Journal Entry #3 – 1st October 2025
I’ve started to break a destructive pattern and started a new constructive pattern. Apart from turning off my alarm, I haven’t touched my phone yet. Technically I’m on my iPad writing this, but this is part of my new constructive pattern, to write my journal. I’ve just completed a very small workout. I’ve deliberately made it small and easy to start with. The point isn’t to push myself physically at this point. I will build on the routine and make it more challenging as time goes on, but I want to build the discipline of just getting up, getting my workout clothes on and doing some exercise.
Mark the Date
I’m thinking about how to track progress with my new pattern. I don’t think to track the number of days. I’ve done that in the past with other habits and I end up putting too much importance on the number itself. If I build up a good streak and then break it, I’ll be more likely to give up on the habit because it will feel like a mammoth task to build up that number again. The number isn’t the point. Carrying out the action on a consistent basis is. The goal is the change, not the number. So I’ll mark the date when I made the change, October 1st 2025 and I’ll take note if I miss a day for whatever reason, but then it’s my job to get back on the horse.
Raise Your Baseline
I think James Clear said something like “to miss one day is a mistake, to miss two days is the start of a new habit”. I want to build a solid baseline before I start reaching for the stars. We fall to our baseline, meaning we all have high points and low points. Sometimes everything can be going great, work, health, family etc. Then there are times when things feel like they’re falling apart or you’re just not feeling or performing like your best self. If the baseline you revert back to during the low points is eating junk food and binge watching Netflix or playing video games, it will be more difficult to build momentum back up to get back to the high points. But if we have a solid foundation, patterns that we perform that are just ingrained into our daily life and we continue to raise this baseline, the low points won’t be as low and it will be easier to get back to the high points.
Early Wins
For me, this starts with the very first actions of my day. If I start my day constructively, it will build some positive momentum and I won’t feel like I’ve failed before I’ve even started. Plus I’ll save time because I’ve been writing my journal at the start of my work day, but by writing it as part of my morning routine, I can get straight on to work. Progress!
Update
As I type this it’s October 15th 2025. I’m in the process of converting my handwritten journal. I dropped the exercise routine pretty quickly. I’m not sure why, it just fell to the wayside. However, I have maintained the journal writing, so maybe two new habits was one too many. I’ll look at integrating an exercise routine as the next habit I adopt, but for right now I’m happy with the progress I’m making on the journal and don’t want to disrupt that yet.
