motion, of cause and effect and an organism that has many dynamic parts.

Online and offline we are fascinated with statistics as an indicator of our progress or our relative position today, yesterday or a year ago. How have we changed? What have we accomplished? Where have we failed? We pore over statistics to help better understand ourselves, our society, and our future. Statistics can be used to help craft the future but are not reliable indicators of the future, though they are often the best “crystal ball” we have available.

A statistic may take the form of a number, a value, an input, a setting, or a configuration at a certain point in time. Without context, however, statistics remain just that: numbers without significance. Putting statistics into context is the best part of the process! A value can have different meanings depending on who’s analyzing it, and the granularity with which it’s examined can drastically impact the significance of the data.

Of course, sometimes the emphasis on statistics can be like looking at the trees instead of the forest, but as long as you rise above to see the bigger picture often, it can be a fun way to examine details or aspects of your life.

What’s a small statistic that you use to measure your own progress?

Some things you may consider tracking: how many cities & countries visited/year, titles and authors of books read & in what period, what foods and brands you buy regularly & how much you spend on each item, the types of information you search for regularly & where you get your answers or what sites you access on a regular/daily basis & how much time you spend on each one.

A small change in your own personal statistics, such as how many calories a day you consume or how many lights you keep on during the day can have a big impact on your life: how much you weigh, or how much you’ll pay with your electricity bill this year.

Here are some sites that provide great statistics for any stats enthusiast: