The Franklin Chart

In 1726, on a long voyage home from London, Benjamin Franklin set himself a quiet project: to become a better man — not by grand resolution, but by patient daily attention. He chose thirteen virtues, gave one his full attention each week, and kept a small chart, marking each day he fell short. The goal was never a perfect record. It was the satisfaction of watching the marks grow fewer. The Franklin Chart brings that practice, faithfully, to your phone. THE METHOD • Thirteen virtues, from Temperance to Humility, in Franklin's own order and words. • One virtue under close attention each week — the focus rotates, completing the full course every thirteen weeks. • A weekly chart where you mark a fault on any day you slip. A mark is information, never a verdict. THE EVENING EXAMINATION Franklin sat each day with two questions — one in the morning, one at night. The app guides that short reflection and lets you note, in a line, where the day went. CANDLELIGHT A complete evening appearance for the examination hour — umber paper, parchment ink. Choose Day, Candlelight, or let it follow your phone automatically. MAKE IT YOURS Write what each virtue means for you, in your own words and your own life. A virtue you can picture is a virtue you can keep. SEE IT DIMINISH A gentle progress view shows your faults week by week, and where your attention is owed next — so you can watch the line tend downward over time. PRIVATE BY DESIGN The Franklin Chart collects nothing. Everything you record stays on your device — with a built-in backup you can copy out and restore anywhere. No accounts, no advertising, no tracking — and it works entirely offline. It is, like the practice itself, yours alone. "I was surpris'd to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish." — Benjamin Franklin