Data Is a Love Language: Why Measurement Creates Freedom

Data is one of my love languages.

Not because I enjoy spreadsheets for the sake of spreadsheets, but because data tells the truth. And you cannot manage what you do not measure.

In business and investing, feelings are expensive. Stories are seductive. But numbers keep you honest.

When I look at my portfolio or my businesses, I am not asking vague questions like “Does this feel good?” I am asking measurable ones. What is the cash flow? What is the DSCR? What is the margin? What is growing, and what is quietly leaking?

Clarity comes from measurement.

When you track key metrics consistently, you stop guessing. You stop reacting emotionally. You start making decisions from a place of confidence. That applies whether you are running a multimillion-dollar portfolio or just getting started with your first investment.

For real estate, that might mean tracking NOI, debt coverage, occupancy, rent growth, and expense creep. For a business, it could be revenue per customer, profit margins, cash reserves, or time invested versus return. The exact metrics matter less than the habit of measuring them.

Here is what I have learned. What gets measured gets attention. What gets attention improves. And what improves compounds.

Data also creates peace. When numbers are tracked, surprises decrease. You see problems earlier. You adjust faster. You protect your downside. Measurement is not about control. It is about visibility.

I see people avoid numbers because they are afraid of what they might find. But avoiding data does not make issues disappear. It just delays your ability to fix them.

Freedom is not built on hope. It is built on awareness.

So here is the question worth sitting with. If your numbers were telling the full truth today, would you be proud of what they are saying, and are you willing to start measuring what actually matters?