Something I’ll add to this is taking time on a daily basis to set your M.I.T. (Most Important Task) and having that be one of your check marks for habit tracking. Prioritization is an essential part of productivity, but it doesn’t need to be all that complex, just defining the one thing you have to do and then taking it from there.
I’ll admit to falling off the wagon of my tracking during this whole pandemic and working from home, but I’ll get back on it. I use a small white board next to my desk to write my MIT and other tasks for the day. On a paper calendar, I mark days that I completed my “big three” - backslash for MIT, forward slash for exercise, circle for meditation.
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That’s awesome… I’m getting into building better habits now (my new mantra is better habits, better Will) and definitely need to start tracking…
Met with a nutritionist yesterday and am excited to better track my food intake…
Currently dealing with a 7 year old who doesn’t like sleeping alone, so I’m on day 4 of no sleep… it makes getting things done harder for sure… still currently on track with my core exercises, though!
Hopefully when they get back to school things will be a little easier to kick off.
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LOVE the ‘not breaking the chain’ idea!
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So I’ve still been thinking about habits alot… want to spend this month building good habits (nutritionist will help with eating habits, been doing my core workouts daily, trying to have better cleaning habits around the house)… but I’m now contemplating BAD habits I have on the golf course.
Looking at things I want to improve on and build better habits around… My current focus is still putting, so I’m thinking about building GOOD habits on the putting green to erase my habit of just walking up to a putt and hitting it…
Across the board, I want to build the habit of envisioning the shot I am about to hit… Focusing on my goal, my swing and then hitting the ball. From the green to the tee. Replacing the bad habits of rushing shots, forcing shots, taking shots where I’m not comfortable and stepping back and figuring out what I’m trying to do with each shot. I think that’s a habit I can build, and something that will help me play smarter golf.
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@Craigers - it can be done sir. Hope the following helps somewhat.
I worked a lot on this after I got Shotscope which showed I was leaving 80% first putts short and my proximity after the first putt wasn’t close enough. On reflection over several rounds I concluded I had three problems;
- Tempo
- Commitment
- Poor performance under (self-imposed) pressure
For tempo I developed a pre-shot/shot routine based on something I found on YouTube called the 8 second routine (or similar). For commitment I say to myself “Be bold!” For pressure while playing I use presence and mindfulness to get my thoughts under control. I also simulate pressure in practice (plenty material about on that).
Routine:
Read the putt- Figure out line and pace. Identify a proximal target to roll ball over.
Practice- start a rhythmic 1-2-1-2- count out loud in my head to a 69bpm tempo (bpm tested and honed during practice with a metronome app). Practice swings visualising ball tracking to hole. Practice Swinging the actual motion to be used, not longer, not shorter and definitely not faster.
Step up and address ball.
Shot- counting in head -
1 - look at target
2 - look at ball
3 - look at target
4 - look at ball. Pick a single dimple and focus on that
5 - keep gaze on dimple
6 - keep gaze on dimple
7- swing back
8 - swing through (be bold!)
9 - keep looking at spot where ball was resting
During 1-4 I am trying to visualise the roll of the ball into the hole. I added step 9 to stop myself lifting my head.
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Day Five of healthy eating… it’s going along just fine… breaking some bad habits (dessert after dinner every night) and forging some good habits (I’ve basically eaten 2 whole things of spinach, trying to up my vegetbale and fiber intake)… Scale shows it’s working thus far. Real challenge is actually building myself into a long term healthy eater with the habits to match. Need to work on both mindset and habits. The most healthy I’ve ever been was when I considered food as fuel, and focused on keeping myself energized by eating good things…
My tea obsession continues… thought I’m consuming less caffeine than previously since I’m not drinking diet coke… I’m hoping the Roobios tea I drink at night actually has the anti-oxidant benefits promised to me!
On the golf front, the core work continues to get my back supported to play golf… still no plans to swing a club for another few weeks… probably will start working on half swings in the simulator when it’s finally installed. I’m going to take the time off as an opportunity to reinforce the good parts of my swing and hopefully kick some bad habits. That’s a February/March project.
