SVADHYAYA - Self Study

In order to move forward, to work towards our goals and to build the life we want, we often have to first look inward. We need to be aware of our thoughts, our actions, and perhaps our inactions. Shying away from these this can be tempting, but can potentially hold us back. The article below discusses one of the yoga Niyamas - Svadhyaya, and how we can work this practice into our daily lives in order to work towards the life we want.

The word itself is made up of Sva, meaning own, self, or the human soul, and Adhyaya, meaning lesson, lecture, or reading, and can imply the practice of studying scriptures, as well as a practice of studying the Self.

‘self’ study and ‘Self’ study….

In many pieces of writing regarding the practice of yoga, when we see the word self written with a small ‘s’, it refers to ourselves in this physical form, our ego, and who we consider ourselves to be on a daily basis. When you read the word ‘Self’ with a capital ‘S’, this is likely to refer to the true self, Atman, or the divine within us.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra says: “Study thy self, discover the divine” II.44

It’s probably fair to say that the more we realise what we are not, the closer we come to realising who or what we truly are. By studying ‘the self’ and recognising our habits and thought processes, we realise how much of what we do and think is far from who we really know we are.

When we listen to the ego, we often do things that don’t always align with our true beliefs or intuition. The ‘I’ or small ‘self’ is mostly concerned with survival, which usually entails getting what it wants in all situations, and proving it is indeed ‘the best’ despite what consequences that might have for us. The small self judges, criticises, fears, conditions, doubts and is essentially the cause of the chitta vrittis, or ‘fluctuations of the mind’.

By paying attention to, or ‘studying’ our ‘self’, we become more aware of the things we do that harm us, and also those which serve us and bring us closer to that process of ‘yoking’ or ‘uniting’ with the true Self.

Studying the scriptures

There are thousands of yogic texts containing fascinating, inspiring and transformational writing about the practice of yoga in all its many forms. Some of the most popular and well-known texts which are still studied today include The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, The Bhagavad Gita, and The Hatha Yoga Pradipika.

While it is advised that any sincere and dedicated student of yoga would benefit from reading, studying and reflecting upon these texts, not everyone who practises is going to be able to make time to delve into this ancient wisdom.

If we apply the practice of svadhyaha to our modern-day lives and the situations we’re in right now, ‘studying of the scriptures’ does not strictly have to mean sitting down with a huge copy of The Upanishads or chanting The Vedas; it might mean finding a book or a piece of writing that deepens your own yoga practice. Reading articles online about yoga, or a book which helps us move closer towards ‘Self-realisation’, is also a way of studying. By deepening our own knowledge, understanding and connection to yoga by continuing to read, research, be curious about yoga off the mat, we therefore cultivate our own practice of svadhyaya.

(It’s not enough to just read, though….)

While yes, reading about yoga and all its different aspects is beneficial, it doesn’t make very much difference unless we reflect upon it. When reading something about yogic practice, we can meditate upon how it resonates with us, whether it bears any resemblance to our own experiences, and therefore apply it to our own lives. Having a lot of books and information is one thing, but fully understanding and living what we learn allows our yoga practice to become more a part of our lives.

Svadhyaya on the mat

Studying our habits on the yoga mat can go a long way towards recognising our habits off the mat too. The way in which we practise yoga is actually very reflective of the way we practise life…. and a person’s physical yoga practice often reveals a lot more about them than they may think.

When we’re on the mat, there’s nowhere else to hide. The daily distractions of phones, chores, emails, and TV are no longer there to take our minds away from ourselves. We actually have to pay attention…. This can be a little intimidating at first, and a yoga practice can sometimes reveal more about where our problems are rather than how perfect we are – which as we know, is very good for destroying the ego.

Studying the breath is key

This is usually the first thing we learn when starting a yoga practice. The breath tells us how we are. A short, shallow breath held high up in the chest is often a signal that we’re stressed or worried about something, or that we’re physically pushing ourselves beyond healthy boundaries during the practice. If you notice your breath resembles this, first ask yourself why. Is there a reason to be stressed or worried? And does it matter right now?

