by Bo Moldez
Tracking. Recording. Biohacking.
Tracking and Recording.
What do I mean by this? Well, let me tell you a story of two biohackers Carl and Andy.
Both have found an interest in learning and becoming biohackers. They realized that biohacking takes a lot of work. So they decided to take what action they can think of. But there’s a difference in their approach.
Carl went into the biohacking practice by reading some blog posts and even books. He then bought supplements, equipment, and did some exercises. But he didn’t track and record his progress.
Andy looked at himself first. Then he set goals for his biohacking practice. And once there are goals, Andy broke them down to easy tasks so it can be tracked and recorded. Then he committed to his activity.
So, who do you think succeeded as a biohacker? No doubt you’d say it was Andy. The best-known biohackers are obsessive in tracking and recording their progress.
Dave Asprey tracks his food intake. Along with that, he logged in his energy levels, mood, and physical activity. This gave him enough data to change the way his biology worked. In the end, this influenced biohackers the world over. Another influential biohacker Ben Greenfield tracks his sleep patterns. It has helped him become more attuned to himself and his goals.
Tim Ferriss, the author of the 4-hour series, Tools of Titans, and Tribe of Mentor self-experiments. And yes, he has a set of rules that helps him track his lifestyle. These amazing individuals succeeded in biohacking, not simply by becoming knowledgeable. They have become disciplined in their tracking and recording. They tracked it, to hack it.
A definition of “track” is to follow. Recording is to keep for posterity the practice that we do. In the end, tracking and recording help biohackers. This is by following goals and keeping information that will aid in the process.
In this article, we’ll learn the importance of tracking and recording in biohacking. We’ll look into…
- Why you need tracking and recording in biohacking
- How you track and record in biohacking
- How you apply tracking and recording to your biohacking
Having an understanding of this can help you in becoming the biohacker you are meant to be.
WHY YOU NEED TRACKING AND RECORDING IN BIOHACKING
Let me begin by quoting Peter Drucker…
“What gets measured gets managed.”
In the biohacking practice, it’s not enough to just learn and take action. There should be an effective and efficient way to see your progress. When you have this, you can adapt and recalibrate to achieve your goals.
In the biohacking arena, there are three reasons why tracking and recording is a must. These are…
AWARENESS
Biohacking is about change. This change is about becoming the best version of oneself. And for change to happen, there should be awareness. I’ve written before about the biohacking trifecta. Tracking and recording help in achieving this.
When we track and record, the following states are made clear…
- Psychological
- Physical/Biological
- Environmental
Having an awareness of these states helps us. It leads us to the best version of ourselves.
DISCIPLINE
Biohacking is freedom. It gives us the freedom to change. But for this to happen, we have to know, understand and practice. And for this to happen, we need responsibility.
Leonard H. Courtney said: “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”
The same can be said about biohacking. We need to be responsible and vigilant in our practice.
When we record our progress, we become responsible for tracking our results. We become vigilant in achieving our goals.
MOMENTUM
Biohacking builds up habits that will change us. And these habits enable us to continue with the work. It gives us momentum.
In achieving momentum, having a record to track can greatly help in…
- Achieving Flow
- Continuing The Practice
- Moving Forward
This leads us into a forward trajectory that achieves goals. No doubt that there are many more reasons to track and record. But let’s start with these.
HOW YOU TRACK AND RECORD IN BIOHACKING
The biohacking methodology involves three important steps…
- Learn and Act
- Record and Adapt
- Maintain and Elevate
Tracking and recording connect every part of the biohacking methodology. We start by recording our learning and actions. We then adapt because of it. Finally, we maintain our momentum and elevate because of clear recorded data.
We’re going to look at important aspects of tracking and recording. These are…
- Process
- Elements
- Tools
PROCESS
The biohacker is a methodical creature. It’s not just in learning, but also tracking and recording. That’s why there’s a clear process to follow.
It includes…
- Setting Goals
- Breaking Down Goals
- Creating Metrics and Key Performance Indices
- Monitoring Progress Regularly
- Systematic Evaluation and Calibration
The biohacker consistently does this. In the end, it leads to results.
ELEMENTS
In tracking and recording your process, you need the following essential elements:
- Overall Goal
- Metrics/KPI
- Recording Apparatus
- Feedback Mechanism
Your overall goal as a biohacker is to achieve presence. This means having balance in psychology, biology, and environment.
Dave Asprey, the leading figure in biohacking, gave the following overall goals to follow:
- Movement
- Nutrition
- Rewilding
- Awareness
- Music
- Flow
- Gratitude
Of course, goals need to be measurable. That’s why you need to create metrics or KPIs (key performance indices). This will give you data points that you can record.
You have to understand the metrics that you create, as well. These can be lagging or leading metrics or indicators.
Here’s a good example. If you are planning to lose weight using biohacking, you need the following data points:
- food intake
- type of physical activity
- psychological or emotional state
- biological status (e.g. weight)
The leading indicators or metrics are food intake and type of physical activity. On the other hand, psychological or emotional state and biological status are lagging indicators. You have to start with the leading indicators (input) before you can record lagging indicators (output).
As a biohacker, you need to be consistent in performing leading indicators and recording lagging indicators.
Of course, you need to have clear records of the practice that you do. This means having a recording apparatus or device. This can be analog (old school like a pen or notebook) or digital (software or digital devices).
This all builds up into a feedback mechanism. In the end, this will track and record the biohackers progress.
TOOLS
Biohackers use tools efficiently. In the end, these tools lead the biohacker to their goals.
The biohacker has to consider the following things…
- What to Measure
- What Recording Device to Use
- Choosing The Tools
The metrics chosen can either be…
- time
- distance
- weight
- other metrics
These can be recorded through digital or analog means.
Of course, using tools depends on the following criteria…
- Resources You Have
- Ease of Use
- Efficiency of Tracking and Recording
Once you have this, it will be easier for you to create something that will help your biohacking practice.
HOW YOU APPLY TRACKING AND RECORDING TO YOUR BIOHACKING
Biohacking fits with a person’s unique situation. That’s why it’s important to personalize your goals.
So here are your next steps in using tracking and recording.
- Choose Your Goals
- Create a Plan
- Gamify Action
Whatever your reasons for biohacking, you need to be clear what your goals are. Otherwise, any practice, tool, or hack is useless.
When you’re clear with your goal, you need to plan. This will be a roadmap that you can follow to make things work. But remember to be flexible in your plan. The important thing is always to achieve your goal.
Finally, understand that biohacking is fun. This means that you don’t have to be stuck with boring. You can gamify your recording process as well. How? Here are some elements of gamification that you can use…
- Goals
- Rules
- Reward Structure
- Quests
- Feedback
Yes, to become a biohacker, you must track it to hack it. Remember that you must…
- Know why you need tracking and recording in biohacking
- Understand how you track and record in biohacking
- Apply tracking and recording to your biohacking
And with the help of UNLTD.PH, you’re tracking, and recording will be all set.
Bo Moldez is a freelance copywriter who loves taking walks in his neck of the (literal) woods. He is currently tracking his food intake, exercise, VitD sunning, and outdoor walks to “chip at everything that’s not David.”