Every Sunday morning a message will pop up on my phone giving the weekly update for screen time for the week. I’ve challenged myself to be more conscious of how/when I’m using my phone to minimize how much it’s a distraction. When I see the weekly time spent on my phone, initially one would think this is a great way to track how effectively I’m minimizing my phone as a distraction but I’m finding there’s so much more beyond this weekly number I need to consider.

If my weekly report shows higher screen usage, I could jump right to the conclusion I’m not successful in my endeavor to minimize my phone as a distraction. But if the additional time is spent researching healthy recipes, using the Peloton app for additional workouts and stretching routines, checking out mindset videos to break away and get perspective, or anything else related to how I’m trying to grow, I’d consider that a huge success. On the other hand, if that time is spent mindlessly scrolling social media and getting caught up with all the negativity in the world, this screen time does nothing but set me further back. Same amount of time on the phone but very different outcomes.

We live in a world of heightened analytics. We want data driven decisions in so many aspects of our lives. The organizations we work for demand it, every website we go to uses it, and most strategies have it. But one of the concerns I see more and more is how we choose to use data and how often we fall into a trap of shaping the data around a pre-determined story.

There’s danger when we use data at the surface level to help shape stories we want to be true. For example, if in the earlier example I see my screen time go down for the week, is that data point alone the determinant of success? What if it came due to skipping a workout from an app I typically use or if my only interactions with my phone were mindlessly scrolling on social media. The story is not in the surface level data point of screen time for a given week but instead, the narrative should come from the details of what makes up that screen time.

Data points can be great to leverage in our growth journey but there’s an element of responsibly we must be aware of. Take for example the common goal of losing weight. If we simply look at the pounds lost in a certain period, we aren’t generating the full story. Someone could drastically change their diet for a few weeks and drop some pounds but is that healthy and sustainable? Another person could adjust their diet to a slightly healthier approach while also focusing more on a weightlifting plan and may drop barely any weight. If we look only at the number of pounds lost data point, the person that drastically changed their diet for a short period would “win”.

But if we dig into the details and look over a larger sample size, we may realize the person slightly adjusting their diet while getting more exercise is in a much healthier position because the eating habits they’ve established are sustainable and nourishing. The reason the number on the scale hasn’t fallen off as much may be due to gaining more lean muscle with the weightlifting program, which weighs more than fat but is a much healthier position to be in.

As we look at our progress towards what we’re trying to achieve, data can be insightful. A big part from turning the “can” be insightful to “is” insightful is up to us. The shift from “can” be insightful to “is” insightful happens when we choose to understand the underlying details of the data we’re gathering and utilizing. It’s asking why more often as opposed to simply taking the data at the surface level. It’s about not seeking data to confirm some story we have pre-determined but instead, seeking to understand what the data is telling us and understanding the holistic story.

Data can bring us many insights and a lot of perspective to leverage in our decision making but with this power in analytics comes responsibility. When you utilize data, ask why. Then ask why again. And again (rinse and repeat) to uncover the details of what these numbers are telling us to truly be informed for our future.

Take your step: identify an area where you leverage data. Take time to reflect on how much you dig into the data vs. take it at surface level. Are you curious about the numbers you’re seeing? Are you asking why the numbers are the way they are? For the next step, mentally prepare for being curious well beyond just the number and understand why.