Are you the kind of person who writes lists? For some making, a list can very helpful. A list may offer a sense of control and when you cross off an item a sense of accomplishment. I read about a strategy that involves lists in James Clear’s Atomic Habits (such a great read if you haven’t read it) this is how it works:

Make a list of all the habits you are aware of like so:

• wake up
• weigh in & record weight
• drink coffee
• fill water jug
• play wordle
• scrolling social media

Now it’s time to rate these habits, (=) neutral / (+) helpful / (-) unhelpful. A useful question to help to rate these habits is, “Does this habit cast a ‘no’ vote or a ‘yes’ vote towards my desired identity?

• wake up =
• weigh in & record weight +
• drink coffee =
• fill water jug +
• play Wordle =
• scrolling social media –

This is how I rated my behaviors. The helpful habits are worth pointing out – there is a lot of power in naming what is going well on a day-to-day basis. Here are some other things that went well for me today – I worked out, then I tracked all my food, and I also weighed, and measured all my food. Plus I hit my water goal early! I am really trying to keep my efforts focused on the present. What’s going well for you today?