Thu, May 13, 2010 - 9:46:38

Self Tracking Tiny Behaviors Can Produce Big Results

What if we told you that just by keeping track of your habits, you could actually give yourself the power to break them?  It sounds like an odd proposition, but scientists are proving that such a simple solution is possible.  As Sunday’s New York Times Magazine reports, researchers have found that quantifying data in “real life” can have as great an impact as it can in a lab setting—only in a strikingly different way.  And it has a lot to do with the power of small.

From mindless overeating, to smoking, to having one too many cups of coffee, many bad habits are the result of a slow build, and psychologists have discovered over and over again that people have shockingly low awareness when it comes to their behaviors within a given amount of time.  Not convinced?  Well, just ask yourself how many potato chips you snuck from the bag this afternoon when no one was watching.  Can’t remember?  Well, you’re not alone.  According to clinical research, there’s a very simple reason you can’t recall: when you’re not motivated to notice something, you just don’t.

That’s why, if you want to make a real change in your life, one of the easiest ways to start is by quantifying it.  Whether you keep a food journal chronicling just one small change each week—like switching from 2 percent milk to skim one week, and ice cream to low fat fro-yo another—or keep track of the number of drinks you consume at a party with a smart phone app like this one, sweating the small stuff can make a dramatic difference in your life.

You might think that taking the time to record such trivial information would take a sizable chunk out of your day, but as Gary Wolf explains, our “net-centric” culture has already made data recording (and sharing) a part of many of our day to day lives.  Facebook statuses, Twitter updates, and Foursquare check-ins, to name a few, have already made recording your activities the new social norm.  So, with so many people already in the habit, tracking and recording a bad behavior isn’t such a stretch.

It’s just one more way that taking notice of the little things and “sweating the small stuff” can help you transform your life for the better.  Whether for your personal health, your professional growth, or even in your financial planning, looking at your problems bit by bit and making one tiny effort at a time to change them can help you achieve lasting success.

Posted by Linda and Robin