The Habit Tracker is a powerful tool designed to help you monitor your life by focusing on the formation and improvement of good habits. It allows you to simultaneously monitor and track up to three habits, as well as two additional aspects of your daily life that you can detail. By using a Habit Tracker, you can increase your ability to change your habits over time and, consequently, your routine (Clear, 2018). The Habit Tracker is connected to other planners, and we recommend using the Routine in parallel to help integrate the habit into a routine and visualize it.
A study by Gail Matthews, a professor of psychology at Dominican University in California, found that people who wrote down their goals, shared them with others, and held themselves accountable for their goals were 33% more likely to achieve them (Matthews, 2007). The Habit Tracker, when used consistently and honestly, can help individuals strengthen their self-discipline and make positive and lasting changes in their lives.
Selection and Placement of Activity Cards Everyone has their own sheet.
STEP 1: Think about the habits you want to develop or improve and choose up to three habit cards. Consider habits that correspond to the desired changes in your Routine. If you wish, select up to two additional subjects representing other aspects of your life that you want to track daily, such as mood, water consumption, screen time, exercise, sleep quality, or menstrual cycle. Write them down or place the cards at the top of the poster.
STEP 2: Name your Habit Tracker at the top right and indicate the week numbers on the left side.
STEP 3: Use the lines under each card or notes, which contain 28 days corresponding to a section of the Annual Calendar, to track your progress. The week starts on a Sunday. Mark each day with a checkmark, a note, or any other visual representation that suits your preferences.
STEP 4: Define the frequency and steps to achieve to fulfill your goal. For example, start with 1 time every day for 1 week.
STEP 5: Think about a reward you will give yourself when you reach your goal's milestone. It should be as significant as the effort you will make to follow this habit.
Adapting the Habit Tracker for Your Child
From around two and a half years old, you can also encourage your child to have a Habit Tracker when you want to integrate a new responsibility, such as setting the table, screen time, taking vitamin D, or making their bed. This will empower your child and help them better understand their needs, a sense of organization, self-discipline, and responsibility.
Don't be afraid to let your child choose something fun to do, even if it doesn't seem like a serious responsibility. The card doesn't matter as much. But the joy your child gets from making that mark each day is much more significant. Your child won't do it themselves, except maybe at the beginning, after which they will need you to remind and accompany them.
Tips for Organizing and Personalizing the Habit Tracker
Start small, follow the rule: "less but better". Start with one or two habits to avoid being overwhelmed and to see how you manage to integrate them into your daily life. Before you know whether you will succeed or not, observe if this habit fits with your routines and other responsibilities. First, make sure you have the appropriate time to perform it. It takes at least 3 months to integrate a habit (good or bad) into your life.
Keep the Habit Tracker in a visible and easily accessible place so it serves as a constant reminder and source of motivation.
If you have trouble following a habit, ask yourself why. Is it not the right time? Don't you like this habit very much? What do you need to better accomplish it?
The Habit Tracker is also used in parallel with the Weekly Planner. If you can integrate a daily habit into your Routine, it does not allow you to visualize a weekly habit. Thus, you place the card of your habit on the Weekly Planner, at the time that corresponds to your schedule.
References
Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery.
Matthews, G. (2007). The impact of commitment, accountability, and written goals on goal achievement. Dominican University of California.