What is a Personal Quality Checklist (PQC)?

A PQC serves as a record of the frequency of a specific behavior. For instance, if you struggle with excessive social media engagement (as I will elaborate), you would tally each instance you check a social media platform. You can make a simple mark on a sticky note—doing this before or after the action works. Personally, I prefer to record it beforehand.

The concept of a PQC was introduced to me many years ago while reading Quality Is Personal: A Foundation For Total Quality Management by Harry V. Roberts and Bernard F. Sergeketter. The effectiveness of this technique in curbing mindless habits continues to astonish me.

My Recent Social Media Challenge: Utilizing a PQC

Now, let's delve into my recent struggle. A few weeks back, I found myself compulsively checking X (formerly known as Twitter) for updates about my beloved sports team (the University of Kentucky). Following a significant coaching change, the atmosphere was chaotic. As a dedicated fan, this felt like a crisis. While I can chuckle about it now, I was checking X dozens of times daily.

Feeling overwhelmed, I decided to implement the PQC. Instead of pressuring myself to stop checking X, I committed to marking each time I accessed it on a sticky note.

Remarkably, my frequency of checking X plummeted. Two weeks into using the PQC, I found myself checking X about 10% as often as before. While this isn't a scientific study, it's clear that the PQC played a significant role in this positive change.

Why is a PQC Such a Powerful Tool for Behavior Modification?

A PQC disrupts the habitual response to a cue. For example, when my mind urges me to check X, I remember that I need to mark it on my PQC. Whether I choose to check X or not, this introduces a mental hurdle that adds a "cost" to the action. Perhaps I am somewhere without my sticky note, which forces me to make a note on my phone. This transforms an automatic behavior into a conscious decision—maybe checking X isn't worth the hassle after all!

Isn’t much of our personal strength derived from “the powerful pause” between stimulus and response? The PQC creates this pause, fostering increased self-awareness and offering more choices.

The PQC is a gentle catalyst for change that doesn’t wage war on our psyche. It subtly introduces friction, turning automatic behaviors into deliberate choices.

PQC Considerations and Limitations

The PQC may serve best as a temporary tactic, providing space for more permanent changes. Modifying one's environment often proves to be the most potent strategy for habit change. For instance, while I can tally each time I eat a cookie (another one of my challenges), keeping cookies out of reach is likely a more effective method.

Resources for Understanding and Changing Habits

As mentioned, I recommend Quality Is Personal: A Foundation For Total Quality Management. It provides various applications of PQCs and other personal quality management techniques beyond the simple checklist.

Why Experiment with a PQC?

A PQC offers substantial benefits without any downsides. You don't even need to commit to eliminating a habit; the only promise is to mark each instance of the behavior. Observe where this leads you. You may find yourself curtailing a bad habit while enhancing your sense of self-worth, adding a valuable tool to your personal effectiveness arsenal.

On a broader skill level, you’ll be enhancing your ability to utilize “the powerful pause.”

Best of luck on your journey toward greater personal effectiveness.