The 3-Number System That Changed How I Build Everything

I’ve been tracking three numbers every week for over a decade.

Not because I’m obsessed with metrics. Because these three numbers tell me whether I’m actually building or just busy.

Most people track nothing, or they track everything. Both approaches fail for the same reason: you can’t see the pattern.

Here’s what I watch:

Number 1: Training Volume

Every week, I log my total training volume for the week—total pounds moved across all lifts.

Not how I felt. Not how hard I tried. Just raw volume.

If volume is trending up, I’m building muscle. If it’s flat or declining, I’m maintaining or losing ground—no matter how intense the workouts felt.

Why this matters: Feelings lie. Numbers don’t. You can feel like you worked hard and still be coasting. Volume cuts through the noise.

What to track this week: Total sets completed, total pounds moved, or time moving. Pick one metric and log it consistently. After four weeks, you’ll see whether you’re progressing or stalling.

Number 2: Net Worth Delta

Every month, I calculate the change in my net worth—not the total, just the movement.

Did I move forward? By how much? If the number didn’t move or moved backward, what caused it?

This single metric exposes everything: spending leaks, investment gaps, income stagnation, debt creep.

Why this matters: You can make six figures and go backwards financially. You can have a detailed budget and still not build wealth. Net worth delta shows you the truth.

What to track this week: Calculate your total assets minus total liabilities. Write it down. Next month, do it again and compare. If you’re not moving forward, something needs to change.

Number 3: Output Consistency

Every week, I track how many days I trained, invested, and published. I also track how many pieces of content I publish.

Not hours spent. Not effort exerted. Just: did I do the thing and how much of it?

Five days of training beats one heroic 3-hour session.

Fourteen published pieces beat endless drafts you never finish.

Weekly investments beat waiting for the “perfect time.”

Why this matters: Consistency compounds. Intensity doesn’t. Most people overestimate what they can do in a day and underestimate what they can build in a year of showing up.

What to track this week: Pick three non-negotiable actions—train, invest, [insert your goal here] — whatever matters to you. Mark an X on a calendar every day you do them.

Your only goal: don’t break the chain.

It’s human to miss a day once. It’s a decision to miss a day twice.

Why Only Three?

Because anything more dilutes focus.

I used to track even more metrics. Sleep quality, macros, calories, steps, books completed, screen time, meditation minutes, savings rate—all of it.

You know what happened? I spent more time tracking than building. The measurement became the activity.

Three numbers force clarity. They show you if you’re progressing in the areas that actually matter: strength, wealth, and consistency.

Everything else is either a derivative of these three or a distraction from them.

The Pattern You’ll See

After a few months of tracking these numbers, something clicks.

You stop caring about motivation. You stop worrying about whether you “feel like it.”

You start seeing your life as a system with inputs and outputs.

Training volume up?

Muscle is being built.

Net worth delta positive?

Wealth is accumulating.

Consistency high? Momentum is building.

The emotions that used to drive your decisions lose their power.

The data becomes the feedback loop.

And once you see the pattern, you can’t unsee it.

Your Assignment This Week

Don’t track fifteen things. Don’t overthink this. Just pick three numbers that map to the areas you actually care about.

If you care about fitness: track training volume, body weight, or consistency.

If you care about wealth: track net worth delta, savings rate, or investment contributions.

If you care about building something: track output days, revenue, or published pieces.

Write them down. Check them weekly. Let the data tell you what your feelings won’t.

Four weeks from now, you’ll know whether you’re building or busy.

That clarity changes everything.

—

P.S. What three numbers are you tracking?

Hit reply and let me know. I read every response and I’m curious what metrics you’re using to stay honest with yourself.