Make a Habit of Tracking Your Habits

Writing a novel. Running a marathon. Learning a new language. These big goals can be overwhelming, but they are all accomplished the same way - by making progress one day at a time, one new habit at a time.

For something to become truly habitual, it needs to be repeated often - usually daily, sometimes weekly or monthly. All you need to do it remember to repeat them.

It really is that simple.

• Break down your goal into a daily habit that you can track
• Do the thing
• Track your progress
• Keep going

Say hello to The Habit Tracker!

A habit tracker is simply way to measure whether or not you did a habit. It will also help you visualize your goal, track your progress, and motivate you to keep going - and eventually form a lifelong habit. Habit tracking can help kickstart a new habit or keep you on track with habits you need a little help with. 

Why Is a Habit Tracker So Effective?

People who track their progress on their goals are all more likely to improve and achieve than those who don’t. One study of over sixteen hundred people found that those who kept a daily food log lost twice as much weight as those who did not. The mere act of tracking a behavior can spark the urge to change it!

It Is Easy To Use

Pick your tracker, and simply cross off each day you stick to your new habit. For example, if you jog on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, mark a X on  each of those days. Soon enough, you will have a visual record of your habit streak.

It Creates A Visual Cue

Your tracker is visual proof of your hard work and progress. Its a physical thing that you can place next to your bed, on your desk, on your fridge or wherever you’d see it most often.

It is a subtle reminder to think about your habits every day, and your current streak is a validation of how far you’ve come.

It Keeps You Accountable

It’s one thing to talk about making a change, but actually writing it down on paper keeps you accountable, and makes you stay committed to your goal. 

It Keeps You Honest

One can’t  argue with evidence. While we are often guilty of thinking we act better than we actually do, when faced with a record of our performance, we have no choice but to accept it. And act on it.

It Motivates You

The feeling that you are progressing towards your final goal is a very strong motivator.  Seeing visual proof of your progress makes you want to keep going, and not break your streak.

On any day, seeing the blank on the calendar for the day pushes you to get it done to have the pleasure of crossing it out.

Even more importantly, on a bad day when you’re feeling down, it reminds you of all the progress you have made so far and gives you that much needed nudge to motor on.

It Keeps You Focused on Forming Habits

While tracking daily, your focus is on doing the small task and keeping the streak going rather than the end goal. This focus on the process rather than the result helps that small task become a habit. For example by jogging daily with the goal of running a marathon, the  habit you’re forming is that to work out daily.

It Is Rewarding

Just like crossing an item off your to-do-list, marking an X on your tracker feels so good! The sense of satisfaction you feel when you see your success makes you want to do more of the same. And that’s addictive.