Atomic Habits Chapter 16: How to stick with good habits every day

How to stick with good habits every day

One of the most satisfying feelings is the feeling of making progress.

A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit -- like marking an X on a calendar.

Habit trackers and other visual forms of measurement can make your habits satisfying by providing clear evidence of your progress.

Don't break the chain. Try to keep your habit streak alive.

Habit tracking is powerful because it leverages multiple Laws of Behavior Change. It simultaneously makes a behavior obvious, attractive, and satisfying.

#1 Habit tracking is obvious. Recording your last action creates a trigger that can initiate your next one. It also keeps you honest. When the evidence is right in front of you, you're less likely to lie to yourself.

#2 Habit tracking is attractive. When we get a signal that we are moving forward, we become more motivated to continue down that path. Each small win feeds your desire.

#3 Habit tracking is satisfying. It feels good to watch your results grow and if it feels good, then you're more likely to endure. It also helps keep your eye on the ball: you're focused on the process rather than the result. Furthermore, habit tracking provides visual proof that you are casting votes for the type of person you wish to become, which is a delightful form of immediate and intrinsic gratification.

What can we do to make tracking easier? First, whenever possible, measurement should be automated. Second, manual tracking should be limited to your most important habits. It is better to consistently track one habit than to sporadically track ten. Finally, record each measurement immediately after the habit occurs. The completion of the behavior is the cue to write it down.

The habit stacking + habit tracking formula is: After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [TRACK MY HABIT].

Example: After I hang up the phone from a sales call, I will move one paper clip over.

Never miss twice. If you miss one day, try to get back on track as quickly as possible. The first mistake is never the one that ruins you. It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows. Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit. This is a distinguishing feature between winners and losers. Anyone can have a bad performance, a bad workout, or a bad day at work. But when successful people fail, they rebound quickly. The breaking of a habit doesn't matter if the reclaiming of it is fast.

Another potential danger -- especially if you are using a habit tracker -- is measuring the wrong thing. Measurement is only useful when it guides you and adds context to a larger picture, not when it consumes you. Each number is simply one piece of feedback in the overall system. In our data-driven world, we tend to overvalue numbers and undervalue anything ephemeral, soft, and difficult to quantify. Just because you can measure something doesn't mean it's the most important thing.

Saduran dari: Clear, James. 2018. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones (Chapter 16).