Want to change your behavior? Well, to change it you must first know it.
No matter what habit you’re looking to change you probably think you know the behavior. Here’s what I mean, let’s say you want to better manage your money and you know the key change is to have a budget. In preparing your budget you allot $180 per month for gasoline for your car and $300 per month for food because that’s what you think you spend. You may be right. But, the best way to establish an amount for any budget item is to know what you spend by tracking it.
It’s simple to get started, but it requires discipline. Write down everything you spend money on for one week or more. The longer you track your spending the more accurate you will be because many budget expenses fluctuate a little each week. Remember, the more you “track” spending the more accurate your budget will be and the greater control over spending you’ll have.