I’ve always been a big fan of Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of the Highly Effective People.  It’s a great book with a great central message and proven effectiveness.  And so I got to thinking…what if there were 7 “habitudes” practiced by the U.S. founding fathers to which we might aspire?  “Habitudes” conjures up the 18th century aesthetic, and conveys a combination of habits — repeated behaviors — and attitudes.

And as a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, it occurred to me that coming up with — and sticking to! — a list of seven behaviors  shared by the Founding Fathers would be a great way to honor these great men and acknowledge their sacrifices during this 250th Anniversary year of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence.  For a list of the references used to compile the list see the bottom of the page.

It is very important to begin with the understanding that the founding fathers were in all in search of virtue — not to benefit themselves, but to benefit the society as a whole.  This is why the Declaration of Independence proclaims,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The Founding Fathers were far from perfect. But they were relentless in their attempts at self-improvement. Why? Because, for them, life was about the “pursuit of happiness” which they equated with excellence, virtue, and the inner peace that comes when we are living in accord with our ideals.  As Brett McKay at the Art of Manliness put it,

The Founders believed that personal self-government was a prerequisite for political self-government.

So by all means join me in pursuing this plan.  But not solely because you think it’ll make you more successful, popular, wealthy, good looking, or what-have-you.  Do it because it’s a good thing to do for you, for your family, for the culture, and for the future of our nation.

And now, without further ado…

Hold on.  Wait.  Before we get into the details, let’s acknowledge that we are not all well-to-do landowners who have the flexibility to spend two hours exercising, two hours reading, a couple of hours writing letters, etc. each and every day.  But we can get as close as we can.  We can do better than we are doing now at these things.  And that’s what pursuing these habits is all about.

If you want to follow along and share what you’re up to, let’s use #7h250.

The Seven Habitudes of the Founding Fathers

1. Set and keep a strict schedule. This was a universal on the part of all the founders.  Franklin famously said, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man, healthy, wealthy, and wise.”  Jefferson said, “Rise at a fixed and an early hour, and go to bed at a fixed and early hour also. Sitting up late at night is injurious to the health, and not useful to the mind.”
2. Make a morning resolution.  Resolve to make a specific contribution to the advancement, improvement, health, or wellbeing of your family, place of employment, community, state, or nation.  Each day Franklin asked himself, “What good shall I do this day?”
3. Read.  All of the founders were avid, lifelong readers.  Some of them read 4 hours or more each day.  Read at least one chapter in an actual, paper book each day, minimum.
4. Walk. Jefferson advised two hours of walking each day, a half hour in the morning and the remainder later in the day, preferably while carrying a rifle.  Most of us don’t have that kind of time.  Resolve to get at least the half-hour done each day and perhaps work in a two-hour walk on the weekend.  And you might not want to walk around town carrying a flintlock.  It freaks out the neighbors and, in some places, violates laws.
5. Swing the dumbbells. Many of the founders used them, notably Ben Franklin.  Watch this video by the incomparable Ben Miller for a little history of the dumbbell and a few tidbits about Franklin.
6. Journal.  Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, and Madison all kept journals.  Probably more founders kept journals than didn’t.  If you don’t already, get yourself a notebook and take a swing.
7. Prayer and meditation. Given that Patrick Henry was, as Jefferson said, “before all in maintaining the spirit of the Revolution” we might consider from what deep well this great America drew the water with which he filled up his heart and soul.  Well, according to his grandson, P. H. Fontaine, it was Patrick Henry’s habit, “each day around sunset, to retire to his law office for an hour of prayer and meditation.”  See how close you can get to that, and perhaps you too can be the spirit of a different revolution — a revolution in your heart, in your culture, community, or wherever the Creator sees fit stir things up.

References

• Art of Manliness Podcast: Books, Routines, and Habits: The Founders’ Guide to Self-Improvement
• What are the mysterious origins of the “Dumbbell”?
• Numerous articles at the Monticello website but especially this one.
• The Journals of the Founding Fathers
• Patrick Henry’s Holy Hour and his role as “the trumpet of the revolution.”