What’s the first thing you do when making morning coffee or brushing your teeth? As creatures of habit, we tend to do the same things in the same way over and over again. Move a wastebasket and paper hits the floor because we’re used to tossing paper where the basket used to be. Change cars and it takes at least a couple of weeks before we stop grabbing for a gearshift that’s no longer there. Sometimes, however, being habitual can be useful.
At the age of 20 Benjamin Franklin began carrying a small booklet wherever he went tracking several of his personal virtues including “lose no time,” “be always employed in something useful” and “avoid trifling conversation,” according to author of Atomic Habits James Clear. Then, at the end of each day Franklin would observe and record his progress. Apparently like Franklin, when we record and track our good habits, it helps motivate us to do more.
Tracking our progress by keeping notes, seems a powerful way to inspire us to take action because, Clear says, it leverages multiple laws of behavior change. Seems if we visually see progress—a series of X’s or stars on a page—we’ll keep on doing it. And it feels good. Our small successes from the past help us keep on keeping on, especially if some days seem harder than others.
Another reason to track our progress, Clear explains, is because it helps us keep our eye on the ball, focusing on the long-term results we’re aiming for. At the very least it reminds us if we keep doing what we’re doing, there’ll be an end in sight and we’ll get there.
Clear also says to write our progress down immediately. If it’s finishing the sales calls for the day or walking your steps, record your progress as soon as possible. It gives us that little splash of feel-good chemicals that says this is working, let’s keep on going!
