📝 the dirt on…petty tracking (which is way more fun than tracking steps imo)
Where I argue that tracking how you’re wronged may actually be good for you
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Hello there, Friend.
Today, we are talking about tracking, but probably not any type of tracking you’ve ever heard of before.
I’m not opposed to tracking as a general principle.
Tracking my periods was the only thing that kept me sane in my twenties (no baby for me, dear reader).
I’m just opposed to most forms of tracking.
They’re either unrealistic, unhelpful, or just plain unfun, like:
🦋 Gratitude tracking? Boring.
👟 Step tracking? Exhausting.
🤖 Web tracking? Creepy.
Instead I offer you a new form of tracking: petty tracking.
💅🏻 What is Petty Tracking?
From the Dictionary of Andrea:
Petty tracking refers to the act of keeping a record or tally of perceived slights, grievances, or instances where one feels wronged.
It involves tracking and documenting various aspects of daily life, such as the number of times someone has done something that bothers or upsets the tracker.
Examples of Petty Tracking
💅🏻 To track the number of minutes my colleague asked me about my life versus how much time we spent talking about her life
👨🏻💼 To track the number of times my boss mansplained in a 24 hour period
🧹 To track the number of chores I’ve done in one week so I can prove, no, I’m not slovenly (or maybe prove that I am…)
💼 A Case for Petty Tracking
Hear me out - initially you’re probably like, “Andrea that is the most toxic suggestion I’ve ever heard in my entire life.”
And, yes, in some cases, it could be.
But, here’s the thing - if you’re a people-pleaser, if you take too much responsibility and let other peopler’s actions slide, if you find yourself scarred to the core because of how gaslit you are, then petty tracking might actually be…(gasp)…good for you.
Here’s My Case for Petty Tracking:
It can serve as a way to validate and acknowledge the reality of these experiences, particularly when one's feelings or concerns are dismissed or not acknowledged by others (aka gaslighting)
Petty tracking may offer a sense of control or empowerment by quantifying and making visible the instances that contribute to one's hurt or frustration.
See Giorgia Lupi and Kaki King’s data visualization - Bruises: The Data We Don’t See - for a poignant, and heart-achingly beautiful example of this
💕 What Petty Tracking is Actually About
Obviously I took some liberties with the word, petty. It’s probably not in anyone’s best interest to perseverate on the minutia of things-gone-wrong in our lives.
However, I do think that petty tracking as a form of self-validation can be deeply healing. A way of saying to oneself, “I see you — it’s real, and that’s why it hurts.”
If you’ve ever been told that your reality is not reality, then you know how painful it can be to exist in a world where you feel pain, but that hurt is not acknowledged, or worse, is diminished.
For me, it leads to a sense of feeling trapped:
How do you change something that someone isn’t willing to see?
How do you change a pattern of behavior, a dynamic, if someone isn’t even willing to acknowledge its existence?
Petty tracking is one, albeit potentially problematic, way to bring ourselves into presence with what is real, in the hopes that bringing it to light can both validate and free us towards a path of change.
Ciao bella, Andie
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Penpals may just be to friendship what meeting IRL is to dating — there’s just something so unbelievably heartwarming and special about it. So special, in fact, that we want to celebrate this particular collection in a museum forever.
📖 READ Dear Data has been acquired by MoMA, but this isn’t what we are most excited about.
Specialty, seasonal, hand-crafted vinegars? Say no more.
🥡 EAT Tart Vinegar
Guaranteed this TedTalk by Giorgia Lupi will have you hand-charting every time a baby smiles at you or a stranger compliments your shoes.
📺 WATCH How we can find ourselves in data
“We are emotional liars because, somewhere during our upbringing, we failed to imbibe a robust sense that we might be acceptable in and of our essence. No one said with enough conviction that we were allowed just to be. We came to associate being good and normal with being someone else.”
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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical provider. The information provided in this document is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions regarding your health.