Habit trackers are b******t. I know people who have been sober for months and months and then suddenly died from an overdose. So, streaks don’t impress me.

And, by the way, God isn’t impressed by streaks either. He only cares about your actions one at a time.

So, when your kids see you use a habit tracker, this is what they’ll say:

* “Mom taught me never to abandon a sinking ship.”

* “Mom taught me that as long as you clock in, it’s okay to check out.”

When your kids watch you practice piano, they should be proud of every moment they see. Not just that you practiced. Not just that you practiced for 5 days straight.

They should be proud of every movement they see you make, and they should be proud of themselves when they imitate you.

They should say things like:

* “I watched Mom practice piano and she was just hitting random keys like a crazy person. It sounded like s**t but it inspired me to listen to my body.”

* “I saw Mom play a Chopin nocturne, full tempo, from beginning to end, even though it was too hard for her and she ignored most of the notes. It reminded me that good enough is better than perfect.”

* “I heard Mom playing along with a recording of a professional. Of course she couldn’t think about every single note, but she spent more time listening than playing, anyway. It taught me that I’m able to jump into a challenging environment and figure it out as I go.”

* “I once saw Mom sight-read through a whole book of songs, all in one sitting. Most of it sounded awful, but she didn’t care. It taught me that sometimes you just have to plow through, and to hell with everything else.”

* “This one time, I saw Mom recording herself playing Moonlight Sonata, listening back, re-recording, re-listening, until it was perfect. It reminded me that I can and should hold myself accountable to meet my own standards.”

* “Not only that, but I saw Mom comparing her own recording against a professional recording. Then, she re-recorded hers until the two sounded identical. It taught me that I can and should hold myself to objective standards.”

So, let me ask you: have you done any of the things on this list? What lessons have your kids learned by watching you play piano?

Be specific about cause and effect. We don’t need more stories about the kind of person you wish you were.

—Michael

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