I first heard the term “Habit Tracker” from James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits.
What is a Habit Tracker?
A habit tracker is a simple way to measure whether we are following through on our planned habits.
For example, if we regularly exercise in the morning every day, do we mark a reminder on our calendar for the exercise dates? If we have been consistently exercising since January 1, 2023, then there are currently nine dates that have been checked off.
A habit tracker is helpful for a number of reasons, including:
- Habit tracker creates a visual reminder to prompt you to take action.
- A habit tracker provides additional motivation after seeing the progress we have made. We want to maintain the streak of good habits we have established.
- A habit tracker becomes a tool to record our successes, which in turn motivates us to be even more successful.
I have been practicing alternate-day fasting since the first week of December 2022, and I also started exercising regularly at that time. As part of my planned efforts to achieve my desired goals, I use the habit tracker mechanism as follows:
- I mark the dates I successfully fasted and the dates I had to skip (for example, when large family guests come on Saturdays and Sundays). From this, I can see my discipline trend.
- I use the Abs Workout app as a habit tracker to ensure no missed days. If I have already done nine consecutive days of exercise, it would be a shame to have a gap in the schedule. This motivates me not to let any dates slip through the cracks.
- I also use the Abs Workout app to record the calories “burned” during exercise. This record number is automatic because it is related to the type and amount of exercise. Because I am following a 30-day abs workout schedule, there is an increase in the number of calories burned every day because the practices become more numerous and longer in duration as time goes on.
- I record my blood pressure and weight regularly every morning and evening. From this, I can see that my blood pressure has become standard in the range of 115 to 130 for systolic and 70 to 85 for diastolic. Previously, my blood pressure was 140 to 155 for systolic and 90 to 110 for diastolic.
- My weight is also gradually decreasing, from 81 to 82 kg in early December to 75 kg in the second week of January 2023.
These things are an added satisfaction: what I am doing benefits me according to my desired goals and plans.
Using a habit tracker has made me change other things in parallel. For example, I no longer drink sweet tea (tea with sugar) or sugary drinks. I have replaced sweet tea with lemongrass tea and bay leaves without sugar or warm water with lemon as the latter help improve digestion and metabolism. I have also reduced my rice consumption, eat relatively less, usually only twice a day, and rarely eat a snack. I also sleep and wake up earlier, so I feel more energized and refreshed in the morning.
I also don’t drink ice, reduce fried foods, reduce frozen foods, and walk or bike more for short distances. This happens automatically because the time for meals is also relatively shorter.
I remember the quote below :
- The best medicine is hunger
- The disease is putting food into the stomach while another food is already in the stomach.
That is excellent advice that can serve as a reminder for all of us.
Good luck to those currently doing programs and activities for the good of themselves, their families, and the wider community.
Using a habit tracker has positively impacted my life, and I recommend it to others who want to improve their habits and reach their goals.
