THE TIME STRIP. Create a chart of your progress.

A picture is worth a thousand words.
As a graphic designer I wanted to see my progress at a glance and in one single image. A chart should show my past progress, where I am today and how many days are left to my goal. The following chart has turned out to be the best for me, so far. Feel free to use the chart to reach your own goals!

How it works
Every line of the chart has checkboxes for 7 days. I decided to take the length of a week for a line, because we are used to live with these temporal intervals. You can use this chart for P, M and O together or you use a separate chart for each category.

On the following morning of a day without a relapse, you color one checkbox green.
If you relapsed you color the checkbox according to this day red. Then you cut away the remaining check boxes. For your restart and the following days you take a new chart. Glue the new empty chart to your previous chart.

Example
My first streak of NoPMO lasted 28 days and I relapsed with M on day 29. After my relapse I restarted with day 1 and made it to day 4. On my chart I can see immediately how strong the green days are all taken together, and that I should not worry too much about a single relapse. Just keep going!



Advantages
1) Successful days are staying visible! You can learn from your relapses and you can profit from your successful days. The time strip provides a good overview of your progress.

2) You see each single day you relapsed. If you are continuing with PMO after a relapse the following days, you have to color the check box red FOR EVERY SINGLE DAY!

3) After a while you may discover a certain pattern in your relapses and successful days and you can search for further ways to defeat PMO.

Look at your time strip BEFORE YOU RELAPSE!
Then ask yourself: "Do I really want to color the check box of this day red? How will I feel after it? Is it really worth it?"

Attach the time strip clearly visible, where you can always see it or always carry it with you. I attached my time strip in the kitchen above the sink.

Give it a try!

I wish you all good luck and strength!

Peter

 

great idea!