Most of us have a distorted view of our own behavior. The mere act of tracking a behavior can spark the urge to change it. One study of more than sixteen hundred people found that those who kept a daily food log lost twice as much weight as those who did not. Research has shown that people who track their progress on goals like losing weight, quitting smoking, and lowering blood pressure are all more likely to improve than those who don’t. When you look at the calendar and see your streak, you’ll be reminded to act again. Habit tracking naturally builds a series of visual cues like the streak of X’s on your calendar or the list of meals in your food log. Recording your last action creates a trigger that can initiate your next one. It simultaneously makes a behavior obvious, attractive, and satisfying.

Habit tracking is powerful because it leverages multiple Laws of Behavior Change. Don’t break the chain of creating every day and you will end up with an impressive portfolio. Don’t break the chain of workouts and you’ll get fit faster than you’d expect. Don’t break the chain of sales calls and you’ll build a successful book of business. “Don’t break the chain” is a powerful mantra. He is simply focused on showing up and adding to his streak. In other words, he is not focused on how good or bad a particular joke is or how inspired he feels. In the documentary Comedian, he explains that his goal is simply to “never break the chain” of writing jokes every day. Jerry Seinfeld reportedly uses a habit tracker to stick with his streak of writing jokes.

This list included goals like “Lose no time” “Be always employed in something useful” and “Avoid trifling conversation.” At the end of each day, Franklin would open his booklet and record his progress. Beginning at age twenty, Franklin carried a small booklet everywhere he went and used it to track 13 personal virtues. As time rolls by, the calendar becomes a record of your habit streak.Ĭountless people have tracked their habits, but perhaps the most famous was Benjamin Franklin. For example, if you meditate on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, each of those dates gets an X. The most basic format is to get a calendar and cross off each day you stick with your routine. A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit.

James clear author