Who hasn't tried to track their habits in a habit tracker? It's probably the most well-known method to try and stick to good habits more. It's very visual and satisfying. But despite trying many times, I've never really used it for more than a few days. After a while, I stopped trying and tried to find or create a different method that would work better for me. But I couldn't yet put into words why the habit tracker didn't work for me.
The other day, though, as I worked on my routine menu zine, I realized some reasons why and started writing them down in mind map form. In this post, I share the reflections that came out of it.
My problems with the habit tracker:
— Habit trackers make me focus on the spaces that aren't filled, the unchecked boxes, instead of the ones that are filled and indicate that I did a specific habit. That, to me, makes it more demotivating, and once I start seeing that there are 'too many' spaces left unchecked, I want to give up. It feels competitive, somehow, and that's not the point of habits for me.
— Using a habit tracker also makes me focus on the instant outcome (checking a box) instead of the process (doing the habit). I like to focus on doing the habits, because that's the marker of success to me. As well as seeing the real outcomes of habits: a cleaner house from cleaning for 10 minutes every morning, or a stronger body from working out more.
— Because of this focus on checking a box, a habit tracker feels performative to me, like I have to somehow prove something, even if it's just to myself. Again, for me the proof is in the process itself, in the doing.
— Some days I give it my all, and others I can only do a little. Sometimes I write 2 posts in one day, while other days I can't even write a sentence. And that's okay with me, because I'm human and I have different days. But a habit tracker doesn't have room for anything outside the done/not done binary; it's a setup that encourages an "all or nothing" mentality, exactly what I want to avoid because, in my experience, it leads to failure. So for me, habit trackers are too inflexible, they leave no room for nuance or detail. And with that, they leave no real insights, just colorful checked or unchecked boxes.
— For me, logging/tracking things once they're done doesn't necessarily help me actually do them: logging "success" isn't the same as setting up for success. I prefer to set myself up for success through systems that actually help me do the habits I want to do. Because I'll have nothing to track unless I do it, so I prefer to focus on the doing part.
— To me, habit tracking can be fun at the beginning, implementing something new always is — it gives me that extra motivation. But after a few days, it just becomes another habit to stick to, and if it no longer gives me motivation or short-term gratification, it's more difficult to stick to using it and to doing the habits, too.
If you relate to my experience, I'd love to know your thoughts. I can't add comments to the posts, but you can leave a comment in in my last letter, I'll love to read it.
An alternative I've found for myself is creating a routine menu zine, something I carry around and check throughout the day to remind me of the habits I want to do, but with more flexibility, intentionality, and less pressure. Read more about it in this post:
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