LSC #37: This one is gonna make you win đđ
Hi there! Welcome to a new edition of the #LSC, the 37th this time.
First off, hello to all the new subscribersâand a warm welcome back to those whoâve been here for a while. After a break in August to recharge, itâs great to be back!
If youâre new or this newsletter was forwarded to you, expect content on productivity, personal growth, health hacks, and some reflectionsâall with a down-to-earth approach. Lifeâs complicated enough, so letâs keep it simple. Moving forward though, youâll notice a more actionable and personal touch, with practical takeaways you can start using right away.
Before we dive in, a quick favor: Please move this newsletter to your main inbox and mark it as important if it landed elsewhere (promotions, spam, God knows where else an email can land).
So, let's get into it!
Todayâs summary:
đ On winning
đ The beauty of tracking
đ Tracking 101
đŹ Daily tips from the trenches: Victor GarcĂ©s
đș Weekly Pick: A century of speedâHow much faster are we?
đ On winning
I donât play a game unless I know Iâm going to win
I donât know about you, but I am pretty competitive âI donât play a game unless Iâve got a good chance of winning. But hereâs a twist: winning isnât always about being first or scoring the highest. Sometimes, itâs just about meeting your own expectations. And that can apply to anything, from a sports event to a project.
This mindset (only playing a game if you know you have a chance to win) can be transformative, especially in personal growth. The trick? Eliminate the downside and maximize the upside. When making decisions, ask yourself:
How can I make it so I canât lose?
How can I ensure that winning is inevitable?
Defining winning
Winning can mean different things depending on your timeline:
Short-term wins: if youâre for a quick win, expect high competition, high stress and higher chances of failure.
Long-term victories: If you can afford some time, you can add some strategic moves and expect less immediate pressure.
Take investing, for example. If youâre after a big win in a day, the margin for error is pretty slim. But stretch that timeline to 10 or 20 years, and your odds improve. The same goes for fitnessâyou wonât get ripped or lose 2 kg in a day (unless you cut off an arm). But with time on your side, your goals become much more achievable.
Patience is key
The key here is patience (my best skill. Joking, I suck at patience). Itâs about making deliberate choices and giving them time to work. Patience, teamed with consistency, changes the game. You donât need to win tomorrow. Instead, focus on steady, consistent progress that compounds over time. Give it time, time, and more time, and youâll not only winâyouâll redefine the game on your own terms.
đ The beauty of tracking
So, how do I go about winning, youâre asking? Itâs simple: tracking, combined with consistency.
These two basicsâtracking and consistencyâare all I need to push myself to improve in every area and see if I am progressing in them. You might think of the classic gym tracker where you log exercises, reps, and weights, but this is actually not just this. This applies to much more than just fitness. Here are a couple of scenarios:
Personal Brand: We all need to work on this, right? Your social presence is one of the few things you can carry with you throughout your career. Everything you do at your job ultimately goes back to the company, but your online presenceâyour content and relationshipsâfollows you. If building your brand is your goal but youâre hesitant to start (reasons are endless), try tracking your interactions, updates, content metrics, and reactions over a month. Whether it improves or not is another story, but by measuring and analyzing it, youâll get used to your social presence. That initial fear? It starts to fade as you dive into the details. And hey, itâs all about enjoying the process, right?
Physical Goals: Letâs say you have a physical goal. If itâs lose weight, get leaner, improve your performance, it doesnât really matter. But if you feel stuck or unsure where to begin, start by tracking. Paint a picture of the present (weight, performance, etc.), create a game plan (I can really help you with that if you want me to!), and keep tracking your progress. Check in regularly. Seeing improvement makes it easier to stay motivated. And if thereâs no progress? You can always adjust the plan with the metrics in front of you instead of trying new things and running around like a headless chicken.
These are just two examples, but this tracking mindset works wonders in any area where youâre unsure or hesitant. Once you start tracking, itâs like stepping back and getting a birdâs-eye viewâsuddenly, the work feels a lot less intimidating.
đ Tracking 101
And since we're on the topic of tracking, let me share some of the tools I use and why I use them. Maybe you'll find them interesting and understand the logic behind tracking things!
