With back to school season behind us and the start of fall upon us, we like to use the start of a new season to kickstart some good habits. What’s more important and helps keep us motivated though, is the ability to track our progress.

One of our favourite ways to track progress is by identifying preconceived notions. In a blank journal, make a three-column list for each day, outlining My Preconceived Notions, The Edit and The Outcome.

Monday June 25

My Preconceived NotionsThe EditThe Outcome

At the end of each day, fill out columns one and two. In column one, write down five to ten reasons you won’t likely get around to keeping active the next day (those are preconceived notions and we all have them!). In column two, pretend you are the director and editor of a movie. Take all preconceived notions and edit them into reasons why you will get around to keeping active, noting precisely how you will do that. Example: my preconceived notion – “I don’t have the time,” a proposed edit: “I am going to carve out time by leaving early for work and parking/exiting public transit 15 mins away to achieve a 30-minute walk daily, five days a week. The third and most important column is column three. Here – in the evening – you will journal whether you accomplished the “Edit”.  When you do – and you most often will – it will serve as reinforcement to continue to do it all over again.

We encourage our COLD-FXers to use this as inspiration for a workbook – pick up a notebook and set up an outline like the one you see above and start tracking. Feel free to modify as per your own needs and share with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, how you’re using this tool and the new habits you’re trying to track.

* journaling tips courtesy of Bryce Wylde