Okay, so I’ve been meaning to get better at tracking, like, everything. You know, not just work stuff, but life stuff. Habits, workouts, how much water I’m actually drinking… that kind of thing. I kept seeing people online talking about these fancy apps, but honestly, I just wanted something simple. Then I remembered Alexander Hamilton and his meticulous record-keeping. I figured, if it was good enough for a Founding Father, it’s good enough for me. Thus began my “Hamilton Record” experiment.
Getting Started
First, I grabbed a plain old notebook. Nothing fancy, just a spiral-bound one from the dollar store. I didn’t want to get bogged down in some complicated system before I even started. Then I thought about what I actually wanted to track. I decided to start with the basics:
- Wake-up time
- Bedtime
- Water intake (in glasses, because who has time to measure ounces?)
- Workout (yes or no, and what kind)
- Work hours (just a rough estimate)
- One thing I’m grateful for (because positivity, right?)
The Daily Grind
Each morning, I woke up, and right away, I jotted down the time. Then, throughout the day, I made quick notes in the notebook. I carried it around with me everywhere, which was kind of annoying at first, but I got used to it. Every time I finished a glass of water, I put a little checkmark. When I did my workout (or, let’s be real, didn’t do my workout), I wrote that down too. At the end of the day, I added my bedtime and that little gratitude note.
Keeping It Up
The first few days were easy. I was all motivated and excited about my new system. But after about a week, it started to feel like a chore. There were definitely days when I forgot to bring the notebook, or I was too lazy to fill it out. But I tried to stick with it, even if it wasn’t perfect. I figured some data was better than no data.
What I Learned
After a few weeks of doing this, I actually started to see some patterns. I realized I was going to bed way later than I thought, and my water intake was, um, pathetic. Seeing it all written down, in black and white, was kind of a wake-up call. It wasn’t some fancy app with graphs and charts, but it was enough to make me think about my habits.
I also found that the gratitude part was surprisingly helpful. Even on crummy days, forcing myself to find one good thing made a difference in my mood.
The Verdict
So, is the “Hamilton Record” a life-changing system? Not really. But it’s simple, it’s cheap, and it works. It’s helped me be more mindful of my daily habits, and that’s a win in my book. I’m still using it, and I’m even thinking about adding a few more things to track. Maybe I’ll even get a nicer notebook… eventually.