How to Reach Your Goals with a Habit Tracker
Habit (noun)
: a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior
her habit of taking a morning walk
: an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary
got up early from force of habit
-Merriam-Webster
Have you ever heard the phrase “it takes 21 days to form a habit”? Well, while according to some studies that might not be entirely true (or the correct number of days), it’s clear that forming good habits is the key to success. From getting more sleep to eating more vegetables, setting goals and tracking progress can help us stay on track and reach our ambitions. A habit tracker can be an excellent tool for this.
Personally, I use the habit tracker in my Best Self Journal to build healthier habits over each quarter. Each day I set aside time to track my progress and use the insights from this journal to evaluate how my habits are impacting my goals. The habit tracker allows me to be mindful of all aspects of life, by providing a visual representation of different activities. Knowing which habits are working best keeps me motivated, while also helping me identify which tasks should be given more attention.
The Best Self Journal has helped me accomplish so much, both personally and professionally. If you want to try this incredible journal out for yourself, follow this link!
But you don’t need a specific planner or journal to get started harnessing the power of a habit tracker. (Here’s a tutorial with some ideas on how to set up your own!)
Now, let’s talk about how to leverage your habit tracker and reach your goals!
What is a Habit Tracker?
A habit tracker is an organized way of tracking your daily activities or tasks related to achieving a goal. It could be as simple as keeping track of how many cups of water you drink in a day or writing down every time you exercise. The idea behind the habit tracker is that when you physically write down what you’ve done each day, it helps hold yourself accountable and encourages consistency. Writing things down also helps keep motivation high; when you see your progress over time, it will inspire you to continue taking action until you reach your ultimate goal.
I started using a Habit Tracker because my doctors kept telling me, “You gotta get more sleep than you do… You gotta drink more water than you do… You’ve gotta reduce the amount of sugar you eat… and if you’re going to drink alcohol, it needs to be only once or twice a month.” The Habit Tracker pages in my Best Self Journal presented themselves as the perfect place to begin managing these health recommendations.
I began my habit tracking with just three things:
Sleep 7+ hours
Drink 64 oz of water
Movement practice
It became something like a gentle nudge for me, where at the end of the day I might look and think, “Oh, I haven’t had enough water today!” and I could work to rectify the situation.
Why Use a Habit Tracker?
We all know that setting goals is important—but actually taking action towards those goals is often easier said than done! That’s where the habit tracker comes in. By ticking a little box each day, we can stay focused on our goal and make sure that nothing gets overlooked. Habits are formed through repetition; if we keep track of our activities with a habit tracker, we can better stick with them until they become second nature!
How Can You Best Utilize Your Habit Tracker?
When using your habit tracker, start small and build up gradually—you don’t want to track too many habits at once or else it will be difficult to stay on top of them all! As you saw above, my first habit tracker consisted of just three things. Over time it has grown to include more items, but I still work to keep it to a manageable amount so that tracking doesn’t become overwhelming or more of a hindrance than helpful.
I also encourage you to consider adding rewards into your plan—this could be something like making yourself a cup of tea after completing a habit you’re not too excited about (i.e., grooming your dog or folding all the laundry) or treating yourself with a nice massage after reaching milestones along the way (i.e., sticking to a habit for 30 days in a row, 60 days, and so on). The point is that if there’s something tangible that you get out of achieving each goal (aside from feeling great about yourself), then it will give even more incentive to stay consistent with your routine!
What Can You Track?
The possibilities are endless! With a habit tracker, you can track anything that involves consistency. This means tracking habits such as eating healthy, working out, reading books, studying for school or work, getting enough sleep, learning a new language—you name it!
No matter who you are, habit trackers can help you stay motivated and reach your goals faster! Start off by setting small achievable tasks each day and slowly build from there. Remember to reward yourself for completing milestones along the way so that you have an extra incentive to stick with your plan long-term. So dust off those journals, make some room for growth in 2025 –– let's get tracking!
Have a goal but not sure how to reach it?
Need additional accountability to keep you on track?
Developing good habits is essential to achieving the goals you have set for yourself. Our 14-Week Accountability Program has made it easier than ever before to take control of your life, your career, and your projects. In this program, we’ll show you how to establish and track habits that will help you reach a goal you’d like to complete by the end of the quarter.
