How to Choose Which Inputs to Track

You've chosen your outcome. Now: which inputs should you track?

Trendwell's philosophy is track what you control. But you can't track everything. Choosing the right inputs—not too many, not too few—sets you up for success.

The Input Selection Principles

Track 2-4 Inputs to Start

Why not more:

• More inputs = more burden
• Harder to see correlations
• More likely to quit

Why not fewer:

• Need enough data for patterns
• Multiple inputs may matter
• Gives you options to analyze

Choose High-Impact Inputs

Focus on inputs that:

• Research shows affect your outcome
• You have control over
• You can track easily
• You suspect matter for you

Keep It Simple

Each input should be:

• Quick to log (under 10 seconds)
• Clear what to track
• Easy to remember

Key Insight: Start simple. You can always add inputs later. You can't get back time spent on overly complex tracking.

Recommended Inputs by Outcome

For Weight

Input	What to Track
Sleep opportunity	Bedtime
Eating window	First and last meal time
Movement	Did you exercise? Yes/No
Stress	1-5 rating (optional)

For Blood Pressure

Input	What to Track
Sleep	Bedtime + quality
Sodium	Low/Normal/High
Stress	1-5 rating
Movement	Did you exercise? Yes/No

For Energy

Input	What to Track
Sleep	Bedtime + quality
Movement	Did you move? Yes/No
Caffeine	Cups and cutoff time
Stress	1-5 rating

For Sleep Quality

Input	What to Track
Bedtime	When you got in bed
Caffeine cutoff	Last caffeine time
Last meal	Dinner time
Stress	1-5 rating

Input Types Explained

Time-Based Inputs

Examples: Bedtime, last meal time, caffeine cutoff

How to track: Log the actual time

Why they work: Easy to remember, objective, highly actionable

Yes/No Inputs

Examples: Did you exercise? Did you drink alcohol?

How to track: Simple toggle

Why they work: Fastest to log, clear binary choice

Rating Inputs

Examples: Stress (1-5), sleep quality (1-5)

How to track: Quick scale rating

Why they work: Captures subjective state, good for correlations

Category Inputs

Examples: Sodium (Low/Normal/High), exercise type

How to track: Choose from options

Why they work: More nuanced than yes/no, still simple

Customizing Your Inputs

Start With Recommendations

Use the suggested inputs for your outcome. They're based on research and common patterns.

Adjust Based on Data

After 2-4 weeks, you'll see:

• Which inputs seem to correlate with your outcome
• Which inputs vary (if it never varies, tracking it is useless)
• Which inputs are burden vs. insight

Add or Remove

• Add inputs if you suspect something matters
• Remove inputs that never vary or don't correlate
• Keep your set manageable

Common Mistakes

Tracking Too Much

Symptom: Logging feels like a chore

Fix: Reduce to 3 essential inputs

Tracking Outcomes as Inputs

Symptom: Tracking "energy level" as an input for energy

Fix: Track what CAUSES the outcome, not the outcome itself

Tracking What You Can't Control

Symptom: Tracking weather, other people's behavior

Fix: Focus on what you control

Next Steps

Based on your chosen outcome:

1. Select 2-4 inputs from recommendations
2. Set your defaults
3. Start your first week
4. Adjust based on what you learn

Start simple. Refine as you learn. Your inputs are your levers for change.

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Last updated: January 2026