Where do you hold tension?

The jaw, forehead, neck, shoulders and upper back are common places we tend to store our fears and worries. When you get to your mat, first become aware of what you can un-do before you begin to ‘do’ anything else. Ask yourself why this tension might be present, and how often does it arise during your practice?

What thoughts are filling your head?

If our time on the mat is the only time we give permission to ourselves to stop, it’s often also the time when our mind decides to unload its millions of whirling thoughts. If you notice your mind becomes especially busy when you come to practice, it’s not a case of ‘blocking out’ thoughts, rather it’s more useful to recognise and acknowledge them for what they are – as this will teach us a lot more about ourselves. Realising what thoughts enter our mind on a regular basis helps us become aware of many other aspects of ourselves.

Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. – Author Unknown

Svadhyaya in everyday life

As we’ve mentioned, reading anything which helps deepen your own yoga practice and move closer towards the Self can be a daily practice of svadhyaya – whether it’s ‘studying’ a traditional text, a blog, a book you really resonate with, or a poem.

Svadhyaya in the sense of studying our selves in daily life though, requires us to really take our yoga practice off the mat….

Knowing what we’re doing in each moment requires us to pay attention, but asking the question “why am I doing this?” requires us to be aware and fully present, which is ‘paying attention’ on a whole other level. Questioning our actions is something we may often avoid, as it is usually a catalyst for change, and as humans we don’t often like change….

Again, it comes down to recognising our habits, and discerning between the ones which come largely from an ego-based place, and which ones are the result of listening to our true Self.

The practice of taking a proverbial step back and observing and questioning our actions can eventually allow us to disentangle ourselves from those aspects of our lives that are harmful towards our wellbeing. As with anything worth doing, it isn’t easy, but it’s well worth the effort and dedication.

A Self-study practice

Observe yourself as though you were watching someone else; observe the way you speak to friends and family, the way you react when plans change, the way you hold yourself when walking or sitting, or even just the way in which you get dressed each morning… it all tells the story of who and how we are in this moment.

The practice of svadhyaya requires satya (honesty) in order to view ourselves from an honest standpoint, tapas (discipline) – because taking an honest look at ourselves isn’t always something we like doing…. And ahimsa (non violence) which reminds us to look upon ourselves without judgement or criticism.

“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the Self” – The Bhagavad Gita’

Article author: Emma Newlyn

Article source: https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/philosophy/the-niyamas-svadhyaya-or-self-study

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Self-limiting beliefs

The way we think & our attitudes and beliefs can have a dramatic effect on how we approach life and opportunities that come our way. Thoughts are strongly influenced by the experiences we have had throughout our lives and can therefore be challenging to alter. However, it can be done and if we are able to change our thinking for the better, the opportunities can be endless! The article below discusses what self limiting beliefs are and how we can work towards changing them. Take a read!

Many of us are constantly striving to grow professionally and personally in our lives. Every new year we set aside some time to establish brand new objectives and things we want to achieve. We start the year off with admirable willpower but it’s not uncommon to arrive at a point when our motivation drops off and our plans lose their lustre.

How many goals have been set but never reached the finish line? Of course, some big and small life changes could have affected your goals from coming to fruition but your beliefs and attitude play an important part in what does and doesn’t happen.

Tony Robbins once said:

“The only thing that’s keeping you from getting what you want is the story you keep telling yourself.”

What you tell yourself is what you believe. This can play a big role in how you see the world and how you feel. Open your mind and you will discover a belief that's preventing you from being successful. This is also known as limiting beliefs. What type of excuses do you tell yourself that is limiting you from being who you want to be or where you want to be?

What Are Limiting Beliefs?

Limiting beliefs are thoughts, opinions that one believes to be the absolute truth. They tend to have a negative impact on one's life by stopping them from moving forward and growing on a personal and professional level.

In most cases, limiting beliefs are unconscious thoughts that act as a defence mechanism to avoid possible negative or lower vibrating emotions (e.g. frustration, anxiety, anger, sadness).

