Choose one virtue and one rule for this week's attention.
WhenWeekly reset, then morning
“I propos'd to myself, for the sake of clearness, to use rather more names, with fewer ideas annex'd to each, than a few names with more ideas; and I included under thirteen names of virtues all that at that time occurr'd to me as necessary or desirable, and annexed to each a short precept, which fully express'd the extent I gave to its meaning.”
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, chapter IX, in Frank Woodworth Pine ed. (1916); events c.1730s, recalled 1784–1785; retrospective manuscript written 1771–1790. Read the source ↗
Why it works
Franklin limited his focus to avoid attempting everything at once. The rule specifies what you will actually observe.
Start tiny
Pick “silence” and “let the speaker finish” in 45 seconds.
What you’ll notice
Notice the difference between a virtue name and an action.
When it slips
Do not add five new targets midweek. Put them on a later list.
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, chapter IX, in Frank Woodworth Pine ed. (1916); events c.1730s, recalled 1784–1785; retrospective manuscript written 1771–1790. Read the source ↗ 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.
