Building good habits is essential for personal growth, productivity, and mindfulness. However, simply deciding to adopt a new habit isn’t enough—you need a system to track and maintain consistency.
In this guide, we’ll explore habit tracking, how to use habit stacking, and ways to choose the right habits to track.
Our advice - leave perfection to rest while you’re on this journey of mindfully building new habits into your daily life. Get excited about the process of exploring new routines and reflect on your own thought process and your ability to adapt and see yourself make a positive change in your life.
Why Habit Tracking is Important
Habit tracking helps you monitor your progress, stay accountable, and gain insight into your behaviours. Whether you use a daily habit tracker in a journal, an app, or a simple checklist, tracking makes your habits more tangible and measurable.
The Science Behind Habit Tracking
Research in behavioural psychology highlights the importance of habit formation and tracking. According to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, habits follow a four-step loop: cue, craving, response, and reward. By tracking habits, you reinforce this loop and create positive feedback, making it easier to build long-lasting behaviours.
James Clear expands on this concept in Atomic Habits, emphasising that small, incremental changes compound over time. Some of his most notable insights include:
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The 1% Rule: Improving by just 1% each day leads to remarkable long-term changes.
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Identity-Based Habits: Focusing on the type of person you want to become (e.g., “I am a runner” rather than “I want to run”) makes habits more sustainable.
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The Two-Minute Rule: When starting a new habit, make it so easy that it takes less than two minutes (e.g., instead of “run five miles,” start with “put on running shoes”).
James Clear also emphasizes the importance of habit tracking in reinforcing behavior. He argues that:
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What gets measured gets improved—tracking creates visual proof of progress.
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Missing once is okay, but never twice—consistency is key, and habit tracking helps prevent slippage.
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Stacking habits reinforces new behaviours—using existing habits as cues for new ones makes adoption easier.
A recent study by researchers at the University of South Australia analysed data from over 2,500 participants across 20 studies to determine the time required to form new habits. They found that, on average, it takes between 59 to 66 days for a new habit to become automatic, with some individuals requiring up to 335 days. This challenges the common belief that habits form in just 21 days. The study emphasises the importance of setting realistic timelines and maintaining consistency when establishing new behaviours.
How to Track Habits Effectively
1. Choose your habits wisely
Not all habits are created equal. Some align better with your personal and professional goals. To determine which habits to track, ask yourself:
• What do I want to improve in my life?
• Which small changes will lead to bigger transformations?
• What daily actions contribute to my long-term success?
Some ideas for great habits to track include:
• Drinking enough water • Exercising regularly •Taking supplements
• Daily steps • Practicing mindfulness or meditation • Reading daily
• Journaling • Limiting Screen Time • Sleeping 7-8 hours per night
2. Use a Daily Habit Tracker
A daily habit tracker is a simple but powerful tool. It can be a:
• Paper journal with a checklist or grid
• Digital app like Habitica, Streaks, or Notion
• Sticky note system
• Printed page with monthly habit tracking grid (scroll down for a FREE template)
The key is consistency—marking off each completed habit reinforces positive behavior and strengthens the neural pathways associated with habit formation.
Most of The Inspired Stories planners include a habit tracker feature. Here are some of our recommendations for products that have habit tracking feature and that will help you stay consistent with your habit tracking:
• Undated Daily Planner Ring Binder Set
3. Leverage Habit Stacking for Success
Habit stacking is a technique where you pair a new habit with an existing one. This makes it easier to integrate new behaviours into your routine.
Example habit stacks:
• After brushing your teeth → Meditate for five minutes
• While making coffee → Say daily affirmations out loud
• After finishing lunch → Take a 10-minute walk
4. Adjust and Reflect
Making small tweaks and celebrating small wins will keep you motivated. Regularly review your habit tracking progress. If a habit isn’t sticking, ask yourself:
• Is this habit realistic?
• Do I need to modify the approach?
• Am I tracking too many habits at once?
Final Thoughts
Tracking your habits is a game-changer for personal growth. By using a daily habit tracker, leveraging habit stacking, and being mindful about which habits to track, you set yourself up for long-term success. Science supports the power of tracking—measuring progress increases motivation, improves self-discipline, and strengthens habit formation.
Are you ready to start habit tracking? Sign up to our newsletter to receive a FREE template for monthly habit tracking & start tracking your habits now!
