2026: The Year Of More (And  Less) Data 

I live in a world that thrives on data. 

I’ve been a coach since the tail end of 2007 (18 years now) and my whole world is data: 

-How many reps? 

-How many sets? 

-How many pounds?

-How many calories?

-How many grams? 

-How many hours of sleep?

-How many steps? 

-How do we quantify stress, adherence to the plan, cravings, quality of sleep, etc.?

Not just that, but I own a business where the data doesn’t stop there either:

-Gross revenue 

-Payroll/wages

-Taxes 

-Profit/loss 

And I’ve just come off of a year with more health challenges than I’ve seen in my life where I need data for enzymes, vitamin levels, bone mineral density, and more. 

I’m surrounded by data. 

And I’m not knocking it. 

Data is valuable.

Data shows trends.

Data can plot a course forward.

Data can inform the next decision. 

And data can be paralyzing. 

Because in the minutiae of data, you can lose sight of the person. 

I’ve watched clients become so fixated on data that they forget how to ask simple things like:

How do I feel?

Am I better or worse than I was before without attaching a number to it? 

What kind of person can I be when and if I remove the shackles of the numbers I’ve allowed to define me?

I think data in the short term can be immensely helpful, especially if it helps you gain awareness of the next step to take.

I think data in the long term can work against you if you don’t know how to live without it.

When I work with clients, I often need to help them put the brakes on data: don’t weigh in this week, don’t complete your check in, don’t track your food, don’t worry about how many calories you burned in your workout…

Because if we don’t find a way to live without a tremendous amount of data, we don’t learn how to listen to our bodies, our experiences and…just…feeling…

In 2026, my hope for you is that you know when to add in more data, and more often than not, know when to take data away.

You have a life to live and you deserve to be a better person with all of the effort you put into living it.

Numbers can say a lot, but they will never paint the whole picture.

(Photo courtesy of Samer Khodeir)