These beliefs are often triggered according to specific episodes that may have made you suffer in the past. So your subconscious tries to block it by altering your behaviour which can result in negative outcomes like procrastination, conformism, overthinking, anxiety, impostor syndrome, and other reactions.

The Origin Of Self-Limiting Beliefs

Most limiting beliefs are largely developed during childhood. The author of the bestselling book The Biology of Belief, Dr. Bruce Lipton, talks about how from birth to around age seven, you operate primarily in brain wavelengths that are very close to a hypnotic state. When you are a kid, you are literally a sponge, soaking up every little thing around you in order to record "bad and good" behaviours/emotions.

This means that everyone develops beliefs from early childhood, some of which are supportive, and some of which are limiting. For instance, children who are treated as though they are loved and valued will develop the belief that they are loved and wanted. On the contrary, children who are abused or neglected will tend to develop the belief that they are unworthy and unwanted.

There are many ways to identify your limiting beliefs. A natural way of doing that is by listening to the little voices in your head. It's that voice that is constantly telling you that you cannot do, be, or have something.

Let me tell you a personal story that I went through this year. Every three months Atlassian holds an event called ShipIt — a 24 hour innovation time to work on something outside of your job description or take on something to improve your team's work.

This year I decided to participate by leading a project which I had no clue on where or who to ask to help me develop my idea. I am a very quiet remote worker who doesn't (virtually) socialise much so in order to be successful, I needed someone who had some specific programming knowledge that I didn't have. I would have to search for that person in the company. Before submitting my idea to the project board to recruit people to be part of, I instantly thought: "No one is going to care about this topic" and "This project will be a failure".

It took me a few weeks to overcome my thoughts and act upon them. Yes, procrastination is my weakness when I have to deal with something that's uncomfortable for me. Every time my team lead would ask me about this project, another thought would come to my mind: "Why (the heck) did I tell her that I was going to this? Now I have to do it." In the end, telling my co-worker helped empower me to follow through with the project.

Bottom line: I decided in my mind that since I thought this project would be a failure, I should at least try and learn from it. In the end, I not only managed to have the right five people on the project, but we also won the prize for that ShipIt. I was indeed shocked by the end result.

Let's discover how self-limiting beliefs can have a larger impact on a team.

How Do Limiting Beliefs Impact A Team's Success?

Psychologist, Robert M., describes in his research the importance and impact of beliefs in our lives. He says:

“Beliefs are like filters on a camera. What the camera ‘sees’ is a function of the filters through which it is viewing its subject. In other words, how we ‘see’ the world is a function of our beliefs and profoundly influences personality.

As a result of our beliefs, we define ourselves as worthy or worthless, powerful or powerless, competent or incompetent, trusting or suspicious, belonging or outcast, self-reliant or dependent, flexible or judgmental, fairly treated or victimized, loved or hated. Your beliefs have far-reaching consequences, both positive and negative, in your life. Beliefs affect your moods, relationships, job performance, self-esteem, physical health, even your religious or spiritual outlook.”

If teams are made by a group of people then, each of them has their own personal stories, beliefs, and values. When the team bands together, it could make or break the culture, project, or task that they are collaborating on to build and execute.

The fact is that someone's limiting beliefs can have an impact on the team because they can create a real stumbling block not for oneself but also for others. For instance, say Joana is getting closer to her project's deadline but there's no sign of that being accomplished in time. A teammate offers help, but she says "Don't worry, I got this!". There are many beliefs that could be stopping Joanna to accept help, for example, the belief of "being untrustworthy", "not smart enough", "not reliable when she said she could do it."

When you start developing your self-awareness to identify your limiting beliefs, you can take the same situation and create an opportunity for improvement. Doing so will empower you to problem solve, rather than limit yourself to grow. If everyone on the team is open to doing the same, then your team will evolve into a high-functioning team.

Leaders can also inspire their team by encouraging them to get their work done and brag about it to the whole company. The more a leader encourages their team with a positive leadership style to stretch and break through those limiting beliefs, the more effective and productive a team will become.

