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Welcome back, everybody, for another deep dive with us.
Today, we are going to be looking at how to build those positive habits that stick day after day.
You know, and I don't know about you, but I'm always just fascinated by like those little tricks and strategies that can really make a huge difference.
And actually, in one of our sources, there's this really interesting story about a stockbroker in Canada.
And he actually used paper clips to kind of boost his productivity, believe it or not.
So what's the deal with visual measurement?
And and why does it matter when it comes to building good habits?
Yeah, it's all about tapping into how our brains are actually right.
So when we can see our progress, like literally see it, it triggers this like a sense of satisfaction.
And that, in turn, reinforces that behavior.
Okay, so think of it like a mini reward system for your brain.
That makes sense.
It's kind of like, you know, those apps that track your steps throughout the day, and like you see that number climbing, it can be surprisingly motivating, just watching that visual progress.
Exactly.
And that's kind of what this stockbroker was doing.
So he would move a paper clip from one jar to another for every single sales call he made.
Oh, wow.
So by the end of the day, he could visually see this mountain of calls that he'd accomplished.
Okay, so so did it actually work?
It did.
So he went from making like, $5 an hour to $75 an hour, and then eventually landed a six figure job.
Wow.
That's awesome.
And this isn't just like a one off fluke thing.
Research actually backs this up.
So there have been studies that have shown that people who track their goals are more likely to achieve them, right?
Like those who use like food logs for weight loss, or if they're monitoring their blood pressure.
Okay, so we're not just talking about like a cool anecdote, there's like real science behind it.
Right.
And all of this kind of ties into this bigger picture of habit tracking, right?
Absolutely.
So visual measurement can be a really powerful component of habit tracking.
Essentially, habit tracking is about having a system to record whether you did the habit or not.
Okay, pretty simple.
Simple enough.
But how does that simple act actually translate into
building like lasting habits that stick?
Yeah, there's a few key reasons for that.
So first, you have that visual cue, right?
Whether it's a mark on the calendar or an app that's tracking your progress, it acts as this reminder, right?
So it removes that mental effort of trying to remember.
And then there's the motivation factor too.
So seeing your progress laid out visually can be incredibly motivating.
It's like watching those streaks grow, you know?
Yeah, yeah, I can definitely relate to that.
There's something so satisfying about keeping a streak going, even if it's something really small.
Exactly.
And that brings us to the third reason,
the satisfaction factor.
So every time you mark off a habit, it gives you a sense of accomplishment, no matter how small.
And that reinforces the behavior that you want to stick with.
So we've got that visual reminder, then the motivation boost, and then the satisfaction of checking it off the list.
It's like habit tracking gives you like this triple whammy of support.
Yeah, you could say that.
And there's another important aspect to this too.
So habit tracking helps you avoid what I call motivation blindness.
Okay.
So oftentimes we think we're doing better than we actually are.
But a tracker, it kind of reveals the truth, right?
Having that objective view of your behavior can be really crucial for course correcting along the way.
Like having this like honest friend who gently keeps you accountable
without like any judgment.
You know, it's interesting to think about how this concept has played out like historically.
Didn't Benjamin Franklin track his habits?
He did.
Yeah.
So Franklin was like meticulously tracking his progress on 13 personal virtues using this little booklet.
Oh, wow.
He was a big believer in like self improvement and holding himself accountable.
Talk about dedication.
Yeah.
And wasn't there a comedian who kind of used a similar method for writing jokes?
Jerry Seinfeld, right?
Yeah.
The don't break the chain method.
So every day that he wrote, he would mark a big X on his calendar.
And the idea was to keep that chain of X's going, right?
Motivating him to write even when he wasn't feeling it.
So we have like historical figures, comedians, and like everyday people finding success with habit tracking.
And our sources actually break down the benefits in this really specific way.
They talk about
the obvious benefit, the attractive benefit, and then the satisfying benefit.
Right.
What do they mean by that?
Yeah.
It's like a clever way to kind of highlight how habit tracking works on like these different levels, right?
So the obvious benefit is, well, just that.
It makes your habit and your progress obvious.
So that visual reminder, whether it's a chain of X's or like a filled inhabit tracker, it serves as this constant trigger.
It's like this built in accountability system that kind of removes the guesswork.
What about the attractive benefit?
That sounds pretty intriguing.
Yeah.
So that refers to like the inherent appeal of progress.
So the act of moving forward, even in like these small increments, it's inherently motivating.
So each check mark or each milestone, it kind of gives you that like little dopamine hit.
You get that feeling of accomplishment that keeps you going.
It's kind of like those games where you like level up.
Yeah.
Each step forward makes you want to keep playing and striving for that next level.
Exactly.
It taps into our like natural desire for achievement.
Yeah.
And then that leads us to the satisfying benefit.
It simply just feels good to see your progress visually represented, like to mark things off your list, and that sense of satisfaction, it reinforces the behavior and makes you more likely to stick with it.
So it's not just about like discipline and willpower.
It's about creating a system that makes a process like inherently rewarding.
Precisely.
Now, while all this sounds great in theory, let's get like practical, right?
What are some tips for making habit track and work in the real world?
Because let's face it, we all get busy and things slip through the cracks.
That's a really good point.
What are some strategies to make this as painless as possible?
I'm glad you asked.
There's a few hacks that you can use to kind of make habit track and more sustainable.
The key is to really focus on automation, limits, and then immediacy.
Okay.
I'm intrigued.
Break it down for us.
All right.
Let's start with automation.
So the beauty of this is you can leverage systems that you already have in place, right?
So use your credit card statements to track like spending habits, use fitness trackers for your steps and your workouts, use calendars for like scheduling right in time.
