Log#6

Better Than Before / Gretchen Rubin

Page: p111~210

[ Summary ]

     During this week reading, I read about two strategies (Scheduling & Accountability ) that help us change our habits, the section “The best time to begin”, which consider the particular importance of the time of beginning when forming a habit, and, at last, the strategy of Abstaining, which means resisting certain temptations by never giving in to them.

     Every time I read Better than Before, I discover quite a few thought-provoking insight, which help me find out the crux in my failed experiences of forming habits, and I also can found some methods that might be worth trying.

[ Advice I’d like to try ] “Don’t get it perfect, get it going"

     After I finished the chapter of first step, I realized one of the reason that often cause me to fail at my habits: ”While we often overestimate what we can accomplish in the short term, we often underestimate what we can accomplish over the long term if we work consistently.” I always tend to set a goal that seems ideal for me but actually too high to keep the process going. On the contrary, I seldom think of a habit that is small but manageable. For example, I always want to cultivate a habit of studying bible everyday, and I hope that I can read at least five chapters per day. However, many times, I found it hard for me to finish five chapters a day, so I failed several times; and then, I forgot my original resolution. In fact, I could just lower my goal, reading three or just one chapter a day. Yet I was reluctant to do it because I didn’t feel like I was improving when I read only three or one chapter a day. At present, I know that I could just throw away that kind of feeling because —“A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labour of a spasmodic Hercules.” 

[ My Habit Journey ]

     Last week, after reading the chapter ‘ Monitoring’ , I decided to track how I use my time every day; As the quote goes, ” We manage what we monitor.” Through this new habit of monitoring, I discovered that in some specific time, I was liable to waste my time.(ex: Time between going back home and starting to work/going to bed.) Yet after I recognized what I need to change to save my time, in the first few days, I still wasted time unconsciously. However, monitoring the record every night made me keep reminding myself that “ I should be more cautious tomorrow.” Gradually, when I was in those specific time, the thought that “ I should accomplish things more quickly ” poped up in my mind faster and faster, in other words, my awareness becomes sharper and stronger than before. Now, even I haven’t met those specific time, there’s always a strong thought stick to my mind, telling me:” Those specific time is the crucial key to whether I can gain more time a day.” It seems to me that the changing on myself just proves what the author said in the book:” Self-measurement brings self awareness, and self-awareness strengthens our self-control.”