Beware The Pitfalls Of These Limiting Beliefs

There are two key self-limiting beliefs that can hurt your team. Let’s start breaking them down to help create a better and more productive workplace for your entire team.

"I need my colleagues to like me in order to feel loved or valued."

This limiting belief also relates to something like, "If I don't get the approval of [name/entity] , I feel [emotion] ."

When you are constantly seeking approval from others to like you, you tend to accept things even though you don't like them. It's like your mind is already programmed to say "yes" before you think that's something you like. This can lead to a great deal of stress in the relationship of your team. You are likely to blame them for anything that goes wrong as a result of you agreeing to do what they asked for. This can also have a bandwagon effect. The fear of being an odd-one-out and coupled with the belief that agreeing to someone's perspective will make a person like you can prevent you from speaking up and expressing an alternative view. Making your team blind in a situation you could have contributed to a better solution. On the flip side, it can also lead to burnout for those who don't speak up.

Try this: First, understand why you are saying yes to everything. Then, begin pinpointing the little things you can say no to before being able to say “no” to a bigger project or task. That way you can learn more about how you feel along the way without freaking out in the long run.

"It's not perfect, I need more time before I share"

Another limiting belief in the workplace is when you take too much time to deliver your work because it doesn’t feel perfect yet. This can slow down your team's productivity and potentially backfire with negative effects like depression and anxiety. If you are being critical of your own imperfections, you are probably doing the same to members of your team.

Marie Forleo wrote a whole chapter about perfectionism in her book Everything Is Figureoutable. She explains:

"Life doesn’t demand perfection. It doesn’t require you to be constantly fearless, confident, or self-assured. Life simply requires that you keep showing up."

Try this: Cultivate an awareness of your tendencies toward perfectionism. Instead of holding the work until you perfect it, ask your team members for feedback by using the 30/60/90 framework. That way you can move faster by acknowledging the pain points of your work and leaving behind the gritty details.

Identify, Reframe, And Move Forward

We all have limiting beliefs that stop us from achieving our dreams or even our everyday goals. In order to identify and change those beliefs, you need to work on your self-awareness muscle. The secret is to be accountable and take responsibility for the beliefs you created for yourself. Ultimately, you want to get into the practice of recognising a limiting belief and reframing it to help you take a step forward.

And if you're still encountering limiting beliefs, remember the advice of Mahatma Gandhi:

"You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

Change starts within you. Once you start, embrace your teammates to do the same, then you will see a shift in your team's behaviour and performance which will contribute to success and eventually make a difference in the world.’

Article source: A blog for teams by Trello
Author: Amanda Alvernaz

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Lifestyle tips to create a healthy gut

Our gut can influence our general health, mental health, skin, and so much more. Fortunately, if we give our gut some love, we can really reap the benefits quite quickly. The article below covers some strategies we can take to work on improving our gut ecosystem! Take a read and see how you go implementing some of the changes!

Love your gut, your second brain: advice from Registered Dietitian Jo Travers

Our gut health has the power to impact not only our physical wellbeing, but also our mental health and mood. This is due to a direct link between the gut and the brain, called the gut-brain axis.

The gut and the brain ‘talk’ to each other on a regular basis, using special chemical messengers produced by the billions of different bacteria that live in our gut. For example, among these we can find dopamine and serotonin – also known as happiness or ‘feel-good’ hormones. Although gut-brain axis communication is two-way, over 80% of the messages are actually sent from the gut to the brain rather than the other way round. So, it really does pay to give your gut some love!

As Jo Travers explains: “The gut is connected to many of the body’s organs, whether it’s through digestive enzymes or the link to the immune system, and its connection with the brain is one we can absolutely use to our advantage.

“Although scientists are still working to fully understand this two way street, it appears that the gut is attuned to the signalling and functionality of the brain and vice versa, so if conditions are less favourable in either place, then this can affect the other.”