1. Food macros and calories
I use Lifesum to track calories and macros. I donât obsess over it, but I try to consistently log my home meals. This gives me a general idea of the food I eat and the quantity (and composition) of it. Some things Iâve learned:
I always cook way too much pasta đŹ
Getting enough protein as a vegan is tricky, but once you know where to find it, it gets easier đȘ
Tracking makes you more aware of your food choices, which helps you stay on track. So guys, track your food for a while, itâs worth it! đ
Also with Lifesum, you can scan the barcodes on your food packages and it gives you a health score and a quick view of its composition. Nice, uh?
2. Sports Activities and Streaks
For social motivation and the yearly recap (yeah, I love that), I use Strava. It keeps me consistent and pushes me to do more. You can even find me here. I track all my workouts, not just running or cycling.
If youâre more into weightlifting or tracking your weights, Strava is useless, so there are also another couple of gym-specific apps such as Hevy (not a typo) and Gym Hero (worst name ever? I say yes). Why do you need to track your workouts even if youâre not into lifting weights, youâre asking? Well, for starters, WE ALL SHOULD LIFT WEIGHTS regardless of our age, gender, or goal. Tracking your progress over time is key. Have a plan, stick to it, progress, repeat.
3. General life-related stuff
I use Apple Health for steps, sleep, and general activity. Itâs probably the most comprehensive health data tool out there. If anything, it is pretty chaotic but it gives you a solid overview of your activity levels. And itâs free, so why not use it? (for Android users, Google Fit does the same.)
4. Phone and devices use
This oneâs a favorite! Your device can track screen time and send you a weekly report, showing where your hours go. Itâs a great way to see how you spend your time (spoiler alert: youâre not gonna like it) and make improvements.
Why tracking matters
But tracking isnât just about logging numbersâitâs a powerful self-improvement tool. Why?
Awareness: It makes you conscious of your choices.
Identifying patterns: It helps you spot positive and negative behavior patterns.
Motivation: Progress motivates you to keep going.
Accountability: Tracking holds you responsible. If you donât track it itâs like it didnât happen, right?
So whatâs next?
Youâve started trackingâwhat now? Hereâs how to make the most of it:
Set goals: Use your tracking data to set goals.
Adjust habits: Identify areas for improvement and make small changes.
Celebrate wins: If things are going your way, celebrate them! Be proud of your progress. đ
And thatâs it for Tracking 101. Hope Iâve convinced you to start tracking your stuff!
đŹ Daily tips from the trenches: Victor GarcĂ©s
Starting this week, youâll find a recommendation zone here. Each week someone external to the #LSC will share a tip, tool, or technique that helps them go through their day-to-day life. Expect actionable tips you can take home that will help you understand how other people manage their lives.
I got to know Victor when I asked him, out of the blue, what did he think about a fund I had with a bank that was, turned out, basically pure bullshit. Since then, weâve been talking pretty often about well, life. He is an authority in investing and whatâs more important, a nice guy.
So hereâs what Victor is sharing with you:
One thing that really helps me stay on top of my tasks, and more importantly, achieve my goals, is organizing myself on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis. At the beginning of the month, I set goals that I want to accomplish within 30 days, and then I break those goals down into projects or tasks to be completed each week. Each day of the week, I choose a few tasks and assign them to that day. If I don't manage to complete a task, I move it to the top of the list for the next day as task number one. I use the simplest tool available: iPhone Reminders.
đș Weekly Pick: A century of speedâHow much faster are we?
Also starting this week, Iâm introducing an official section for the farewell giftâyour weekly content recommendation. Expect something worth sharing, whether itâs audio, video, music, or written content. The skyâs the limit!
This week: How much faster is the current menâs 100m Olympic champion, Noah Lyles, compared to Harold Abrahams, who won gold 100 years ago?
Watching the video, it feels like nothing!
đ Data Dive
And to finish the newsletter, letâs take a little look at the #LSC performance (yes, a bit of #buildinpublic here):
390 Subscribers â Last week we were 341
0 Unsubscribed â We lost and won some subscribers over the summer but since I didnât keep track of that, so I canât share this number, sorry guys!
53% Open rate â Last #LSC OR. The goal is to keep this, as you know, in the 60-70% range.
Before leaving, here you have are a few things you can do to help me:
Share this newsletter with someone you think will like it.
Reply to this publication.
If youâre on Substack, like this publication, re-stack it, move it around⊠sky is the limit!
And now, for good: Keep an eye out for the next LifeScore Chroniclesâsomething exciting is just around the corner. đ
Until next week, stay safe and healthy!