- 此系列內容來自詹姆斯．克利爾的免費郵件課程，使用其著作《Atomic Habits 原子習慣》的理論基礎，旨在30天內提供以下的資訊：
Ｖ 消除習慣養成中可能產生的任何疑問
Ｖ 獲得採取行動所需的工具與策略
Ｖ 學習任何習慣養成都能適用的架構 - 這章恰巧與我近日的感觸不謀而合：當你聚焦於「我已經做了什麼」時，能夠消融「我因為做了這個獲得了什麼」的失落感。
Churchill那句「善待他人，但不要求他人也這般對待我們」我一直放在心頭，因為我始終相信，無論行為得來的結果為何、在我選擇「做這件事的當下」，做出這個選擇的權利＆權力已是我能從這件事得到的最多，如果我能從這選擇得到更多，如他人的感謝、富饒的經歷、意料之外的收穫⋯⋯那都是生命的饋贈。
此外，我也很喜歡文中提到一個常見的迷思，值得分享給大家：我們常落入「絕對或者零」的循環，問題不在於一次失利，而是你覺得當你不能做得盡善盡美，那你就不該做這件事。
Visualize Your Progress and Stay the Course with a Habit Tracker
目視化你的進步，跟緊習慣追蹤器的課題
Lesson 9 of 11
第九堂課
Visualize Your Progress and Stay the Course with a Habit Tracker
目視化你的進步，跟緊習慣追蹤器的課題
The most effective form of motivation is progress. When we get a signal that we are moving forward, we become motivated to continue down that path.
When it comes to building better habits, a crucial step is to visualize the progress you’re making, and to be able to see yourself move forward. Perhaps the most straightforward way to visualize your progress is with a “habit tracker.”
組成驅動力最有效率的元素就是進步。當我們接收到「我們正在前進」的信號，我們就更有動力繼續走下去。
因此，提到培養好習慣，關鍵的一步正是目視化你在做的事，讓你有辦法看到你自己在前進。或許目視化你的進步最直截了當的方式，就是使用「習慣追蹤器」。
A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether you did a habit. The most basic format is to get a calendar and cross off each day you stick with your routine. For example, if you meditate on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, each of those dates gets an X. As time rolls by, the calendar becomes a record of your habit streak.
As a complement to Atomic Habits, I designed a Habit Journal exactly for this purpose. In addition to the notebook and journaling pages, each journal comes with 12 habit tracking templates, one for each month of the year. Here’s what it looks like when it’s filled out.
習慣追蹤器是一個量測你是否從事該習慣的簡單方式，而最基礎的表格就是用月曆，在每個你堅持從事習慣的日子話個大叉叉。舉例來說，如果你每個週一、週三及週五都有冥想，那這些天數就能畫上叉叉，而當日子一天天過去，這月曆就成為了你習慣追蹤的紀錄表。
作為《原子習慣》的補充，我為此特別設計了一本「習慣日誌」。除了筆記本和日誌內頁，每本日誌附有12個習慣追蹤範本，對應到一年的每個月。我們這就來看看它填完後會長什麼樣子：
Of course, you don’t have to use the journal. You could use a calendar or create your own habit tracker on a sheet of paper.
Once you have created your habit tracker, the mantra to keep in mind is“never break the chain.” That is, once you start tracking your habits, you don’t want to break the chain of crossing off each day or filling in each cell.
當然，你不是非得要用這本日誌，你也可以用一本年曆或一疊紙，創造你自己的習慣追蹤器。
一旦你建立了你的習慣追蹤器，必須將一句咒語銘記於心：「絕對不要打破這個鎖鏈（規律）。」這指的是，一旦你開始追蹤你的習慣，你就不會想要打破每個畫叉的日子的規律。
“Don’t break the chain” is a powerful mantra. Don’t break the chain of stashing money away in your savings account every month and you’ll build wealth and gain peace of mind. Don’t break the chain of meditation and you’ll gain focus and more control over your internal state. Don’t break the chain of reading every day and you will finish 20+ books per year. Don’t break the chain of practicing guitar every day and you’ll gain mastery faster than you’d expect.
「別打破這個鎖鏈」是個充滿力量的魔咒。別打破每個月存入儲蓄帳戶的規律，你就能累積財富，並且增加心靈上的平靜；別打破冥想的規律，你就能增進專注力，並且對內在狀態保有更多掌控力；別打破每天閱讀的規律，你一年就能讀完二十多本書；別打破每天練吉他的規律，你就能比你期望的更快精於此道。
There are other forms of habit tracking outside of using a calendar. I’ve heard about quite a few of them from my readers. One woman tracked how many pages of her book manuscript she wrote each day by adding a hairpin to a container after finishing each page. Another man tracked each set of push-ups by adding marbles to a jar. Of course, there’s also the story from Atomic Habits about the successful stock broker using paper clips to track his sales calls.
No matter how you do it, these strategies provide proof of your progress. One glance at the X’s on the calendar or the marbles in the jar and you immediately know how much work you have (or haven’t) been putting in.