To help us give our gut (and brain!) the love and attention it deserves, Jo has shared her top tips on how we can begin:

Get enough sleep

Sufficient sleep is something everyone needs. Found yourself resisting sleep to watch another episode of that favourite box set? This unfortunately means you may be depriving yourself of sleep which in turn, won’t help communication between the gut and the brain.

The bacteria in the gut directly communicate with the central nervous system and disrupted sleep can affect the levels of bacteria in the gut.

Manage your stress levels

Because of the unique link between the gut and the brain, mental stress can affect what happens in the gut. We’ve all had “butterflies” when we are nervous and many people who suffer with IBS notice their symptoms getting worse if they are stressed.

This mental stress can actually alter hormones that work on the gut. By practicing meditation, or any relaxing activity, you can reduce stress and help your gut get back to normal functioning again.

Nourish the gut (bacteria)

There is some evidence that what you eat can affect how you feel mentally, via the gut-brain axis. Fibre from plants feeds the bacteria in the gut that, in turn, produce chemicals to communicate with the brain.

The greater variety of plant foods you eat, the broader the range of useful bacteria your gut can support.

Include Fermented foods

Fermented foods like kombucha, kefir or other fermented milk products actually contain bacteria that can alter brain activity via signalling pathways in the gut-brain axis. The consumption of fermented food was shown to reduce social anxiety in young women.

Increase polyphenols

Polyphenols are plant compounds that are thought to be involved in the gut-brain axis. Polyphenols help gut health by encouraging the growth of useful bacteria like Bifidobacterium strains and inhibiting the growth of “bad” bacteria such as C. difficile. Eating foods that are high in polyphenols has also been shown to affect cognition.’

Article source: https://loveyourgut.com/all-entries/love-your-gut-week-2021-registered-dietitian-jo-travers-shares-her-tips-on-the-gut-brain-axis-and-how-to-nurture-it-for-good-gut-health-happy-love-your-gut-week-2021/

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Building & maintaining healthy habits

Building habits and equally breaking habits can be a challenging process with many ups, down & possibly multiple attempts. Generally, approaching habits with a plan and some forethought can set you up for success. James Clear, author of New York Times bestselling book ‘Atomic Habits’, outlines below how you can track your habits and why this approach is beneficial.

If you want to stick with a habit for good, one simple and effective thing you can do is keep a habit tracker.

Here's why:

Elite performers will often measure, quantify, and track their progress in various ways. Each little measurement provides feedback. It offers a signal of whether they are making progress or need to change course.

Gabrielle Hamilton, a chef in New York City, provides a good example. During an interview with the New York Times, she said, “The one thing I see that consistently separates the chef from the home cook is that we taste everything, all the time, before we commit it to the dish, right down to the grains of salt. We slurp shot glasses of olive oil and aerate them in our mouths as if it were a wine we were trying to know. We taste the lamb, the fish, the butter, the milk before we use it… we chew salt to see how we like it in our teeth, on our tongues, and to know its flavour, its salinity.”

For the chef, tasting the ingredients tells them whether they are making progress toward their desired end goal. It provides the immediate feedback they need to get the recipe just right.

Like a chef improving a recipe through trial and error, we often improve our habits through trial and error. If one approach doesn't deliver the desired effect, then we adjust—like a chef tweaking the amount of an ingredient.

However, there is an important difference between getting feedback while cooking a meal and getting feedback while building a habit. When it comes to building a habit, feedback is often delayed. It's easy to taste an ingredient or to watch bread rise in the oven. But it can be difficult to visualize the progress you are making with your habits. Perhaps you've been running for a month, but you still don't see a change in your body. Or maybe you managed to meditate for 16 straight days, but you still feel stressed and anxious at work.

Habit formation is a long race. It often takes time for the desired results to appear. And while you are waiting for the long-term rewards of your efforts to accumulate, you need a reason to stick with it in the short-term. You need some immediate feedback that shows you are on the right path.

And this is where a habit tracker can help.

The Habit Tracker: What It Is and How It Works

A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit.

The most basic format is to get a calendar and cross off each day you stick with your routine. For example, if you meditate on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, each of those dates gets an X. As time rolls by, the calendar becomes a record of your habit streak.

