The Little Things

I think everyone goes through times when they're feeling a little overwhelmed, either because achieving their goals is dependent on factors outside their control (e.g., other peoples' choices or material factors they can't change), or because the ultimate goal is so large that any efforts to accomplish it don't seem to have an effect. In these situations, it's sometimes helpful to figure out something small and easily-achievable you can do to improve your life, even in a minor way. These minor efforts might even evolve into regular or semi-automatic habits, subtly but continually improving your productivity or general well-being.

This is probably one of the reasons why rituals of all kinds can be appealing; they can offer reassurance that a person is making regular progress, even if it isn't noticeable. Even if the rituals don't actually have any effect, they can still provide a person with a sense of control over their lives and problems and serve as a source of comfort.
Although I have been working on some larger goals and projects, and I'm planning on writing about them later, I've also have tried to put a little energy into smaller rituals and practices that can provide a small boost. While other endeavors inevitably oscillate between times when I'm active or making progress and times when I'm frustrated and stuck, I can generally succeed with the simple and regular routines, which can give me a greater sense of stability than I might otherwise have.

One example: since 2004 or so, I've been able to maintain a consistent exercise routine, setting a weekly non-negotiable goal (I measure it by the calorie output on the machines, but it's more about keeping things at a level that is both challenging and manageable in the long term). Not counting my longer trips, where I made up the lack of gym time by constantly walking from place to place, I've only fallen short of my weekly exercise quota once.

Subsequently, I've tried to perform a 30-minute yoga routine at least once a week. While that goal has been a little harder to accomplish, I have still been able to maintain a pretty good track record.

Now, I've tried experimenting with something a little more basic: drinking water. I sometimes tend to get dehydrated, as I don't tend to drink a lot of water unless I'm working out, and, to make the matter worse, I have something of a caffeine habit. It's hard to know whether it's had a real effect on me, or to gauge how much I've been affected by not drinking enough (and it's possible that my normal water intake is more or less fine), but it's not very difficult to drink a certain amount of water each day, and, even if I end up drinking a bit more than I need, it's not going to cause me any harm.

Lately, I've been using an app to record my drinking habits; it allows you to input different glasses and water bottles you use frequently, along with the amount of water they hold, and record when you have finished a drink from that glass/bottle (or fraction thereof). You can also just input the volume of water you drink. Progress is measured visually, in a water bottle shaped chart. It's pretty easy to meet or exceed the goal; no matter what is going on in my life or how busy I am, I can always make time to drink a glass of water.

While I've maintained a habit of recording certain habits, like gym visits or spending, I don't know if I'll continue using this app in the long-term; a person can't record every habit, so it's better to ultimately focus on behaviors or accomplishments that require more willpower. Still, I'm hoping that I use it for a reasonable time, that I naturally get more habituated to drinking enough water without being "reminded" by an app.

I have no idea whether I'll notice any improvements as a result of the changes in my routine; I suspect that, at best, any differences (higher energy levels, looking less 'tired,' better skin) will be subtle or difficult to detect. Still, even if there aren't any obvious "rewards," developing better daily habits, and briefly shifting your focus from distant goals to things like habits and processes, can be beneficial by itself.