Start by measuring how often you do it

I told my friend I wanted to kick a bad habit but I didn’t know where to start. She said, “Start by measuring how often you do it.”

So now I have a simple spreadsheet titled, Did I succeed today?

I put Yes if I made it the whole day without giving into the habit. I put No otherwise. At the start, I aim for some % of days with a Yes. Over time, I dial that percentage up.

I find tracking to be very motivating. In the case of my bad habit, I’m up to 45% of days without it! Before I started tracking, I was 0% of days without it. Feels good.

The process of measuring gave me a sense of control over the situation that, before, felt hard to pin down.

I share this advice now in the hope that it helps you. Let me know how it goes!

—Max

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