To make this process as easy as possible, I created the Habit Journal, which includes 12 habit tracker templates—one for each month. All you have to do is add your habit and start crossing off the days.

Placing an X on each day is the classic look. I prefer something a little more design-oriented, so I shade in the cells on my habit tracker. You could also use checkmarks or fill your habit tracker with dots.

No matter what design you choose, the key point is your habit tracker provides immediate evidence that you completed your habit. It's a signal that you are making progress. Of course, that's not all it does…

Habit tracking is powerful for three reasons.

1. It creates a visual cue that can remind you to act.

2. It is motivating to see the progress you are making. You don't want to break your streak.

3. It feels satisfying to record your success in the moment.

Let's break down each one.

Benefit #1: A habit tracker reminds you to act.

Habit tracking naturally builds a series of visual cues. When you look at the calendar and see your streak, you’ll be reminded to act again.

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. 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. A habit tracker is a simple way to log your behaviour, and the mere act of tracking a behaviour can spark the urge to change it.

Habit tracking also keeps you honest. Most of us think we act better than we do. Measurement offers one way to overcome our blindness to our own behaviour and notice what’s really going on each day. When the evidence is right in front of you, you’re less likely to lie to yourself.

Benefit #2: A habit tracker motivates you to continue.

The most effective form of motivation is progress. When we get a signal that we are moving forward, we become more motivated to continue down that path. In this way, habit tracking can have an addictive effect on motivation. Each small win feeds your desire.

This can be particularly powerful on a bad day. When you’re feeling down, it’s easy to forget about all the progress you have already made. Habit tracking provides visual proof of your hard work—a subtle reminder of how far you've come. Plus, the empty square you see each morning can motivate you to get started because you don't want to lose your progress by breaking your streak.

Benefit #3: A habit tracker provides immediate satisfaction.

Finally, tracking feels rewarding. It is satisfying to cross an item off your to-do list, to complete an entry in your workout log, or to mark an X on the calendar. It feels good to watch your results grow and if it feels good, then you’re more likely to endure.

Habit tracking also helps keep your eye on the ball: you’re focused on the process rather than the result. You’re not fixated on getting six-pack abs, you’re just trying to keep the streak alive and become the type of person who doesn’t miss workouts.

Habit Tracker Ideas

Alright, those benefits sound great, but it's not necessary to fill your habit tracker with every habit that makes up your day. In fact, if you're already sticking to a habit, then it seems like extra work to me to track it as well. So what should you measure in your habit tracker?

Habit tracking can help kickstart a new habit or keep you on track with behaviours that you tend to forget or let slide when things get busy.

In Atomic Habits, I recommend using the Two-Minute Rule, which suggests you scale your habits down until they take two minutes or less to perform. You can track whatever habits you want in your habit tracker, but I recommend starting with these super small habits to make sure that you are at least showing up in a small way each day. I'll share some examples below and break them out by daily, weekly, and monthly habits.

Common daily habits to track:

• journal 1 sentence

• read 1 page

• meditate 1 minute

• do 1 push up

• stretch for 1 minute

• write 1 thing I'm grateful for

• make your bed

• wake up by [TIME]

• go to bed by [TIME]

• take a shower

• floss teeth

• weigh myself

• take medication

• take vitamins/supplements

• play [INSTRUMENT] for 1 minute

• contact 1 potential client

• prioritize to-do list

• say “I love you” at least once

• put all dishes put away

• take a walk outside

• call mom

• walk the dog

Notice that most items on this list can be completed in two minutes or less. Make your habits so easy that you can stick to them even on the hard days.

For something to become truly habitual, you need to repeat it frequently. As a result, most habits are daily. But it can also be helpful to use a habit tracker for various weekly or monthly routines. These behaviours won't become “automatic” like tying your shoes or brushing your teeth, but a habit tracker can remind you to complete them nonetheless.

