This year, instead of resolutions I am creating good habits! My days, probably like yours, are super busy and I have very little spare time so I was in need of something to make habit tracking simple and easy.
I did some digging and as a result, I came up with these 3 tips that have made it easier for me to stay on track (pun intended). Implement one or all three of these steps and they should add some ease to your habit tracker practice.
Keep it SIMPLE
Original Photo by Richard Dykes on Unsplash- image has been edited
Don't overextend yourself, start with just one or two habits. Every year I make this LONG list of things I want to change and I always get overwhelmed and things always fall to the wayside by the end of February. This year, I kept it simple and I am only tracking my daily water intake and my weekly reading. Having just two things to track feels very manageable and I am actually looking forward to my progress.
Schedule Reminders
Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash
It may feel like a lot at first but you're working to create discipline and once you start getting into a rhythm you can slowly start to reduce the number of reminders.
According to Psychology today “Habits are learned through repetition...” and what better way to help you with repetition than some alarms/reminders at intervals throughout the day.
"I can turn them off after 21 days, right?" No, not after 21 days. I also thought most habits are formed after 21 days but alas, it appears that is false, a myth! In this interesting article, James Clear references a study that tracked the habits of 96 people and it seems on average it takes 66 days to form a new habit. So folks, it appears that you’re in for the long haul! Set those reminders, they will help.
Use tracking stickers and templates
Photo courtesy of Add Pink and Stir
If you’re like me and your bullet journal and planner are the holy grail, you are probably manually drawing your tracker every day, every week, or every month. STOP! I've created some habit tracker sticker sheets that will save you so much time! I started with a daily water tracker and every day I plop these cuties in my daily Passion Planner and check off each glass of water I drink, as the day progresses.
These 3 steps have been a game changer for me. My habit tracking has become significantly more simple so I get to spend more time on forming the actual habit.
I'm no expert, just a stationery shop owner that loves the Planner life and Paper Goods, so I am counting on you to add your two cents! Let me know what habits you are tracking and any additional tips that may help us simplify our habit tracking.
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