--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: start with a baseline of how often a…" description: "\"“start with a baseline of how often a habit or practice atrophies or breaks down, and then you start stacking up advantages to increase your adherence ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/sebastian-marshall-3923_adherence_start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-hab_76259.jpg" --- # start with a baseline of how often a habit or practice… ![“start with a baseline of how often a habit or practice atrophies or breaks down, and then you start stacking up advantages to increase your adherence rate.” quote by Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/sebastian-marshall-3923_adherence_start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-hab_76259.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/sebastian-marshall-3923_adherence_start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-hab_76259.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/sebastian-marshall-3923_adherence_start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-hab_76259.jpg) > ““start with a baseline of how often a habit or practice atrophies or breaks down, and then you start stacking up advantages to increase your adherence rate. ”” [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Begin by measuring how frequently a habit fails, then incrementally add supports to boost consistency. **In simple terms:** Measure failures, add supports. Key Takeaway Track breakdowns, layer improvements. Themes habit formation behavioral consistency incremental improvement self‑optimization performance tracking Mood analytical motivational Type advice instruction When to use this quote - personal productivity planning - team process improvement - health routine building - learning habit development Key Concepts baseline measurement adherence strategies stacking advantages Practical Applications - designing habit‑tracking systems - coaching for habit maintenance Questions to Reflect On - What metrics best reveal habit decay? - How can small supports compound over time? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adherence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adherence/) [Adherence Rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adherence-rate-987102/) [Baseline Habit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/baseline-habit-987100/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Increase Adherence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increase-adherence-987099/) [Practice Atrophies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/practice-atrophies-987101/) ## Related quotes > [“Adherence is key. Keep it in mind when designing experiments; design experiments you can adhere to.   3.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/adherence-is-key-keep-it-in-mind-when-designing-experiments-design/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [No one is born with good character; it's not a hereditary trait. And it isn't determined by a single noble act. Character is established…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/no-one-is-born-with-good-character-it-s-not-a-hereditary-trait-and-it/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [Sustainable change, after all, depends not upon compliance with external mandates or blind adherence to regulation, but rather upon the pursuit of the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-b-reeves/sustainable-change-after-all-depends-not-upon-compliance-with/) [Douglas B. Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-b-reeves/) > [It is time that Christians were judged more by their likeness to Christ than their notions of Christ. Were this sentiment generally admitted we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretia-mott/it-is-time-that-christians-were-judged-more-by-their-likeness-to/) [Lucretia Mott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretia-mott/) > [If the student truly absorbs the concept of free inquiry in the field of music, unimpeded by blind adherence to doctrine and tradition, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-schuman/if-the-student-truly-absorbs-the-concept-of-free-inquiry-in-the-field/) [William Howard Schuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-howard-schuman/) > [Prejudice and passion and suspicion are more dangerous than the incitement of self-interest or the most stubborn adherence to real differences of opinion regarding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/prejudice-and-passion-and-suspicion-are-more-dangerous-than-the/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [What I mean by the Muse is that unimpeded clearness of the intuitive powers, which a perfectly truthful adherence to every admonition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-fuller/what-i-mean-by-the-muse-is-that-unimpeded-clearness-of-the-intuitive/) [Margaret Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-fuller/) > [That the foundation of our national policy should be laid in private morality. If individuals be not influenced by moral principles, it is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/that-the-foundation-of-our-national-policy-should-be-laid-in-private/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [It is not our affluence, or our plumbing, or our clogged freeways that grip the imagination of others. Rather, it is the values upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/it-is-not-our-affluence-or-our-plumbing-or-our-clogged-freeways-that/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [Devotion to the facts will always give the pleasures of recognition; adherence to the rules of design, the pleasures of order and certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/devotion-to-the-facts-will-always-give-the-pleasures-of-recognition/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [We love your adherence to democratic principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/we-love-your-adherence-to-democratic-principles/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [Some communities will be abandoned, others will struggle along, others will