Common weekly habits to track:

• publish blog post

• vacuum

• take out trash/recycling

• do the laundry

• water the plants

• tidy up your bedroom

• write a thank you note

Monthly habits:

• review finances

• transfer money to savings account

• pay off credit cards

• pay bills

• deep clean the house

You can also use a habit tracker to simply count how often you do something. For example, if you want to keep track of how many days you travel for work each month.

Other ideas:

• days spent traveling

• conduct weekly review

• conduct monthly review

Finally, you can use a habit tracker to measure what you don't do. I call these “habits of avoidance” (that is, behaviours you are trying to avoid).

Habits of avoidance:

• no alcohol

• no Netflix

• no online purchases

• no soda

• no sugar

• no caffeine

• no smoking

Again, the Habit Journal offers a proven template and the fastest way to create your habit tracker. No need to spend an hour drawing your own grid. Just write your habits down and you're ready to go.

How to Get in the Habit of Using Your Habit Tracker

Despite all of the benefits, a habit tracker is not something that makes sense in every situation or for every person. Many people resist the idea of tracking and measuring. It can feel like a burden because it forces you into two habits: the habit you’re trying to build and the habit of tracking it. That said, nearly anyone can benefit from habit tracking in one form or another—even if it’s only temporary.

What can we do to make habit tracking easier?

First, manual tracking should be limited to your most important habits. It is better to consistently track one habit than to sporadically track ten. I tend to keep my habit tracker simple and limit it to my three or four most important habits.

Second, record each measurement immediately after the habit occurs. The completion of the habit is the cue to write it down. (This is a twist on the “habit stacking” approach I discuss in Chapter 5 of Atomic Habits.)

Here's the basic formula: After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [TRACK MY HABIT].

For example:

• After I hang up the phone from a sales call, I will mark the “call 1 potential client” column.

• After I finish meditating, I will fill the “meditate for 1 minute” column.

• After I put my plate in the dishwasher, I will complete the “put all dishes away” column.

Basically, what we are talking about here is getting in the habit of using your habit tracker. These little rules help you remember to pick up your habit tracker and mark off another accomplishment.

How to Recover Quickly When Your Habits Break Down

Finally, I want to discuss what to do when you fall off the wagon.

Every habit streak ends at some point. Perfection is not possible. Before long, an emergency will pop up—you get sick or you have to travel for work or your family needs a little more of your time. Whenever this happens to me, I try to remind myself of a simple rule:

Never miss twice.

If I miss one day, I try to get back into it as quickly as possible. Missing one workout happens, but I’m not going to miss two in a row. Maybe I’ll eat an entire pizza, but I’ll follow it up with a healthy meal. As soon as one streak ends, I get started on the next one. I can’t be perfect, but I can avoid the second mistake.

Generally speaking, the first mistake is never the one that ruins you. It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows. As I write in Atomic Habits, “Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.”

Too often, we fall into an all-or-nothing cycle with our habits. The problem is not slipping up; the problem is thinking that if you can't do something perfectly, then you shouldn't do it at all.

Sure, a perfectly filled-in habit tracker looks beautiful and you should strive to achieve it whenever possible. But life is messy. In the long run, what matters is that you find a way to get back on track.

How Long Do I Need to Track My Habits?

One of the most common questions I get is “How long does it take to build a habit?”

You'll see all kinds of answers: 21 days, 30 days, 100 days. One popular answer right now is 66 days because there was one study that found that, on average, it took 66 days to build a habit. However, even within that study the range was quite wide depending on the difficulty of the habit.

I find that people are really trying to get at something else when they ask, “How long does it take to build a habit?” What they often mean is, “How long until it's easy? How long until I don't have to put much effort in anymore?”

Look, all habits get easier with practice. But this line of questioning ignores the real purpose of building better habits in the first place.

How long does it take? The honest answer is: forever. Because once you stop doing it, it is no longer a habit.

A habit is a lifestyle to be lived, not a finish line to be crossed. You are looking to make small, sustainable changes you can stick with for years. And a habit tracker is one tool in your toolbox on the road to behaviour change. It is an effective way to prove to visualize your progress and motivate you to show up again tomorrow.

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