Mark each lapse with a dot in today's column of a seven-day chart.
WhenEvening review
“I made a little book, in which I allotted a page for each of the virtues.[68] I rul'd each page with red ink, so as to have seven columns, one for each day of the week, marking each column with a letter for the day.”
In Benjamin Franklin’s words
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, chapter IX, in Frank Woodworth Pine ed. (1916); events c.1730s; retrospective manuscript written 1771–1790. Read the source ↗
Why it works
Franklin reported finding more faults than expected, then fewer. This is his retrospective observation, not a measured treatment effect.
Start tiny
Draw seven boxes and put today's dots in one, in 60 seconds.
What you’ll notice
Look for repeated situations behind the dots.
When it slips
Do not turn the chart into punishment. Record once, then stop.
DocumentedRecord: DocumentedIn their own writing, or a record made at the time.
CEvidence grade CPractitioner method or editorial idea
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, chapter IX, in Frank Woodworth Pine ed. (1916); events c.1730s; retrospective manuscript written 1771–1790. Read the source ↗
Foundation: Small recurring actions with little setup. Choose anchors that fit your day.
Every deck is free to download and print at home, then pin up: on the fridge, the mirror, beside the monitor. Or get the printed edition, ready to pin up the day it arrives.
