Habit Tracking and Why You Should Start
Tracking habits with a beautifully designed printable habit tracker is an awesome tool for measuring progress, staying motivated & dedicated. you’ll feel accomplished when you color in those boxes, I PROMISE!
My lovely friends, I am overwhelmed, unorganized, and unfocused sometimes, and other times I am amazing at all the things. TikTok would have me thinking I’ve got ADHD, and while I very possibly could, I am scattered at the least. So I have come up with a way to keep me on the path of creating some good habits for myself.
raise your hand if…
- You set out to lose some weight, but gave up along the way?
- You decided to learn a skill, but ditched it after a few tries?
- You tried to meal plan, and quit after a week?
- You tried to organize yourself or house, and you just can’t seem to stick to it?
These are all goals and things I’ve decided to set out to accomplish but have completely failed. I’m sure you’ve failed a few times too. Some goals are easier to grab than others, and that’s ok. For those harder ones that involve a little more, we fail because of the lack of determination, self-discipline, and/or consistency.
As an athlete for basically 20ish years, I never struggled with having self-discipline, determination, or being consistent. It wasn’t until the last few years when I found myself lost in motherhood overwhelm, that I realized I threw those 3 important things to the wind and wasn’t doing anything to reach… well, anywhere.
take a look at your goals
If you’re going to reach a goal, you’ve got to break it into achievable steps. Those mini-goals are achieved by creating habits. Habits are those little things your brain just does automatically, like in a routine. I have been tracking habits for things that will help me achieve a few goals, like losing weight, working on product ideas, and maintaining simplicity in my home.
No one sets out to climb Mount Everest and achieves that overnight. So what are those things that go into losing 10 pounds, making products to sell in my shop, meal planning for my family, or actually climbing Mount Everest? What are the real things you need to do consistently, that will get you there?
break down the big goals
Set your goal. Make sure it’s a SMART goal (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-specific). Saying things like, “I’m going to lose 10 pounds” is a good start, but adding in details is better. “I will lose 10 pounds in 6 months by being consistent with sleep, eating within a healthy calorie deficit, drinking enough water, and moving my body each day.” Whatever the goal, break it down into smaller consistent habits, and add those to the tracker.
The more you track, the more aware you’ll be of how often you do these things. Whatever is in those boxes, aim for 80% consistency. Pretty soon, you’ll have 80% filled-in boxes, and you’ll quickly realize that small habits are the stepping stones you need to reach your goals. Next month, print a new tracker and add your habits (either carry the old ones, or pick new ones).
GET THE TRACKER
All you need is the tracker, a pencil or pen, and a place to hang your tracker where it’s easy to see each day. Getting started is super simple, and your mind will thank you for it.
