There was a moment this year when I realized that some of the numbers I was tracking weren’t helping me grow.

They were just keeping me on edge.

They gave me something to check, something to judge, something to react to, often without actually changing the quality of my decisions. And slowly, I noticed that the more “successful” I became on paper, the more disconnected I felt from what I actually wanted my life and business to feel like.

So I stopped tracking everything just because I could.

And I started asking a better question:

Which metrics help me move forward with clarity—and which ones just create noise?

The Metrics I Stopped Letting Define My Success

Vanity engagement

Likes. Views. Saves. Reach.

I still see them, but I no longer build my business around them.

High engagement didn’t always translate to aligned clients, meaningful conversations, or long-term growth. Low engagement didn’t mean the work wasn’t resonating. Optimizing for attention often pulled me away from depth, nuance, and sustainability.

What I learned this year: attention is fleeting. Trust compounds.

Month-to-month revenue (without context)

For a long time, one slow month felt like a personal failure.

But business, especially thoughtful, community-driven business, is not linear. One month doesn’t tell the story. Patterns do.

Now I zoom out. I look at quarters. I look at trends. I look at how stable things feel, not how dramatic they look on a spreadsheet.

Revenue still matters, but panic no longer gets a vote. Period.

Follower count as a measure of credibility

We’ve all absorbed the idea that bigger audiences equal better businesses.

That hasn’t been my experience.

Some of the strongest, most sustainable businesses I know are built inside small, deeply connected ecosystems, where people return, refer, and engage consistently. Influence isn’t measured in followers. It’s measured in relationships.

Hustle-based productivity

Hours worked. Tasks completed. How busy I was.

I stopped equating exhaustion with effectiveness.

More output wasn’t the goal. Better alignment was. Being busy often meant I hadn’t created enough clarity, boundaries, or systems that actually supported me.

The Metrics I’m Paying Attention to Now

Conversion, not attention

Instead of asking “How many people saw this?” I ask:

Did anyone respond?

Did it spark a real conversation?

Did it lead to action?

Replies, sign-ups, and thoughtful messages tell me far more than impressions ever did.

Retention and repeat engagement

Who stays?

Who comes back?

Who continues to participate even when nothing flashy is happening?

Retention has become one of the clearest indicators of value for me. It reflects trust, consistency, and whether something genuinely supports people over time.

Revenue per offer

Rather than constantly creating more, I’ve started paying attention to what actually carries its weight.

Which offers feel sustainable to deliver?

Which ones create ease instead of pressure?

Which ones support the life I’m building, not just the business?

This shift alone has changed how I plan my year.

Capacity and energy

This might be the most important metric of all.

I pay attention to how full my plate feels.
Whether growth feels expansive or heavy.
How much white space exists in my weeks.

I’m tracking whether my business supports my nervous system, not just my bank account.

Community health

Not just numbers…energy.

Are people connecting with each other?

Supporting one another?

Showing up consistently?

Healthy communities don’t rely on constant pushing. They compound quietly over time.

Choosing Metrics That Support the Life You Want

As this year comes to a close, I’m far less interested in metrics that impress and far more interested in metrics that inform.

The ones that help me move with intention.

The ones that reduce anxiety instead of creating it.

The ones that support sustainability, clarity, and trust.

If you’re heading into the new year feeling overwhelmed by what you should be tracking, here’s your permission slip to simplify.

Not every number deserves your energy.

Want Help Choosing the Right KPIs for Your Season?

If you’re not sure which metrics actually deserve your focus next year, I created a free ChatGPT reflection prompt to help you cut through the noise.

It walks you through:

• Identifying what season of business you’re in
• Clarifying what kind of growth you actually want
• Choosing 3–5 KPIs that support sustainability, capacity, and aligned decision-making
• Letting go of metrics that no longer serve you

No hustle. No vanity metrics. Just clarity.

👉 Get the free “Choose Your KPIs” AI prompt here:
https://beyondboss.myflodesk.com/2026kpi

Before you set goals, make plans, or open a new spreadsheet, start here.

The right metrics won’t just grow your business.

They’ll protect the life you’re building alongside it.