me pause: was he “raising the bar”? People raise the bar when they consider starting a new habit, and then, from an impulse that’s either enthusiasm or unconscious self-sabotage, they suggest refinements that make the habit prohibitively challenging.

But once I made that decision, I discovered that I was reluctant to relinquish the new part of my identity. I was tempted to stick with meditation merely because I wanted to be a “person who meditates.” Which is not the same thing, at all, as wanting to meditate.

I love the library! It’s a treat to work there. It’s one block from my apartment, so I don’t spend a lot of time going to and fro. It’s helpful to walk out into the fresh air and sunlight, and to have a little break between “home” and “work.”

Framing a treat in terms of its benefit to others is a good way for Obligers to manage to give themselves treats: “If I spend a few hours playing golf, I’ll be more patient at home and at work.”

Scheduling is an invaluable tool for habit formation: it helps to eliminate decision making; it helps us make the most of our limited self-command; it helps us fight procrastination. Most important, perhaps, the Strategy of Scheduling helps us make time for the things that are most important to us. How we schedule our days is how we spend our lives

Questioners resist anything that seems arbitrary;

If Questioners believe that a particular habit is worthwhile, they’ll stick to it—but only if they’re satisfied about the habit’s usefulness.

Sprinters choose to work at the last minute because the pressure of a deadline clarifies their thoughts;

The conduct of our lives is the true reflection of our thoughts.