Putting quest continues… I’m really excited to have a putter custom built for me. Something I’ve never done before, and something I think will set me up for success… Like seeing a nutritionist, it’s more about doing the right thing every day, but having someone to set you on the right path is very helpful. I have the practice mat set up in my basement, but don’t have the new putter yet… I’m working on my takeaway with my old putters, though. I put it right next to my exercise mat, so I do it in between core workout reps!
I really need to get back to reading atomic habits… I like it, but just haven’t put in the time.
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^That^ is a really great idea! I’m gonna set myself a reminder to create a goal to start to work up an implementation plan 
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Yeah, I like the “Big Three” goal setting, and wonder if it can be used to ingrain habits, and then change, build the Big Three…
I’m still on the nutrition kick… slowly losing weight, which will be good for my back. Doing my core workouts a ton, and have seen some big improvements in my core strength… I’ve added in hip mobility stuff to keep myself challenged… Trying to get active most days, and at least take a long walk. I’d love to get back into lifting weights, but don’t want to risk hurting myself again.
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Sorry, dessert after dinner is not a bad habit.
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Ha, it’s all about perspective and total calories… it’s also about “joy”… if I’m mindlessly eating an ice cream drumstick that I’m don’t want because it’s what I always do, then I’m just adding calories to my day for no reason… If I’m craving something sweet at the end of a long day, and have a nice dessert, that’s a much better thing… basically, it needs to be a reward and not a habit. Or at least that’s what works for me.
If you want to lose weight, the only way to do it is eat less calories than you burn… my dessert habits weren’t helping me on that, so I worked to do it less…
Haha just giving you a hard time. I am a notorious milkshake lover and have stopped my practice of nightly shakes recently, now instead of being a regular it’s few and farther in between. The problem being that all my pants are too big now. Good problem to have but my wife hates me for it.
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So all the discussion about path or process vs a target or a goal reminded me of a great quote from the original Jedi Master Bruce Lee …
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Im always on board with Bruce Lee quotes.
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A key part of growth mindset is that if you are achieving 100% of your objectives, then you’re not stretching yourself enough with them. Have to find the a good mix between ticking boxes (typically things you want to become habits) and the difficult, but not unachievable, ones.
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Makes perfect sense. I’m not someone who writes down long term goals, in golf or elsewhere. But I know if I take care of the short term habits, whether it’s exercise, writing articles on the site, and other things - it keeps me moving in the right direction.
One thing my dad always told me and it’s really taken me a long time to get this right is to “always keep moving.” I have a tendency to overthink things and that leads to stagnation.
For example, I almost didn’t start Practical Golf because I thought 50 steps down the line about all of the things it would take to make it successful, and all the ways it could fail. Even after two years of doing it I almost quit! But I just kept going and the simple act of committing to producing new articles (and plenty of other things to keep the ship moving) has led to a complete change in my life. Sorry if that’s a little too “self-helpy” but I just strongly believe now that it’s taking care of the small, seemingly boring details in the short term is what really leads people to reaching their long term goals.
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Tell your wife that’s a good find! Simple and straightforward, and a nice compact AND functional on-screen widget (at upper right) …
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Well… all of us on here are pretty glad you did!! You’re helping a lot of aspiring golfers learn to play better – so: goal achieved 
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Popeye would approve! I’ve discovered decaf tea, definitely a go-to in the evenings!
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“No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.”
[quote=“jon, post:35, topic:1500”]
I thought 50 steps down the line about all of the things it would take to make it successful,
[/quote] I’m VERY glad you didn’t over-think and let it stop you! PG is my best help in golf.
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I don’t know if you’ve tried Rooibos tea, but it’s delicious to me (my wife doesn’t love it)… It’s basically a different plant than what regular tea is made from, but it’s naturally caffeine free. Allegedly it has a ton of antioxidants, if you are into that sort of thing.
https://www.louisvilleteacompany.com/product-category/rooibos/
I’m about to buy some more, as I already went through the first batch (I tried the Orange Dreamsicle… going Dark Raspberry on my next order.)