Because I’m an Adult
I read an interesting lifehack about creating a system of habit points. It appealed to me because it was simple: Do X and receive Y points, then spend Y points on Z. The biggest habits I’m trying to reinforce right now are getting more sleep (5 points for getting to bed before 11 pm?), staying focused at work (2 points for every Pomodoro cycle?), and recording my meals and exercise on My Fitness Pal (3 points…?)
First and foremost, it was hard to assign a points value to the task. Getting to sleep early isn’t always in my control, and even when it is, it’s hard to manage the evening and make it happen. It sounds like it should have a high points value to encourage me to put out the effort, even though it’s a pretty simple task. On the other hand, staying focused is a really hard task, but I do so many Pomodoro cycles in a day that it seems ridiculous to rack up the points just because I work a lot. Finally, recording my food is somewhere in the middle: a pain-in-the-ass to remember to do, and the point is not just to record but to eat well, too.
I decided to turn to my vices and found that I don’t have many that do not contradict with my attempted good habits. Like if I’m trying to gain points for staying within a certain nutritional value range, it seems counterproductive to allow myself to blow hundreds of calories on Cadbury bars. Everything else isn’t really a vice — Reading a book? Watching a television show? Perusing blog posts? And rewarding myself with food sounds like a supremely bad idea.
I am boring.
That’s what I learned from this: I’m boring, and I need vices.
And then there is the other side of it: If I want to do something, I do it because I am an adult. This is what I waited for as a kid. Sometimes when I eat ice cream for lunch, I think, “I am doing this because I am an adult.” I like being an adult. I do not want to go back to kidville where you have to earn points or good will in order to have ice cream for lunch.
So I’m not trying habit points because I don’t have anything to spend them on. Though I like the idea a lot.
What are the point values of your good habits? And do you have anything to spend your points on?
3 comments
I’m reading ‘Better than Before’ by Gretchen Rubin all about how establishing good habits is the answer to behaviour change (because if it’s a healthy habit and you do it automatically you don’t have to make the choice – you just do it). I realise there are many things I could do differently which would earn me ‘points’ like better sleep and exercise.
Some habits I have are good ones – not smoking, not drinking much alcohol, maintaining my weight. But if they are embedded habits I don’t feel I can take credit for them! And if they aren’t habits (yet) they are tougher to change.
Perhaps a points system is exactly what I need to get me started with a great new habit!
I would struggle to spend my points. Because if I want something, I tend to just get it for myself. As adults there is a LOT we have to do, or do without, which we’d rather not. So when I can treat myself… I usually do. It’s why I’m hard to buy gifts for : )
(Totally agree that food treats are a slippery slope! I’ve recently swapped chocolate for lots of fancy teas instead.)
I have lots of habits I’d like to change or improve. Sleep is one. But as you say, I’m an adult. So the idea of points and rewarding myself just doesn’t really work.
I love that–“because I’m an adult.” We will have ice cream for lunch, too! I use the habit tracker in my bullet journal (even I’m up to date, which is apparently never in the summer), not to give myself points but to feel somehow rewarded my colorful squares. Or shamed by the lack of colorful squares. Things I’ve tracked are sleep, meatless days, alcohol free days, writing time, exercise, family phone calls… I’m also boring, I think. Ha.