In The Principles of Psychology, William James shared that we’re all bundles of habits—good or bad. And breaking or building habits might require more effort than you expected. Whether it’s waking up early, giving up smoking, or adopting a healthy lifestyle, each requires discipline.
But how do you stay motivated when the long-term benefits aren’t obvious at first? We suggest using a habit tracker to help you stay on course and maintain focus. Here, we’ll discuss the types of habit trackers available and guide you toward selecting the right one for your goals. Whether it’s a habit tracker app or traditional tracking, there’s something for everyone.
What Is A Habit Tracker?
A habit tracker is a visual tool that monitors and records your daily habits. It makes it easy to be accountable and check your progress over time. After all, who doesn’t want an easily accessible accountability partner?
Habit tracking helps you build a productive routine and alerts you if you’re falling behind. When you’re working on forming new habits, visual feedback of your progress can give you a sense of accomplishment. This, in turn, helps motivate you.
Keep in mind that while a habit tracker can assist in building a productive routine, it’s not a quick fix. Mastering a habit takes time and patience. However, through consistency, you’ll be amazed at the long-term results.
How Habit Trackers Work
The idea behind using a habit tracker is quite simple—to keep a record of patterns. Have you ever been in a situation where you can barely recall the activities you did earlier in the day? It’s always easier to have your daily activities checked off somewhere rather than trying to remember them. Reviewing these patterns can help highlight gaps in your consistency and fuel your zeal to address them.
Types Of Habit Trackers
Habit trackers come in varieties, each designed to cater to different preferences and needs. With a clear understanding of the different kinds of habit trackers, you can achieve a smooth and effective tracking process.
Below, we’ve listed the different methods of habit tracking to provide the information you need to make the best choice:
Habit Tracker Apps
A habit tracker app is a digital tool designed to streamline tasks and keep track of daily habits. It manages your daily routines, handles record-keeping, and sends reminders to keep you on track. It also offers features like goal-setting tools and data-syncing across multiple devices.
We’ve rounded up some of the best habit tracking apps that are both simple and convenient to use:
- Habitica
- Streaks
- HabitBull
- Loop Habit Tracker
Habitica
Habitica lets you track your habits in a fun and engaging way. It gamifies the habit tracking process by incorporating role-playing elements. Habitica transforms your routine tasks into daily adventures in the form of quests. You can fight in-app monsters and complete quests with a group or on your own. You can also earn daily rewards and level up for completing tasks.
While the app is light-hearted, you still have to be accountable. Otherwise, the app will deduct HP if you miss your daily targets.
Available on: Apple App Store, Google Play Store, PC.
Streaks
Streaks features a user-friendly interface and is easy to navigate. You can set daily reminders to help achieve your goals and stay productive. The app keeps you motivated by focusing on long-term results. With just a single tap, you can view your daily and monthly progress reports.
If you miss a streak, it will reset to zero and start over. While this can be disappointing, it’s an important feature for remaining accountable. Just like Habitica, Streaks uses this system to encourage consistency.
Available on: Apple App Store.
HabitBull
HabitBull allows you to connect with others who share similar goals. The app fosters a supportive environment and is quite versatile. It also helps you manage multiple habits and view detailed insights of your progress.
HabitBull easily syncs across devices with just the push of a button. It even offers the option to export your data in CSV format to an Excel spreadsheet.
Available on: Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Loop Habit Tracker
The Loop Habit Tracker is an open-source app for Android users. This means its source code is freely available for modification. The app helps you improve your habits over time through reminders, tracking charts, and statistics.
The Loop Habit Tracker app is completely ad-free, allowing for uninterrupted tracking. For sustainable results, focus on one habit at a time, instead of juggling multiple goals.
Available on: Google Play Store.
Habit Tracker Bullet Journal
Bullet journaling is quite simple; all you need is a notebook and a pen. Its beauty lies in its versatility—you can tailor your notes to fit whatever you need. Bullet journals can be used for tracking habits, creating to-do lists, and more. Perhaps their greatest feature is keeping everything organized in one place.
Physical Habit Trackers
If you prefer a more traditional approach to habit tracking, try a printable habit tracker. Physical habit trackers include printed charts, calendars, and tracking boards to monitor habits.
They’re ideal for those who prefer marking streaks on a physical chart over using a digital app or writing in a journal. Their clear visual representation of your progress can help you feel accomplished and keep better track of the whole picture.
Start Tracking Your Habits Today
Old habits die hard, but the right habit tracker can make a huge difference. Choosing a habit tracker that aligns with your unique needs is necessary for breaking old habits or building new ones. Remember, this process is a marathon, not a sprint. Start tracking your habits today and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your long-term goals.
Photo by PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock
