We’re all familiar with the saying that the checkbook and the calendar never lie.
These two ledgers of life, when examined, clearly show what we *prove* is important to us in life, potentially contrasted to what we *say* is important to us.
There’s a mountain of truth and insight within that saying.
And…
I think we can add something else to this ledger or register list, this sacred audit of our alignment of capital (time, money, attention, and energy) and our values.
We can add our habits.
We can take a look at our existing habits – the good ones and the bad ones. Even better, write them down (something James Clear recommends doing in Atomic Habits).
Which ones align with what you say is important to you? Which ones tell a different story?
Brushing our teeth.
Our morning routine.
Scrolling social media.
Browsing Netflix.
Our phone usage.
Checking emails at all times of the day.
Our bedtime routines.
The countless mini liturgies – intentional or not – we do with our family each day.
When they’re compiled together, they tell a pretty descriptive and comprehensive story. And they probably don’t show up on our calendars, nor our checkbooks/bank statements.
They are, in a very powerful and a very real way, a ledger of what’s important to us.
At the risk of over-sharing, and even of potential perceived arrogance, I want to share what I do in this regard. Not as a “Look at me!” but as a real-life example and potential encouragement.
But before I do, full disclosure: I don’t do this perfectly. There are plenty of unmarked boxes from day to day, or week to week. Yet I am persistent in it.
For the past ~2 years I’ve been writing out my habits in a Bullet Journal and tracking them religiously. I have 10 daily habits, 8 weekly habits, and 2 monthly habits currently. There are times when I’ll change a habit, when it’s no longer important or when I’ve been doing it so automatically I don’t need to track it as much.
And what makes this even more impactful (with credit due to James Clear, as well as Justin Whitmel Earley in his work), is right next to the habit is a desired identity that this habit would fulfill.
A faithful disciple. A loving husband. An engaged father. A healthy athlete. A creative entrepreneur. An encouraging friend. A diligent advisor.
It’s a literal ledger that I can examine (and share with a close friend for joint accountability).
I even have this crazy idea that maybe sometime – years from now – my kids will stumble across it. And my hope is that they’ll see my intentions and that I didn’t just do certain things to check them off an arbitrary list, but that it was an intentional effort to align my daily life and activity with a larger purpose and identity.
Much the same way that my calendar and checkbook show these things as well.
If this resonates at all, an easy way to get started is Justin Whitmel Earley’s Common Rule Habit Planner. It’s a free resource based on his book Habits of the Household, although you could easily modify it to whatever else you want to use it for. It’s a well designed exercise you can walk through to help classify your roles/identities, your vision for that role/identity, and what habits you can construct to fulfill them.
As I said above, I simply track this in a Bullet Journal. Some close friends of mine track them in their own planner. Another simply does it on an index card. The tactic doesn’t matter nearly as much as the concept. Experiment around, figure out what works for you.
Because again – the checkbook, calendar, and our habits never lie.
The sacred ledgers are real. So let’s be intentional with what is on them and the story they tell of our lives.