Better Than Before : Gretchen Rubin

My three lessons:

1. Safeguards

"What I do most days matters more than what I do once in a while." That kind of self-encouragement is a greater safeguard than self-blame.

Try thinking of each day as a set of four quarters: morning, midday, afternoon, evening. If you blow one quarter, you get back on track for the next quarter. Fail small, not big.

2. Convenience
We should pay close attention to the convenience of any activity we want to make into a habit.
Identifying exactly why something feels inconvenient helps to reveal possible solutions. Identify the problem.
Make it easy to do right, hard to go wrong.

3. First Steps

If I dread starting a task, just making a plan for beginning -- jotting down a to-do list, finding the right link, locating the instructions -- helps me start. This first step almost feels like cheating, because I'm not actually doing the task I'm avoiding. But taking this first step makes taking the second and third steps much easier, because I've already started.
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Clarity

When we push ourselves to get clarity, when we identify the problem, sometimes we spot new solutions.

It's easier to stick to a habit when we see, with clarity, the connection between the habit and the value it serves.

Treats

Because forming good habits can be draining, treats can play an important role.

If I give more to myself, I can ask more from myself. Self-regard isn't selfish.

Foundation

Self-command breeds self-command, and change fosters change. The reverse is true too: undesirable habits often cluster together and reinforce each other.

Monitoring

Self-measurement bring self-awareness, and self-awareness strengthens our self-control.

(Updated: Oct '19)