split, others will flourish, gain members, and be duplicated elsewhere. Each community must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-nozick/some-communities-will-be-abandoned-others-will-struggle-along-others/) [Robert Nozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-nozick/) > [Having been brought up with a definition of faith as adherence to a set of beliefs, I have more and more begun to turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/having-been-brought-up-with-a-definition-of-faith-as-adherence-to-a/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Intellectual adherence is never owed to anything whatsoever, for it is never in any degree a voluntary thing. Attention alone is voluntary. It alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/intellectual-adherence-is-never-owed-to-anything-whatsoever-for-it-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [These actions were taken with the support and financing of the United States. How can you say this is part of U.S. adherence to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/these-actions-were-taken-with-the-support-and-financing-of-the-united/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) ## More by Sebastian Marshall > [“Third-order consequences: Toyota winds up with the highest quality rates, lowest defect rates, and most efficient factories in the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/third-order-consequences-toyota-winds-up-with-the-highest-quality/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“The foreman carpenter allots his men work according to their ability. Floor layers, makers of sliding doors, thresholds and lintels, ceilings and so on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/the-foreman-carpenter-allots-his-men-work-according-to-their-ability/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“It really actually doesn't take much time to run small experiments, and the payoff is greater levels of energy and more thriving across your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/it-really-actually-doesn-t-take-much-time-to-run-small-experiments/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“People who live at subsistence level want first things to be put first. They are not particularly interested in freedom of religion, freedom of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/people-who-live-at-subsistence-level-want-first-things-to-be-put/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“ENTRAINMENT IS STUPIDLY EASY TO DO   It’s stupidly easy to start doing entrainment for yourself.    You pick a single type of action,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/entrainment-is-stupidly-easy-to-do-it-s-stupidly-easy-to-start-doing/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“That’s where operational skill comes in. It’s about those seemingly basic but utterly critical skills: scheduling, planning things out, communicating, checking and making adjustments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/that-s-where-operational-skill-comes-in-it-s-about-those-seemingly/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“First-order consequences of Prohibition: alcohol is made illegal, legitimate producers of alcohol go out of business, decrease in drinking.   Second-order consequences of Prohibition:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/first-order-consequences-of-prohibition-alcohol-is-made-illegal/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“The first is one that I’ve been surprised to see many top performers independently arrive at: wake up at least 3+ hours before your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/the-first-is-one-that-i-ve-been-surprised-to-see-many-top-performers/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“When things are going poorly or going excellently, one’s judgment tends to get compromised and it becomes harder to think clearly. You need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/when-things-are-going-poorly-or-going-excellently-one-s-judgment/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“To modernize it a bit, lavish and excessive benefits during boom times won’t be remembered enough if you ask for pay cuts or do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/to-modernize-it-a-bit-lavish-and-excessive-benefits-during-boom-times/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“You can eat before you go out to a restaurant so you’re not hungry.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/you-can-eat-before-you-go-out-to-a-restaurant-so-you-re-not-hungry/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“No matter how hard I try, I produce better work when I’m healthier, planned, and my environment is set up correctly.  Yes, you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/no-matter-how-hard-i-try-i-produce-better-work-when-i-m-healthier/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“Intelligence is the decisive factor in planning guerrilla operations. Where is the enemy? In what strength? What does he propose to do? What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/intelligence-is-the-decisive-factor-in-planning-guerrilla-operations/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“Issue #1: Failure to Face Reality ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/issue-1-failure-to-face-reality/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [“I now track the following questions on a little spreadsheet every morning –   “Did I adhere to set wake-time?” “Did I wake 3+…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/i-now-track-the-following-questions-on-a-little-spreadsheet-every/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) [Explore all 118 Sebastian Marshall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) ## More Adherence quotes > [No one is born with good character; it's not a hereditary trait. And it isn't determined by a single noble act. Character is established…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/no-one-is-born-with-good-character-it-s-not-a-hereditary-trait-and-it/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [Intellectual adherence is never owed to anything