Habits and Habit Tracker
Goal Achievement Framework
We study historical figures and look for common themes to achieving success in their life stories.
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- Habit Formation Overview
- Insights from Historical Figures
- Blog Posts Related to Habit Formation
- Quotes about habits
Habit Formation Overview
Why is habit formation important?
Confucius said “Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that carry them far apart”
Through history people have focused on forming good habits, setting positive virtues from Pythagoras to Benjamin Franklin.
Habits make our character and form the outlook on life.
Regular revision of your current habits will set you up for success.
What are the habit formation steps?
- Examine your current behaviors and decide what habits to form
- Understand why you want to form a specific habit
- Do not begin with more than 1-2 new habits at a time
- Work on moderate changes, not too easy not too hard
- Be consistent and plan for breaks and rest days
- Ensure that you give yourself ample amount of time to form a habit
- Celebrate your accomplishments
How to use a habit tracker?
Habit trackers are an easy way to track the consistency of your habit formation.
They visually display any trends that you may have in forming specific habits.
Steps to Use the Habit Tracker
- Enter the name of the habit you want to track
- Enter the dates for tracking
- Every day check off the habit to be formed.
Effluo Three Week Habit Tracker
Insights from Historical Figures
Pythagoras
14 habits to focus on based on the teachings of Pythagoras
- Focus on spiritual growth and development
- Maintain healthy family relationships
- Have a strong network of friends
- Develop emotional intelligence and self-respect
- Be purpose-driven and set goals
- ‘Memento Mori’ remember your mortality
- Embrace uncertainty
- Respect the opinions of others but think for yourself
- Take deliberate actions
- Be a continuous learner
- Take care of your physical health
- Avoid excessive spending
- Practice generous giving
- Practice regular retrospection
Confucius
Steps to achieving the habits from the great master himself.
- Understand why you want to form a specific habit.
- Habits make us who we are.
- A conscious decision on what habits you want to form is the first step to becoming the person you want to be.
- Work on habit formation through obstacles and be persistent.
- Obstacles will inevitably stand in a way of any habit formation or goal achievement.
- The key is to continue working through the obstacles.
- Go slow if needed but do not stop.
- The key point here is, do not give up if you believe you are not progressing fast enough.
- Remember that you are progressing.
Francis Bacon
Secrets to habit creation from Francis Bacon
- Examine your current behaviors and decide what habits to form.
- Do not begin with more than 1 or 2 new habits at a time.
- Work on moderate changes, which should challenge you but not cause you to fail.
- Stay consistent in practicing the new habit.
- Plan for breaks and rest days to regain strength.
- Give yourself time
- Celebrate your accomplishments!
Benjamin Franklin
13 Virtues (Habits) that Benjamin Franklin worked on
- Temperance
- Silence
- Order
- Resolution
- Frugality
- Industry
- Sincerity
- Justice
- Moderation
- Cleanliness
- Tranquility
- Chastity
- Humility
Habit Formation Blog Posts
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Quotes About Habits
Make no Expence but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.
Contrary Habits must be broken and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any Dependance on a steady uniform Rectitude of Conduct
Eat not to DulnessDrink not to Elevation
Speak not but what may benefit others or yourlself.Avoid trifling Conversation.
Let all your Things have their Places.
Let each Part of your Business have its Time.
Resolve to perform what you ought.
Perform without fail what you resolve.
Though in making a mound I should stop when but one more basketful of earth would complete it, the fact remains that I have stopped.
On the other hand, if in leveling it to the ground I advance my work by but one basketful at a time, the fact remains that I am advancing.
Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that carry them far apart
Hee that seeketh victory over his nature, let him not set himselfe too great nor too small tasks; for the first will make him dejected by often faylings; and the second will make him a small proceeder, though by often prevailing.
Abeunt studia in mores(Studies change into habits)
Let not a man force a habit upon himselfe with a perpetual continuance, but with some intermission. For both the pause reinforceth the new onset; and if a man that is not perfect be ever in practise, he shall as well practise his errours as his abilities; and induce one habit of both: and there is no meanes to helpe this but by seasonable intermissions
But let not a man trust his victorie over his nature too farre; for nature will lay buried a great time, and yet revive upon the occasion or temptation….
Therefore let a man either avoid the occasion altogether; or put himselfe often to it, the hee may be little moved with it.
Examine thy customes of diet, sleepe, exercise, apparell, and the like; and trie, in any thing thou shalt judge hurtfull, to discontinue it by little and little
Habitual thoughts also will be the character of the mind; because the soul is dyed by the thoughts. Dye it then with a continuous series of such thoughts as these: for instance, that where a man can live, there he can also live well.
09. Know that all these things are as I have told thee; and accustom thyself to overcome and vanquish these passions:–
10. First gluttony, sloth, sensuality, and anger.
11. Do nothing evil, neither in the presence of others, nor privately;
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