Apr 18Liked by Jeremy Caplan, Andrea Engstrom, MCLC
I have tried many many to-do and habit tracking apps, and the one I've found that I've stuck with is Strides (premium version, which if I recall is $40/year). This is for tracking my habits across many dimensions and types of habits.
For to-dos and other productivity assistance I still rely on Notes a lot for ongoing tracking; I have a Rocketbook habit for that satisfying physical act of checking a box with "paper" and ink, and I'm messing about with Notion and its various templates. I still use To-doist, but I will likely drop that one at some point this year.
Apr 18·edited Apr 18Liked by Jeremy Caplan, Andrea Engstrom, MCLC
Thank you for these suggestions!
Since you asked: I use an Excel sheet that I created, using colors and fonts I really like. I am tracking 10 daily habits, and filling in the colors every day is very satisfying.
Apr 18Liked by Jeremy Caplan, Andrea Engstrom, MCLC
Dear Jeremy, thank you so much for this list.
I have tried a lot of apps to track my streaks but one thing always bothered me was, there are things that I do not want to do every day and there are things that for obvious reasons I could not do on a special day. Sometimes I feel it’s really unfair to loose a streak because I have travelled or I have been sick.
Finally I got attached and stayed with the App HabitBoard https://habitboard.app/ on iOS which gives me all I need to stay streaked 😀.
Apr 18Liked by Jeremy Caplan, Andrea Engstrom, MCLC
Great post, thanks!
What works for me is to have several layers of accountability. I won't go into detail, but I'll highlight two steps. First, I keep a chart of activities in my journal, with a space for ticks every day of the week. At the end of the week, I check the ticks as well as my journal entries, and jot down some successes/failures for the week, plus some ambitions of the next week. I then re-create the list in a new set of boxes to tick, and start the process again.
This helps me in two ways: I see which tasks/habits I'm not finding time for or not really committed to, and it shows my progress in a more realistic quantity so I don't reactively feel bad when I skip days but instead apply some thought on course correction.
I recommend a layered and paced approach, else habit-forming becomes too goal-orientated and not enough focus on the journey/mastery element that is more crucial.
Most of this is on paper, btw. I think habit apps are a waste of time (for me) as they don't occupy a tangible space in my head and are too easy to drop after a few months. Paper holds me accountable. I see the journal sitting there. I physically page through the entries. I highly recommend paper journaling as part of a habit-management system. If you rely on just one app or one technique, I doubt it will last.
I have tried many many to-do and habit tracking apps, and the one I've found that I've stuck with is Strides (premium version, which if I recall is $40/year). This is for tracking my habits across many dimensions and types of habits.
For to-dos and other productivity assistance I still rely on Notes a lot for ongoing tracking; I have a Rocketbook habit for that satisfying physical act of checking a box with "paper" and ink, and I'm messing about with Notion and its various templates. I still use To-doist, but I will likely drop that one at some point this year.
I love that analog ("Ink on Paper") gets a shoutout!
Thank you for these suggestions!
Since you asked: I use an Excel sheet that I created, using colors and fonts I really like. I am tracking 10 daily habits, and filling in the colors every day is very satisfying.
Dear Jeremy, thank you so much for this list.
I have tried a lot of apps to track my streaks but one thing always bothered me was, there are things that I do not want to do every day and there are things that for obvious reasons I could not do on a special day. Sometimes I feel it’s really unfair to loose a streak because I have travelled or I have been sick.
Finally I got attached and stayed with the App HabitBoard https://habitboard.app/ on iOS which gives me all I need to stay streaked 😀.
Thanks for sharing your insights and experiences!
Ralf
Some great apps here, but my favorite habit tool is PolarHabits, so simple and sleek.
Great post, thanks!
What works for me is to have several layers of accountability. I won't go into detail, but I'll highlight two steps. First, I keep a chart of activities in my journal, with a space for ticks every day of the week. At the end of the week, I check the ticks as well as my journal entries, and jot down some successes/failures for the week, plus some ambitions of the next week. I then re-create the list in a new set of boxes to tick, and start the process again.
This helps me in two ways: I see which tasks/habits I'm not finding time for or not really committed to, and it shows my progress in a more realistic quantity so I don't reactively feel bad when I skip days but instead apply some thought on course correction.
I recommend a layered and paced approach, else habit-forming becomes too goal-orientated and not enough focus on the journey/mastery element that is more crucial.
Most of this is on paper, btw. I think habit apps are a waste of time (for me) as they don't occupy a tangible space in my head and are too easy to drop after a few months. Paper holds me accountable. I see the journal sitting there. I physically page through the entries. I highly recommend paper journaling as part of a habit-management system. If you rely on just one app or one technique, I doubt it will last.
Analog habit tracking feels good because it’s tangible. 😂🙋♀️