habit calculator

[zoolina]

Hi Reinhard,

I have a suggestion for how to make the habit traking calander better.

What I miss most when using it is actually seeing the word "success" after a successful day. I know it sounds petty, but for me, one of the best parts about coming to NoS was switching from the idea of having the perfect body (out of my control) to having my behavior be a success (in my control) . It was HUGE.

How possible would it be (and I guess another question is how much help would it be for others here on the board?) to have the solid green replaced with the word "success" in green (I imagine a sort of military stencil to go with the chain of command metaphor)?

A silly little thought, but it would personallly make a load of difference for me.

Zoolina
Z.

[This path is my life]

I think that's a fantastic idea, I know I would benefit from that too. It's really those little things that can make a huge difference. Great suggestion Zoolina!

[reinhard]

Thanks for the suggestion, zoolina! It doesn't sound petty at all -- we're dealing with human psychology here! Details like this can make all the difference.

It wouldn't be technically difficult at all to spell out each day's status, but I do like the solid green. I find it aesthetically pleasing, and more importantly, it lets you easily understand a lot of information at a glance (several months of several habits). Reading words wouldn't be as effective at that scale.

That being said, I could add an option that lets people switch into "word mode." I've been thinking of adding a more zoomed in "days" granularity view in addition to the current "months" granularity view, and spelling out the status might make more sense then when you're just looking at a few days at a time (though I could also make it an option for the months view).

Thanks again for the suggestion and keep them coming!

Reinhard

[London Mum]

I like the solid colour too. I have had one failure each for the two habits I am tracking this month. Every time I update it, those two red squares annoy me and I think about how next month I am going to have all green and yellow. I have found myself craving something, and then thinking no, I don't want to have to put in another red square.

I never got round to posting a check-in thread, and this is just the right level of complexity for me - succeed or fail, no explanation needed.

LM

[kccc]

I wish I had the "Beginner's Training Wheels" version of the habit calendar, with "levels" of failure.

Have been using the Habit-Cal(as of June 4, though I filled in the first part of June out of compulsiveness).

Monday was the first "red day" for No-S. And I had to think about whether I wanted to count it or not.

I had a "bought salad" for lunch after exercise (normally bring something, but just didn't have it). A nice big deli salad, but there were no crackers or bread or carbs of any kind with it. So, I didn't feel it was a "real meal," and went to the snack shop for something. Got a bag of baked chips.

And then realized that was really "seconds."

Waffled on calling it virtual plating, but decided not. If I'd decided to add the chips at the beginning of the meal, I'd let it go as a big plate. But that's not what I did.

I did not want to put a red day on the calendar for that. Especially since I was good the rest of the day, instead of indulging in "blown it anyway" behavior. To me, that is a success in its own right. (Or a minor failure.) So, it was a gray-area day.

Finally decided to let it be a failure day, following "fence around the law" thinking. If I don't make it red, when I look at my calendar later, I'll feel that I cheated a little. As opposed to looking at it now and thinking "I know what that was, and it wasn't a BIG failure."

But I do wish I could distinguish "big" and "little" failures. Which, I know, defeats the simple binary quality - but I don't always like the harsh world of binary thinking.

Ah well. I'll keep going with it. Through this process, I am learning as much about dealing with my perfectionism as I am about eating habits.

[ClickBeetle]

I tend to agree with KCCC. For myself, I find the "success/failure" dichotomy disheartening. I have issues with perfectionism so it's important for me to focus on 90% or even 80% success. Otherwise I will be too likely to let one small flaw in an otherwise good day serve as a "reason" to let go altogether and make the day REALLY a failure.

Some people don't have that problem, but I need to remember it.

Also, I lost my 18 pounds doing sort of "slacker No-S" -- slipping up lots of days, or allowing myself a healthy snack if I was truly hungry, but just not letting it get out of hand. I mean, it worked for me.

[reinhard]

Technically it would not be difficult to add levels of failure or success... but I think for most people it is helpful to focus on a binary "minimum level of compliance." Not only because it is clearer and simpler, but because otherwise you start thinking in terms of debits and credits, that extra good today makes up for failure tomorrow, etc.

Thinking in terms of "levels of success" seems to be more dangerous than thinking in terms of "levels of failure." "Levels of failure" can actually be helpful, because it gives you some incentive to catch yourself when you've slipped up a bit and keeping it from turning into a rout (particularly important for "glass ceiling").

But rather than quantifying this and thereby adding complexity, I think it might be sufficient to just add the (optional) ability to leave a free-text note for any calendar day (it would show up as a *, which if you clicked it would give the full details). Green success wouldn't usually require any such qualification (though you could add it if you liked), but failures kind of beg for more information ("why did you fail?" "how bad was it?"). You could then resolve to add a note to any failure, to "confess" the details. This would give you incentive to catch yourself early because otherwise you'll have an embarrassing story to tell.

Do you think this might be sufficient? Maybe I'll just go ahead and add that as a first cut. If that doesn't do if for you, I could consider adding an optional failure "levels" mode (maybe orange for a slight failure or something). But even if I do this, I think would keep the existing red/yellow/green "trichotomy" as the default.

Reinhard

[ClickBeetle]

Wow, sure, that would be terrific!

My goodness, Reinhard, you are very generous to us with your time and effort.

[kccc]

I agree with you that "levels of failure" are what's really critical, to keep a slight slip from becoming a full-out binge.

Love the note idea. That would work for me, I think.

(And would also resolve the exercise issue I mentioned on the general thread - that I have several different kinds of exercise I do, would like to see them on one calendar, and don't want to remember...)

Thanks for being so accommodating!

[wosnes]

ohmygosh! I'm beginning to realize that keeping track of success and failures doesn't work at all for me -- it makes it a "diet program" instead of a sensible set of rules regarding eating.