that is a very good question, my initial response was going to be no, but while trying to explain that answer i realized it's not quite true. it does not direc

that is a very good question, my initial response was going to be no, but while trying to explain that answer i realized it's not quite true. it does not directly change my habits, but it does give me a better understanding of myself. for example one thing i learned is that it bothers me if i didn't accomplish at least something each day, to the point that i can't go to sleep. the reflection helps me notice smaller accomplishments, so i can sleep easier. part of the benefit is a form of general reflection on the day, even on things that i don't write down. it does help me with is noticing when i get stuck in a rut, where one day after another is the same. like if for the fifth day in a row i wrote: get kids ready for school. work. make dinner. watch tv. it helps me notice these kind of pattern, and also, see how long this was going on. then i can refocus and look what else interesting is happening that i may not have noticed before. so either it changes how i feel about each day or it helps me add activities that break the routine. it also helps me track things that i do want to change. say i set a goal of going for a walk for one hour each day, then this detail, which i ignore most of the time, now gets added to the diary. the diary doesn't so much cause me to change my habits, but rather is available as a tool that i can use to support an intended change of habits. but i don't do this systematically. it's more like an afterthought when other ways to reach the goal fail and i am bothered enough to do something about it. it also helps me realize when i get behind on work. when you are at home busy with kids, sometimes a week can pass by without me realizing it. the daily reflection can act as an intervention. and the diary helps me understand that i didn't waste the week doing nothing.