Habit tracking: Shaving

I've been quietly implementing a new habit for myself. As part of the Habit Guide from Zen Habits I've decided to start with a ridiculously small habit in order to get myself back into the habit of making good habits. (Play along at home with the "Craig says 'habit"" game: take a drink whenever this post says habit.)

That habit? Shaving.

Now you may think "that habit has a natural trigger, doesn't it? If you look like a mountain-man, then you need to shave, right?" Yes, but I decided on this habit for the following reasons:

  • I grow facial hair like a pre-pubescent boy (it takes me a week to get to "mostly stubble")
  • It has an easy trigger (I see the razor, and three-minutes-later I have a clean face).
  • It has a positive effect (I have a shaved face).

Is it a major, life-changing habit? Hardly. Most folks won't even notice the effects. But the benefits for me are making a habit that I can see results. I'm already 35% through in tracking the habit via Loop Tracker and I'm seeing progress. That's the real reason for doing this.

I'll add different habits in the near future. But for now I'm going to enjoy a clean-shaven (or some facsimile thereof) and see where this leads.

(And yes, it hasn't escaped me that someone could call this yak shaving. I'm OK with shaving this yak. :)


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