whatsoever, for it is never in any degree a voluntary thing. Attention alone is voluntary. It alone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/intellectual-adherence-is-never-owed-to-anything-whatsoever-for-it-is/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [Having been brought up with a definition of faith as adherence to a set of beliefs, I have more and more begun to turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/having-been-brought-up-with-a-definition-of-faith-as-adherence-to-a/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Some communities will be abandoned, others will struggle along, others will split, others will flourish, gain members, and be duplicated elsewhere. Each community must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-nozick/some-communities-will-be-abandoned-others-will-struggle-along-others/) [Robert Nozick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-nozick/) > [We love your adherence to democratic principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-f-buckley-jr/we-love-your-adherence-to-democratic-principles/) [William F. Buckley, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-f-buckley-jr/) > [Devotion to the facts will always give the pleasures of recognition; adherence to the rules of design, the pleasures of order and certainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/devotion-to-the-facts-will-always-give-the-pleasures-of-recognition/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [It is not our affluence, or our plumbing, or our clogged freeways that grip the imagination of others. Rather, it is the values upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/it-is-not-our-affluence-or-our-plumbing-or-our-clogged-freeways-that/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [That the foundation of our national policy should be laid in private morality. If individuals be not influenced by moral principles, it is in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/that-the-foundation-of-our-national-policy-should-be-laid-in-private/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [What I mean by the Muse is that unimpeded clearness of the intuitive powers, which a perfectly truthful adherence to every admonition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-fuller/what-i-mean-by-the-muse-is-that-unimpeded-clearness-of-the-intuitive/) [Margaret Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-fuller/) > [Prejudice and passion and suspicion are more dangerous than the incitement of self-interest or the most stubborn adherence to real differences of opinion regarding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/prejudice-and-passion-and-suspicion-are-more-dangerous-than-the/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [If the student truly absorbs the concept of free inquiry in the field of music, unimpeded by blind adherence to doctrine and tradition, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-schuman/if-the-student-truly-absorbs-the-concept-of-free-inquiry-in-the-field/) [William Howard Schuman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-howard-schuman/) > [“Adherence is key. Keep it in mind when designing experiments; design experiments you can adhere to.   3.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/adherence-is-key-keep-it-in-mind-when-designing-experiments-design/) [Sebastian Marshall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/) > [It is time that Christians were judged more by their likeness to Christ than their notions of Christ. Were this sentiment generally admitted we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretia-mott/it-is-time-that-christians-were-judged-more-by-their-likeness-to/) [Lucretia Mott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretia-mott/) > [Sustainable change, after all, depends not upon compliance with external mandates or blind adherence to regulation, but rather upon the pursuit of the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-b-reeves/sustainable-change-after-all-depends-not-upon-compliance-with/) [Douglas B. Reeves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-b-reeves/) > [These actions were taken with the support and financing of the United States. How can you say this is part of U.S. adherence to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/these-actions-were-taken-with-the-support-and-financing-of-the-united/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) [Browse all 105 Adherence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adherence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“start with a baseline of how often a habit or practice atrophies or breaks down, and then you start stacking up advantages to increase your adherence rate. ”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sebastian Marshall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-habit-or-practice-atrophies-or/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adherence" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-habit-or-practice-atrophies-or/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/sebastian-marshall-3923_adherence_start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-hab_76259.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/sebastian-marshall-3923_adherence_start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-hab_76259.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/958/sebastian-marshall-3923_adherence_start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-hab_76259.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“start with a baseline of how often a habit or practice atrophies or breaks down, and then you start stacking…” — Sebastian Marshall", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sebastian Marshall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-marshall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“start with a baseline of how...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-habit-or-practice-atrophies-or/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-marshall/start-with-a-baseline-of-how-often-a-habit-or-practice-atrophies-or/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```