Habit trackers are game changers for building new habits!
If you’re looking to start a new habit or quit a habit, get a habit tracker right now.
It’s the best tool EVER, and super simple to make.
Let’s get right into it.
Table of Contents
What are habit trackers?
Habit trackers are like accountability partners, minus the actual person.
As always, we complete tasks better when we have someone reminding us to do them.
That’s why habit trackers are amazing – if you don’t have an accountability partner (Like most of us, lol) you still get the benefits of having one.
You’ll reap the rewards of being consistent with your habits, too. We’ll also avoid slacking off! 🎉
It takes on average 21 days to form a permanent habit in your routine. A habit tracker is helpful to make this process easier, and you can continue using it further if you’d like.
Here’s what a classic habit tracker looks like:
Digital Habit Trackers VS On-Paper Habit Trackers
I’ve used digital habit trackers (On my phone), normal paper printed ones and hand drawn bullet journal ones.
I truly believe that the habit trackers on real, actual sheets of paper are WAY better than digital ones.
When I had a digital habit tracker, it was on Notion.
There were a bunch of other distractions and apps on my phone, so I would forget I even had a habit tracker.
Honestly, I hardly ever opened it!
I was hardly being consistent with my habits, until I decided to make my own paper habit tracker.
My paper habit trackers, on the other hand, were taped on my wall. When I walked into my room I could see it all the time, and reminded me to do them.
It played a huge part in urging me to go finish my productive habits.
I definitely recommended it!
How do you make a habit tracker?
Very simple, actually! Just get a sheet of paper, and pop open a pen. Use the above habit tracker as a reference.
I’ve created free printable habit trackers to make it way more simple.
Write down a list of habits that you want to start or quit, and draw several square boxes next to them.
TIP: Don’t add too many new habits if you’re a beginner! Add a maximum of 4 habits if you are. It’s super tiring focusing on a lot of different habits.
As you get comfortable with your first 1-4 habits, add in more. For now, just focus on a few.
If you’re successfully completed a habit on your habit tracker today, then tick the box! Otherwise, MAKE SURE TO LEAVE IT BLANK.
Here’s an example of a completed habit tracker, over the course of 18 days. 👇
Rules to Follow When Using Habit Trackers (To get the maximum benefits)
1. Tape/Hang it up in a place where you can easily see it.
First and most important rule for habit trackers! Always keep them in a place where you can easily see. Hang it next to your desk, on the first page of your bullet journal, etc.
2. BE HONEST!
When I first taped my habit tracker on the wall, I was determined to check off every single box and not miss a day.
And…that didn’t happen. I missed a bunch of days! 😣
I would skip exercising, to instead lay down scrolling through my phone.
Then, I walked up to my habit tracker. I pulled out my pen and checked the boxes ‘Don’t use my phone’ and ‘Exercise’ anyway.
This is something you should NEVER do.
One day, you’re gonna get tempted to tick off boxes even when you haven’t done that habit. It’s painful looking at an unticked box. I feel you.
But that pain and guilt and regret is what will keep you accountable next time. You’ll be determined to avoid looking at that unticked box.
That’s what will really help you be consistent…and the feeling of checking off a box is SO damn satisfying! 🙋♀️
3. Quality/Time doesn’t matter. As long as you do the habit, that’s enough.
Listen. As long as you get up and do the habit for at least one minute, tick the box.
Let’s say your habit is to exercise 20 minutes a day. Today, you exercised for barely 5 minutes and it didn’t even feel intense.
You don’t feel breathless or have the burn in your muscles.
You feel guilty. Your inner perfectionist sobs. ”I don’t deserve to tick it off.”
Check it off anyway.
It takes huge effort for a beginner to get up and do their new habits. Give yourself credit for improving your life! 🌷❤
Of course, this isn’t me giving you permission to slack off, Lol!
Keep putting in the effort to show up everyday, and challenge yourself.
4. You’ll miss days, don’t worry.
Don’t fret when you miss days, you’re new to this after all.
Think of it this way – you’re a newbie at the gym. You aren’t going to immediately lift 50kg (110lb) weights, are you? You’d get seriously burnt out! 😫
You’re gonna start small, lifting the 5kg weights first. Even that might seem like a challenge to you.
As you get more comfortable, then you’ll increase the weight. Overtime you’ll finally lift 50kg weights.
The same thing applies to habit tracking.
Let’s say you want to meditate every day of the month (30 days). The first month, you only did 13 days of mediation. Out of 30 days.
Now, set a small goal for your second month. You did 13 days this month, so aim for…17 days next month.
After you accomplish that, aim for 25 days of mediation.
Okay, you may be thinking, wait that’s too little, Sri. How am I gonna see results?
Time/The Compound Effect takes care of that – By the end of the year you won’t even miss a single day.
5. Bonus Tip: If you’re struggling more than ever to build new habits and quit old ones, fix your self-image first.
Changing your daily routine requires lots of willpower, so you don’t fall back into your old routine.
Our self image either makes this process a whole lot easier or much harder.
If you view yourself as a lazy person, you’ll naturally behave like one when your willpower is low. You’ll lay down, eat junk food and waste time.
It’s super easy to go back to these lazy habits, because you still believe you’re a lazy person. Even your brain is against you – just because your self-image is disorted.
An athlete, on the other hand, will naturally exercise, move around and eat healthy even when their willpower is at their lowest.
Their brain in this case, supports their goals -because the athlete truly believes that they’re athletic and fit.
Your self-image is powerful. Here’s a guide on how to change your self-image: 👇
Distorted Self Image – 7 Ways To Become Your Highest Self
Final Note
Get up and take action right now! Go crush all your habits and create your dream life using a habit tracker to aid you.