How to Turn Hopes into Habits

by Tony Mayo | For Business Owners, For Executive Coaches, How to Set Goals, Technology Tips

Here is a simple yet powerful tool to establish habits, learn a skill, or complete a project.  I used it to reinforce my daily meditation practice and to write two books.

The method is as old as procrastination but has been attributed recently to billionaire comedian Jerry Seinfeld, as in this frequently cited LifeHacker article, where it is called Don’t Break the Chain. I prefer positive instructions, so let’s name it Link-a-Day.

Buy or make a simple, clean one-year calendar. Do not just print your Outlook or Google calendar; those have too many distracting details for this purpose. You can start your own on any date and fit 365 days on one sheet by downloading my template here in Excel format or use the Google Sheets version here.

Print your calendar and place it in the physical world rather than hide it in a computer or app where it can be too easily ignored. Hang it where you will see it every day. I put mine on the wall right next to my computer monitor.

After you complete the promised activity for the day, mark it complete. When you miss a day or two, start again. No regrets, no excuses. Just start again. You can play games with Link-a-Day by playing for a longer unbroken chain or a shorter gap than last time.

That’s it. As Aristotle observed, a person is what she consistently does. Use this to start doing something you will be proud to be.