Today I want to introduce the best hack to increase productivity that I’ve ever found in the past 10 years.

This one thing has made me substantially healthier, happier, and a whole boatload of money to boot.

(It has also massively helped to reduce guilt, because even on days when I don’t feel like I’m accomplishing much … as long as I use this tool I KNOW I’m making progress.)

Alright Patrick, cut to the chase. What is it? (…and it better not be clickbait!)

Don’t worry, the secret sauce is real.

The hack I’m describing is a Habit Chart – a checklist on your phone that you fill out every day.

Now I know what you’re thinking. “What, a checklist? That’s it!?”

Just hold on there, Tiger; let me explain.

This checklist is where you put the daily habits that you know are good for you … but that you sometimes forget. I’m talking little stuff.

Like planning tomorrow’s schedule the night before, so you can get after it first thing in the morning.

Or like listening to 30 minutes of sales training to improve your skillset.

Or even just eating some green vegetables.

These are the small daily habits that compound over time and keep you on the path towards becoming the best version of yourself.

Now the problem with doing these sorts of habits isn’t that you don’t know what they are, or that you don’t know how to do them. The problem is that they’re so easy NOT to do.

Sometimes you forget, and sometimes you’re too tired to care.

So using a daily checklist for these things works really well and here’s why.

1. The chart reduces mental effort.

As contractors we’re exhausted ALL THE TIME, so having a pre-planned chart of habits improves the likelihood that you’ll ACTUALLY do them.

Because that way you don’t need to think about what you should do before or after work every day … you just need to follow the chart.

2. It improves compliance.

Your brain hates unfinished tasks, so by using a checklist format you’re more likely to follow through so that you can “check the box”.

3. It’s easily customizable.

Priorities and habits can change over time, so having such a flexible format makes it easy to shift things around or add new habits.

Now let’s get to execution.

Get the template for free here: Get Daily Habit Tracker

And here’s how to use it:

First, you want to download it on your phone because let’s be honest … you check the damn thing 100x per day.

So if you keep the checklist app open you’ll see it a lot and be reminded of what you should be doing instead of checking your phone.

Second, list your daily habits on the left side. Then put the date on the top side.

I recommend listing the tasks in chronological order from morning to night. That way the checklist doubles as a mini schedule. And besides, it’s easiest to acquire habits when you do them at around the same time every day.

Finally, when you complete each habit for the day, type a “1” in the box and it will turn green. If you do not complete the habit, put a “0” and it will turn red.

Good stuff to put in here are small things that you KNOW make you perform better, feel good, or keep you moving towards your goals.

For example, I know that when I don’t eat anything after 7 p.m. I sleep a lot better. And when I sleep better I get more work done the next day … so that’s an easy habit to put down.

Another example: my back hurts like a sunuvabitch if I don’t stretch my hamstrings and quads every night.

Other good examples include hitting the gym, not snoozing the alarm, not having caffeine after noon, taking a multivitamin, emailing/calling at least 1 prospect, and asking your wife how her day was.

I’ve been using my habit chart consistently since 2015 and it’s made a massive difference to every area of life I apply it to.