If you know me, you know I’m competitive. I love comparing myself to others, and yes, there is a dark side to that. I’ve done things liked ripping my bike computer off my bike to avoid measuring how fast or how far I went, hopefully creating an environment where I could actually focus on enjoying the ride instead of hitting another PR (personal record) for a particular route. I stopped running the same route so I wouldn’t compare my times from run to run. I’ve even considered taping over my speedometer in my car so I’d stop trying to go just a bit faster around the same exit ramp curve.

But what I really like is the tests where you don’t even know you’re competing. Take, for instance, all those standardized tests I’ve taken in my academic life. It thrilled me to see what % of folks scored below my results. It’s not like I knew any of the people above or below me, it was just a number. And sometimes, on those tests that worked to my geek strengths, I’d hit that 99% number, making me feel good without going through the dark side of competitiveness.

So that is the lead-in to Nest [Yes, the Nest that was just purchased by Google]. Have I told you I love my Nest Thermostat? I won’t bore you with its amazing features, but right now I’m enamored with their monthly energy reports. Here’s my latest:

It simply makes me happy that I’m in the top 20% (my wife may not be as joyful). What bugs me is who are the folks above me? I’ll never know, but they better watch out. I’m gaining fast….