How Long Do I Need to Track My Habits?

Finally, tracking feels rewarding. It is satisfying to cross an item off your to-do list, to complete an entry in your workout log, or to mark an X on the calendar. It feels good to watch your results grow and if it feels good, then you’re more likely to endure.

Habit tracking also helps ke...

If you want to stick with a habit for good, one simple and effective thing you can do is keep a habit tracker.

Habit formation is a long race. It often takes time for the desired results to appear. And while you are waiting for the long-term rewards of your efforts to accumulate, you need a...

Every habit streak ends at some point. Perfection is not possible. Before long, an emergency will pop up—you get sick or you have to travel for work or your family needs a little more of your time. Whenever this happens to me, I try to remind myself of a simple rule:

Never miss twice.

Despite all of the benefits, a habit tracker is not something that makes sense in every situation or for every person. Many people resist the idea of tracking and measuring. It can feel like a burden because it forces you into two habits: the habit you’re trying to build and the habit of tracking...

Alright, those benefits sound great, but it's not necessary to fill your habit tracker with every habit that makes up your day. In fact, if you're already sticking to a habit, then it seems like extra work to me to track it as well. So what should you measure in your habit tracker?

Habit tr...

• journal 1 sentence
• read 1 page
• Meditate 1 minute
• do 1 push up
• stretch for 1 minute
• write 1 thing I'm grateful for
• make your bed
• wake up by [TIME]
• go to bed by [TIME]
• take a shower
• prioritize to-do list
• ta...

The most effective form of motivation is progress.When we get a signal that we are moving forward,we become more motivated to continue down that path. In this way,habit tracking can have an addictive effect on motivation.Each small win feeds your desire.

This can be particularly powerful on...

Habit tracking naturally builds a series of visual cues. When you look at the calendar and see your streak, you’ll be reminded to act again.

Habit tracking also keeps you honest. Most of us think we act better than we do. Measurement offers one way to overcome our blindness to our own behav...

First, manual tracking should be limited to your most important habits. It is better to consistently track one habit than to sporadically track ten. I tend to keep my habit tracker simple and limit it to my three or four most important habits.

Second, record each measurement immediately aft...