seeking to add to the discussion of how to cross-apply lean thinking to habit development, inspired by “What you want to do and what you actually do are not always the same.”<p>I’ve heard innovators say users can’t tell you what they want and use that a justification for abandoning the study of users. But I’ve found that users can tell you what they do, if they are interviewed thoughtfully and with concern for how they feel about telling you something as vulnerable as what they actually do. They yearn to do it, actually. Especially when they feel supported and heard.<p>On habits, seems like the same thing applies, but in this case you are interviewing yourself. Keeping a daily log of what you do feels tedious and intimidating. A practice I’ve found helpful is creating not just journals, but actual maps of the current reality of the thing you’re seeking to improve. Detailed. With artifacts. Like on a wall. And then a separate activity is to find the places in the reality that least map to the outcomes you are trying to achieve. And then, with these problems identified, you can ask the question: what is the simplest thing I can do now to adjust my behaviors in these problem areas in a way that accelerates my progress towards the outcome I want?” I think I’m going to try this out.