The 'Center Pin' at the Heart of My Routine

Today's Diary

Good morning. I think I'll talk about today's column.

Today is the usual, I suppose. I woke up at 5:30, went for a run, had breakfast, and my day began. I was able to properly take the fat-burning supplement I started recently, so I feel like I'm building a habit.

It's often said that it takes 21 days to form a habit, so I'm thinking of doing my best for at least three weeks.

Let's see, I'd like to add a supplementary point today. Since I wrote last week that 'the center pin is extremely important' and received some questions, I'd like to talk a little about what a center pin actually is.

A 'center pin' is a term we use within bit_step. When you try to create a specific action, routine, or habit, you often need one foundational action.

For example, let's say you set a goal to 'go to bed at 12:00 AM as a night routine.' However, even if you try to make just 'going to bed at 12:00' a habit, it rarely goes well. This is because even if you intend to sleep at 12:00, if you eat dinner before 12:00, go to the gym, or study, the time inevitably gets pushed back, and you end up going past 12:00. That kind of problem arises.

So, where should you place the center pin? For example, for the goal of 'going to bed at 12:00,' try writing down everything you want to do before that. In many cases, the 'first action' becomes the key.

For instance, decide that you will 'definitely eat dinner by 8:00 PM.' If you do that, you can finish what you need to do in the remaining four hours, which leads to going to bed at 12:00. If you can't eat at 8:00 and it becomes 9:00, you can decide somewhere along the way to 'skip this today.' By doing that, you can ultimately keep your main goal of sleeping at 12:00.

Conversely, if you think about what happens if you don't set a center pin—for example, if you eat at 9:00 and then start chores or studying, it might take four hours. Then it becomes 1:00 AM, and there's no turning back. That is why it is important to decide on a 'center pin.'

In my case, my center pin is 'leaving the house by 7:45 AM to go to the gym.' If I can keep that, I can get home around 9:30, and even if I take a bath and study after that, I can go to bed by 11:30.

However, there are days when it's difficult to eat and leave by 7:45 because I have to drop off or pick up my wife. In those cases, it can't be helped. I can't control all my time by myself, and I don't think I need to score 100 points every time.

But what's important is to 'decide on one important point and stick to it.' Just be conscious of that one time. If you can do that, your habits and routines will stabilize.

Today, I talked about that 'center pin.' As you work on forming habits, if you think of the most important point in your routine—the key that determines the flow that follows—as a center pin, I think it will become easier to continue your habits.

That's all for today's diary.