Look for like existing tools that can kind of do the tracking for you.
That's brilliant.
Work smarter, not harder.
Exactly.
What about limits?
Yeah.
So with limits, don't fall into the trap of trying to track everything at once, right?
That's a recipe for overwhelm.
Instead, pick like one or two of your most important habits and just like really focus on those.
Once they become more automatic, then you can add more to your tracking system.
Solid advice.
And finally, immediacy.
What's the thinking behind that?
Yeah.
So the closer you track the behavior to when it actually occurs, the stronger the connection is going to be.
So ideally you want to record it like immediately after the action.
This helps kind of solidify the link between the behavior and the track and making it more automatic over time.
So if I meditate for 10 minutes, I should log it right after I finished, not like wait until the end of the day when I might forget.
Yeah, exactly.
It's all about reinforcing that feedback loop.
This is all super helpful, but let's be real.
Life happens, right?
We get busy, we travel, we have those unexpected disruptions.
What happens when we like inevitably break the chain?
That's a great question.
And it's important to remember that it's not about being perfect.
It's about getting back on track quickly.
Think of it like compound interest, right?
Okay.
So missing one day won't derail your entire investment, but repeatedly missing payments will have a significant impact over time.
So a single slip up isn't the end of the world, but a pattern of slip ups can really sabotage our progress.
Precisely.
There's a crucial distinction between like a single mistake and then a habit of making mistakes.
The key takeaway here is never miss twice, right?
Okay.
So if you slip up, don't beat yourself up, just get back on track immediately.
It's like that saying one bad meal won't make you fat, just like one salad won't make you skinny.
It's the consistency over time that really matters.
Exactly.
Now all this talk about tracking and measuring, it raises an important question.
Are we focusing on the right things, right?
Because sometimes getting too caught up in the numbers can actually lead us astray.
That's a really interesting point.
It reminds me of that saying you get what you measure.
If we're measuring the wrong things, we'll end up, you know, optimizing for the wrong results.
Let me their daily word count.
So they might be hitting their target every day, but if they're not paying attention to like the quality of their writing, they could be churning out like a lot of mediocre content.
Yeah.
So they might be winning the quantity game, but ultimately it's the quality that matters most.
So they're focused on the wrong metric and missing the bigger picture of, you know, what it actually means to be like a successful writer.
Exactly.
And this kind of relates to a becomes a target.
It ceases to be a good measure.
In other words, when we obsess over like a specific metric, it can kind of lose its meaning and it can distort our behavior.
So how do we avoid
falling into this trap?
How do we ensure that we're like measuring what truly matters?
It requires a more like nuanced approach.
So we need to consider the broader context and not get fixated on like numbers alone, right?
It's about looking beyond the data and asking ourselves like, what are the qualitative factors that actually contribute to success?
So for our writer, it might be things like the depth of their ideas, the originality of their voice, or maybe the emotional impact of their writing.
Exactly.
It's about finding those non -scale victories that indicate that you're moving in the right direction, even if they don't show up like directly on a spreadsheet.
I love that term, non -scale victories.
It's so important to acknowledge and celebrate those wins that like go beyond just numbers.
Absolutely.
Especially when it comes to building healthy habits.
Sometimes the most meaningful progress is the kind that we feel rather than the kind that we can measure.
So if someone's trying to like improve their fitness,
a non -scale victory might be like feeling more energetic throughout the day or maybe noticing that their clothes fit better.
Exactly.
Or it might be like feeling less stressed or sleeping more soundly.
These are all positive changes that contribute to like overall wellbeing.
Even if they don't directly translate to like pounds lost or miles run.
So it's about finding those like personal indicators of success that go beyond just like the data points.
Precisely.
And that's a powerful like shift in mindset, right?
It allows us to kind of celebrate the journey rather than just fix Satan on the destination.
It makes the process more enjoyable and more sustainable in the long run.
This is so important for our listeners to grasp.
Habit tracking is a fantastic tool, but it needs to be used wisely.
We need to be mindful of like the metrics that we choose.
And remember that sometimes the most valuable progress is the kind we feel, not just the kind we see on paper.
Couldn't agree more.
It's about finding that balance between data -driven tracking and like intuitive listening to our bodies and our minds.
So as we're wrapping up this deep dive into the world of habit tracking,
what are the key takeaways you want our listeners to remember?
I think the biggest one is this habit tracking can be incredibly powerful, but you know, it's not magic.
It works best when you combine it with like a genuine desire for change and a willingness to put in the effort.
It's like that saying a goal without a plan is just a wish.
Habit tracking provides the structure to turn those wishes into reality.
Exactly.
And remember to focus on the right measures.
Don't get so lost in the numbers that you lose sight of the bigger picture.
Think about your personal, those non -scale victories that we were talking about and track those as well.
Because at the end of the day, it's about making progress that, you know, feels good and aligns with what we value, not just chasing arbitrary metrics.
Absolutely.
And finally, don't forget that consistency is key.
Even small consistent actions can lead to huge progress over time.
So don't get discouraged by setbacks, you know, just get back on track and keep moving forward.
It's like building a muscle.
It takes time, effort and consistency to see results.
But with the right approach, anyone can achieve their goals.
Well said.
So to leave our listeners with something to think about, I have a question for you.
What's one habit that you want to track and what's your version of a non -scale victory that will show you that you're on the right path?
That's a great question to reflect on.
Take some time to think about that and let us know what you with.
And that wraps up our deep dive into the fascinating world of habit tracking.
We hope you found this episode informative and inspiring.
Until next time, keep those habits going strong.
And remember, even small steps can lead to remarkable transformations.
So get out there and make those positive changes happen.