Bring your daily habits to light
Create a habits scorecard to identify hidden patterns in your daily life.
Are you aware of your unconscious daily habits?
Do you know which of your habits are good or bad for you in the long run?
Are you ready to look honestly at your habits without judging yourself?
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Habits are useful because you can notice a cue, react automatically, and use your mental energy to think about other things. A cue is something that starts a habit. For example, before you go to bed (cue), you automatically floss and brush your teeth (response). After you get into a car (cue), you automatically fasten your seatbelt (response). The ability to do habits without thinking can also be a problem because it can keep you stuck in unhelpful patterns. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight, but there’s a jar of delicious cookies within reach (cue), you might automatically eat a few (response). Similarly, if you feel anxious in a social setting where alcohol is easy to get (cue), you might automatically drink several glasses (response).
You need to be aware of your unconscious and automatic habits before you can change them. To help with this, you will write down a list of your daily habits and assess whether they are good, neutral, or bad for you in the long run. The goal of this step is just to raise your awareness, not to change anything yet.
1️⃣ Make a list of your daily habits
Make a list of your daily habits. You can divide the list into sections like morning, afternoon, and evening. In each habit description, use a verb that shows what you do (the response) and include what starts the habit (the cue). For example:
👉 Before I go to bed (cue), I brush my teeth (response).
👉 After I finish work (cue), I take a walk (response).
👉 When I sit down to watch TV (cue), I grab a snack (response).
The goal is to make a habits scorecard that covers all your daily habits. Remember to pay attention to both conscious and unconscious habits, as it's easy to overlook the unconscious ones.
When you have a specific personal goal in mind, like losing weight or quitting smoking, it’s especially helpful to focus on habits that are linked to that goal. For example, if you want to lose weight, you could take a closer look at habits related to eating, exercise, or sleep, as these all affect your progress. If your goal is to stop smoking, noticing the times, places, or emotions that trigger your smoking habit can provide insight into when you might need extra support or alternative actions.
You can follow these steps to create your list.
👉 Reflect: Think back over a few days to identify and write down your daily habits.
👉 Record: Write down your habits for a few days right after you do them.
👉 Inquire: Ask friends, family, or close colleagues what they notice about your habits. You might find out about habits you didn’t know you had.
Be curious about your habits, like a journalist or scientist. Approach your habits with an open mind. Look at them as if you were watching someone else. Don’t judge or criticize yourself; just pay attention to what you’re really doing on a daily basis. Here are some more examples of daily habits:
👉 After I wake up, I get out of bed.
👉 After I get out of bed, I take a shower.
👉 When I feel stressed, I bite my nails.
👉 When I’m on my way to the office, I buy a donut.
👉 When it’s 8 a.m., I go to the gym.
👉 When I work out at the gym, I listen to a podcast.
👉 When I’m bored, I mindlessly scroll through social media.
👉 Before I go to work, I check my email.
👉 Around four in the afternoon, I have a snack.
👉 With dinner, I take my multivitamins.
👉 When others are speaking, I interrupt them.
2️⃣ Assess your daily habits
For each habit on your list, think about whether it is good, neutral, or bad for you in the long run.
After you finish your habit list, rate each habit as good (+), neutral (=), or bad (-). Some habits are clearly good (like regular exercise) or bad (like smoking) over time. For other habits, whether they are good or bad may depend on your situation and what you want to achieve.
👉 Good habits are those that help you in the long run, support the kind of person you want to be, help you reach your goals, and fit with your personal values and life purpose. Examples include habits like exercising regularly, eating healthy, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, practicing mindfulness, and managing your money well.
👉 Bad habits are those that hurt you in the long run, stop you from becoming the person you want to be, keep you from reaching your goals, or don’t match your personal values and life purpose. Examples include smoking, drinking too much alcohol, eating poorly, not being physically active, unsafe driving, and not getting enough sleep. Even bad habits have some benefit, which is why you keep doing them. Smoking, for instance, might help reduce stress in the moment but harms your health over time.
👉 Neutral habits are neither good nor bad. Examples include biting your nails, watching TV in moderation, using social media occasionally, having a snack now and then, or drinking a little caffeine.
Mark each habit on your list as good (+), bad (-), or neutral (=).
3️⃣ Save your habits scorecard
Keep your habits scorecard, as you’ll use it to build new habits and dismantle the ones you don’t want.
Additional tips
👉 Acknowledge negative thoughts and feelings
When you start bringing your habits to light, you might notice negative thoughts or feelings about having bad habits, like "I am so weak" or "There is something wrong with me." Remember, these are just thoughts, not facts. Defuse or question these unhelpful thoughts, allow yourself to feel difficult feelings without letting them hold you back, and hold your self-stories lightly.
👉 Practice Self-Compassion
When you notice habits you want to change, treat yourself with the same compassion you’d extend to a close friend. Everyone has habits they want to improve, and self-compassion can help you stay motivated and engaged in the process.
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Before you can change your habits, you need to be aware of them. Making a habits scorecard helps you see your daily habits and figure out if they are good, neutral, or bad for you in the long run.
References
Atomic Habits, by James Clear
