How many spreadsheets and graphs do you have?
I strongly suspect the world is divided into two types of people, those who lovingly have personal spreadsheets and those who don’t. So let me say it once, and say it loud, I’m a nerd and I’m proud! I take a perverse pleasure in slavishly updating my three key graphs on scrabble scores, running times, and recipients of the weekly email. Are you a graph-a-holic too?
Some things are just gagging to have a record of them. In fact when I’m feeling stressed I find it one of the best things to do, afterall when examining the minutiae of the numbers you can’t think of much else – there’s something beautiful about the patterns.
This blog was prompted by a discussion with MSE Wendy about a new ‘match sold prices to adverts’ tool in the Free House Price Valuations guide. She rather deliciously, geekily admitted that she doesn’t need the tool as she records all the details of houses in her street and their asking and sales prices on a graph to keep track of her own property. Plus as our resident green expert she also confessed to a personal energy use graph.
So I decided it’s time to share my graphs and see who else out there is doing what.
- The Scrabble spreadsheet/ graph.
Update Frequency – immediately emailed to myself every game (c. 3/ week ) then updated next time I’m on the computer.This contains the score of every game of Scrabble Mrs MSE and I have played, barring the first 17 (when she was learning). All 643 of them at today’s count (in just over 5 years). My ambition is to push my average over 400 – it’s now on 393.3 and I’m nearly there (average in last 20 games is 442 so hopefully it’ll be there soon) and actually now for the first time over 50% of my games are over 400.
The spreadsheet then has the following charts:
A. Plot of my scores and Mrs. MSE’s scores in each game, plus trendline.
B. Number of wins of each of us (progressive) and difference between us.
C. Points difference between us in each game.
D. Combined score with trendline.
E. Proportion of wins ML over Mrs MSE (currently 2.15 to 1).
F. Proportion of wins in last 25 games of each.
G. Percentage of games over 400 both total and rolling last 25.
H. Proportion of wins in last 10 games each.
I. Progression of most number of 400+ games in a row for each.
J. Average score difference.
- The Members spreadsheet/ graph
Update Frequency – 5-10 times per day (to see progression then final tally of prior days first thing in am).I started this when I first started the site and even though I could easily ask the techie team to do an automated version for me, I’d never do it, each morning I add the update myself.
Here I only have one main graph but it has the following fields on it:
1. Number joining that day.
2. Average number on 7 day rolling average.
3. Average number on 50 day rolling average.
4. Average number on 100 day rolling average.
5. Average number this calendar year.
6. Average number in the last 12 months.
7. Total number all time.
8. Total number in the last 12 months.I do have separate charts for percentage daily increases but I hardly look at them.
- Running records spreadsheet – no graph
Update Frequency – after each run – 2-3 times per week.
No graph here, as it’s recording lots of different runs. But every time I run, whether treadmill or outside (usually 2-3 times a week), the time and details are always recorded. One day I hope this will turn into a graph but it’s the newest of the three.
Each time I beat my prior record for the particular route or distance that time is then entered in bold – I’m not sure I’d be motivated to keep running if it wasn’t for the bolds.
Ok so I’ve admitted my hidden graph skeletons, what about you? Use the link below…
