I got a good question On Twitter from @Carole_Fabre. She wrote:

@sebastmarsh Are you not afraid to fall infinitively in the mirror with all these mesures ?

@sebastmarsh and have you already mesure the time you spend mesuring ? :-)

She's half-joking, but it's a good point. Here's my thoughts -

1. Tracking should serve you, you shouldn't serve it. Your system should be lightweight and easy and fun to use. You should get much more results out of it than you put into it.

2. If you are getting much more out than you put in, it can make sense to keep putting in. I keep seeing more and more gains from my tracking. My health is improving, my energy is improving, I'm doing more enjoyable and more meaningful work, I'm more connected to people I like and respect, I write more, I spend more time on art... all very valuable.

3. But again, don't track for its own sake. If some category has become useless or isn't producing results, delete it or stop tracking or get rid of it. The tracking can be a rough map, your life is the territory. It can be very worthwhile to spend time looking at the map and planning, but don't forget that the end goal is to navigate the territory.

Abraham Lincoln: “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

That's how I feel about tracking, planning, and goal setting. It sharpens the axe. But really, it doesn't take so much time even. How much do I spend with it? About five minutes in the morning, a minute or two here and there throughout the day, and then a weekly review that takes between 20 minutes and an hour once a week. But I get much more back from knowing what I should be working on, never missing or being late for appointments, getting all my deliverables done, not missing opportunities, recognizing patterns, saving money, making money, etc.

How much time do I spend with it? Well, not so much compared to all the time I get back. Time I would spend worried or confused or not knowing where to go disappears, and I get good insights and learning from the numbers. Helps me stay disciplined, and keeps me from having to remember everything I need to do. I can trust my tracking and notes, and keep my head clear and focused on the current moment. I enjoy it and highly recommend it.

Thanks for the good questions, Carole. Her Twitter is @Carole_Fabre and her website is http://reglesdejeux.com/, which is written in French.

As always, good questions and comments are welcome.