New Planner: The Daily Habit Tracker

Editor’s note: The up-to-date versions of all of our planners are available on the Free Planners page.

I’m excited to introduce the Daily Habit Tracker. This habit-tracking tool came about after I worked extensively with clients who all had similar needs when it came to tracking different habits.

When I designed the Daily Habit Tracker, I had a few things in mind:

1. It’s easier to cultivate a habit when you can see how you’re doing with it. Instead of being hit-or-miss with it or relying on memory (“Did I do that yesterday?”), you can track your progress and hold yourself accountable.
2. Tracking your progress makes it easier to spot patterns, which you can then analyze to figure out what’s getting in your way. For instance, if your habit streak ends every Tuesday, you can evaluate what it is about Tuesday that’s a stumbling block for you. In the same vein, tracking your habits allows you to see what is working for you so that you can maintain those elements and continue the habit streak.
3. A habit done daily tends to stick better because it becomes a default for you, and you’ll tend to incorporate it into your schedule more. If you’re inconsistent with a habit, it’s easier for your daily schedule and other factors to displace it, and then you have to work really hard to prioritize that habit.

Let’s dive right into the components of the Daily Habit Tracker.

The Daily Habits Block

You’ll see that you have a block where you can list up to five habits and note why each habit is important. Oftentimes, when you’re going through the motions, it’s not easy to see why a particular habit is really important to you and why it’s worth the effort, so writing it down here can help with that. You don’t have to use this space, but I highly encourage it if it’s a new habit and something that’s unfamiliar to you.

Notice that there is space for up to five habits. If you try to tackle more than five, you’ll probably be taking on too much at once. I chose five because I want you to be thinking about habit stacking — how you might set up a series of habits that build on each other.

For instance, I always make tea before beginning meditation, so if I make tea, I’m going to want to meditate, and if I meditate, I’m also going to want to create a To-Do list for the day. It’s become a natural flow for me. On top of these habits, I’ve recently stacked another one, which is stretching. Now, the sequence is make tea, stretch, meditate, and create my To-Do list. If I try to stretch throughout the day, it doesn’t happen, but if I stack it on something that happens no matter what (making tea), then it automatically sets off a cue for me. It works really well.

PRODUCTIVE FLOURISHING

The Yes or No Block

Here is where you will mark whether you did or didn’t do that habit for the day. This tracking bakes accountability into your day, so you might notice that some habits come easier for you, while others are more challenging. Give yourself credit for your progress. You can also give yourself words of encouragement or jot down some notes of reflection in the left-hand column.

Track Only What You Want to Cultivate

You likely have a lot of habits that you don’t actually keep track of; for instance, you probably don’t need to keep track of when or whether you brush your teeth every day. Habits like that wouldn’t necessarily go on this worksheet.

The Daily Habit Tracker is designed for habits that you really want to focus on cultivating, so it could be a daily writing habit. It could be having a conversation with your partner and being totally present for it. It could be working out. It could be reading a book. It could be any number of things.

So that’s a quick rundown of the Daily Habit Tracker — I hope you use it. It fits with the rest of our planners, so you can print it out every month, put it with the other worksheets, and really think about what habits you’re cultivating. Let us know how it’s working for you.

Editor’s note: The up-to-date versions of all of our planners are available on the Free Planners page.