還有其他不使用行事曆的習慣追蹤形式，我曾從讀者聽來一些：一位女士每寫一頁書稿就往盒子裡丟一個大頭針，用以追蹤她每天寫的頁數；另一位男士則是每做一組伏地挺身，就會往瓶子裡投一顆彈珠。當然，還有《原子習慣》提過的故事，一位成功的股票經紀人用迴紋針的數量來追蹤他打了幾通銷售電話。
無論你具體是怎麼做的，這些策略都是你進步的證明。一瞟到行事曆上的大叉叉，或者瓶子裡的彈珠，你立刻就知道你已經（或者還沒）為此投入多少努力。
These visual signals of progress can be particularly powerful on a bad day. When you’re feeling down, it’s easy to forget about all the progress you have already made. At this stage of the course, you may feel like you’re putting in a lot of effort without seeing many results. Habit tracking provides visual proof of your hard work—a subtle reminder of how far you’ve come and how consistent you’ve been.
Let’s talk about how to integrate habit tracking with the other methods we’ve discussed in this course.
在糟糕的一天，進步的目視化結果可以帶來相當大的力量。當你失意頓足時，就很容易忘記你一路以來進步了多少，而在這階段，你可能感覺你已經付出許多，卻總不見成效，習慣追蹤正是為你的努力提供了目視化的證據——告訴你你已經做了多少、你是個如此屹立不搖的人的小小提醒。
談談如何將習慣追蹤，與我們在這系列課程提過的其他方法整合在一塊兒吧。
In my opinion, the best strategy is to make an implementation intention for tracking.
For example:
- I record my set in my workout journal after I finish each set at the gym.
- I write down what I ate for dinner after I put my plate in the dishwasher in the kitchen.
- I record how I slept in my sleep journal after I turn my alarm off in the morning in bed.
- I put an X on the calendar after I take my medicine and vitamins in the kitchen.
- I write down a moment I shared with my kids after I put them to bed at 8pm in their bedroom.
就我的看法，最好的策略是制定一個追蹤的執行意向。
舉例來說：
- 在健身房完成每一組動作後，我會在健身日誌中紀錄下來
- 在廚房把髒碗放進洗碗機後，我會把我晚餐吃了什麼寫下來
- 每天早上在床上關掉鬧鐘後，我會在睡眠日誌中紀錄我睡得如何
- 在廚房吞下藥丸和維他命後，我會在行事曆上畫個大叉叉
- 在每晚八點哄孩子入睡後，我會寫下我和他們分享的時刻
The completion of the behavior is the cue to write it down. Of course, even with a clear intention, there will be some times when you fall off course.
Whenever this happens to me, I try to remind myself of a simple rule: “never miss twice.”
If I miss one day, I try to get back into it as quickly as possible. Missing one workout happens, but I’m not going to miss two in a row. Maybe I’ll eat an entire pizza, but I’ll follow it up with a healthy meal. I can’t be perfect, but I can avoid a second lapse. As soon as one streak ends, I get started on the next one.
某個行為的完成正是將它記錄下來的提示。當然，就算是一個明確的動機，有時你還是會脫離正軌。
每當我脫離正軌時，我總是提醒我自己一條簡單的規則：「不要錯過第二次。」
如果我有一天錯過了，我就會盡快恢復常軌，例如我錯過了一次健身，我在那一輪就不會錯過第二次；或許我吃了整個披薩，但接下來我會繼續吃回健康餐。我不可能事事完美，但我可以避免第二次失足，一旦這個階段的規律結束，我就會開始新一輪的規律。
The breaking of a habit doesn’t matter if the reclaiming of it is fast. The first mistake is never the one that ruins you. It is the spiral of repeated mistakes that follows. Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.
Too often, we fall into an all-or-nothing cycle with our habits. The problem is not slipping up; the problem is thinking that if you can’t do something perfectly, then you shouldn’t do it at all. Never miss twice helps you overcome that pitfall.
如果你恢復得很快，打破習慣並不是大事。第一個錯誤永遠不是那個真正毀了你的，而是隨之而來、重複錯誤的惡性循環。錯過一次是意外，但錯過兩次就是一個新習慣（打破習慣）的起始點。
時有所聞，我們在習慣養成時掉進了「絕對或者零」的循環。問題不在於一次失利，而是你認為如果你不能將一件事做得盡善盡美，那你就不該做這件事。不要錯過兩次機會，會幫助你克服這個思維陷阱。
The key insight of this lesson is to visualize the progress you’re making each day. If you have to wait for the number on the scale to change, or for your bank account to increase, or for a sense of calm to wash over your life, then the feedback loop is often too long for you to maintain motivation.
If, however, you’re focused on tracking your actions – whether that be the number of workouts you perform each week, the number of sales call you make each day, or the amount of time you spend meditating each morning – then you’ll have immediate visual proof that you are showing up and living out the habits that are important to your life and goals.
這堂課的關鍵洞見在於如何將你每天的進步變得肉眼可見，如果你必須等待足以看出改變的規模與數值，或者銀行帳戶存款增加，或者感覺生命歷經一種洗滌過後的沈澱期，那麼回饋機制往往花上太長的時間，讓你能堅持下去。
然而，如果你更聚焦於追蹤你的行動——不管是你每週做了幾組健身動作、每天打了幾通銷售電話，或者每天早上花了多少時間冥想——那麼你立刻就會有個可視化的證明，說明你參與其中，並且為那些足以給你的人生與目標帶來重大影響的習慣付出許多。
Week 3 Summary
- Rather than having some linear relationship with achievement, habits tend to have more of a compound growth curve. The greatest returns are delayed. Temptation bundling and commitment devices are two helpful strategies that may enable you to get over the hump and build a habit that lasts.
- External rewards are one of the best strategies we have for maintaining motivation while we’re waiting for long-term outcomes to arrive.
- If you have to wait for long-term rewards, then the feedback loop is often too long for you to maintain motivation. If, however, you’re focused on tracking your actions, then you’ll have immediate visual proof that you are showing up and living out the habits that are important to your life and goals.
Week 3 Progress Check-In
- By now, at the end of week three, you will have a simple two-minute habit, a clear implementation intention that helps you identify when and where to perform the habit, an environment that is optimized for your particular habit, and a series of strategies that can provide additional incentive during periods when you lack motivation or feel like you’re sliding off course.
第三週總結
- 相較於線性關係，習慣與成就本身的關係更近似複合性的成長曲線。最好的回饋總是遲延出現，誘惑捆綁法及承諾機制是兩個能使你克服死亡之谷、讓習慣堅持下去的辦法。
- 外部獎勵也是當我們在等待長期回報時，能用以維持動力的好策略之一。
- 如果你必須等待長期回報，回饋機制又沒辦法支援你維持動力的話，你可以反過來專注於追蹤你的行為本身，藉由立即性的目視化結果，來證明你正參與其中、並且持續執行著那些影響你人生與目標甚鉅的習慣。
第三週進程回顧
- 現在，在第三週的尾端，你已經有了簡易版本的兩分鐘習慣、能幫助你分辨何時何地從事習慣的明確執行意向、能讓你特定習慣最優化的環境，以及一系列可以提供額外誘因的策略，讓你在等待回報時不會減退驅動力或感覺好像偏航。
That's all for Lesson 9. See you in the next lesson,
James Clear
Author of Atomic Habits and keynote speaker
這就是第九課的全部了，期待下一堂課再見。
詹姆斯．克利爾
《原子習慣》作者與keynote講者
Helpful bonuses and downloads
- Habit Tracker template – Use the template to track your habits and build a habit streak.
- Workbook – This 18-page PDF includes an action checklist (including templates for key strategies) for each lesson of the course, plus lesson summaries and a key terms dictionary.
- Examples Database – The examples database is a Google Sheet of 140+ examples of how to implement each strategy covered in this course for dozens of different habits.
References and further reading
- For more on habit tracking, see Chapter 16 of Atomic Habits.
- The most effective form of motivation is progress: This line is paraphrased from Greg McKeown, who wrote, “Research has shown that of all forms of human motivation the most effective one is progress.” Greg McKeown, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less (Currency, 2014).
- The first mistake is never the one that ruins you: Phillippa Lally et al., “How Are Habits Formed: Modelling Habit Formation in the Real World,” European Journal of Social Psychology 40, no. 6 (2009), doi:10.1002/ejsp.674.
- Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit: “Missing once is an accident. Missing twice is the start of a new habit.” I swear I read this line somewhere or perhaps paraphrased it from something similar, but despite my best efforts all of my searches for a source are coming up empty. Maybe I came up with it, but my best guess is it belongs to an unidentified genius instead.
能幫上忙的可下載資源
- Habit Tracker template – 用這份範本追蹤你的習慣，並且建立一個習慣條錄吧
- Workbook – 這是一份18頁的PDF檔，內容包括一份每一堂課的行動檢查表（內有關鍵策略的範本），加上課程統整與專有名詞辭典。
- Examples Database – 這是一個內有超過140個策略應用實例的Google表單，每個策略都適用於數十種不同的習慣培養。
參考資料與其他文本
- 習慣追蹤的詳細說明，請參見《原子習慣》第16章
- 組成驅動力最有效的元素正式進步：這句話改寫葛瑞格·麥基昂寫的：「研究顯示組成人類動力最有效率的要件就是進步。（暫譯）」葛瑞格·麥基昂（Greg McKeown）《少，但是更好》，Currency出版社，2014年。
- 第一個錯誤從不是真正毀掉你的那個：菲莉帕·萊利等人共同撰寫的論文〈習慣是怎麼組成的：模擬現實生活中的習慣養成〉，收錄於《歐洲社會心理學雜誌》第四十輯，第6集，2009年
- 錯失一次是意外，錯失兩次是新習慣的開始：我發誓我讀過這句話或類似的，但儘管費盡力氣搜集資料，我還是沒能找到原處。或許是我自己想到的，但我更相信它出自某個我還沒找到的天才。
