Resolution Check In & the Importance of Habit Tracking

As I shared in my Top 5 Books blog post, I read the book Atomic Habits to kick off the new year and in that book they spend an entire chapter discussing habit tracking. This is something I would probably have skipped over previously, but since my goal for the new year is to “lean in”, meaning to let myself go in areas where I normally wouldn’t, I decided to give it a go. It just so happened that during this time I was shopping for an agenda and I came across this STIL 2022 agenda that had habit tracking built in! So, I pulled the trigger on the new agenda and decided to really lean in to this habit tracking. I have absolutely loved it so far and it helps much more than I would have expected.

*STIL is a small Canadian-founded, female-run business. Check them out HERE.

Not an agenda person? No problem! I have also used this app DONE which is great for tracking habits.

Apps not your thing either? No problem, we have created a free printable for you to start tracking your habits right away.

Habit Tracking is a bit of a buzz word that seems to be floating around a lot these days, but it’s more than just a trend. There are definite benefits to tracking your habits both in the present moment and for weeks (and hopefully years!) to come.

VISUAL MOTIVATION
Seeing how well (or not well) you’re keeping up your habit is great motivation and hopefully gives you the push to act on it. Keeping your tracker in a place where you will see it every day may help you to remember to keep up that habit without having to add more to your mental to-do list.

ACCOUNTABILITY
When you look at your tracker and see the boxes filled in or ticked off, you are more likely to keep going because you don’t want to break your streak! It keeps you accountable, because if you don’t do it you can’t fill in your box for the day!

INSTANT GRATIFICATION
You don’t have to wait until your habit becomes an actual habit to feel success. Being able to fill in a box each day gives you a moment of success where you can feel proud that today you’ve done something good for yourself. Allow yourself that moment to feel good. This may help the journey to creating a habit seem less of a long road and more of a day by day journey.

Now that January is over, it can be easier to loose the motivation to keep tackling your goals, but don’t give up! It’ll be so worth it in the end. Here are 5 top tips I follow when I begin to feel discouraged or overwhelmed with my resolutions:

  1. Read a motivational book ( or listen to one on audible)
    I loved the book Atomic Habits, if you haven’t read it yet this is a great time to do so! Motivational books could look different for everyone, depending on what motivates you. If you’re in need of some ideas, you could try these:

  2. Start using the above habit tracker ASAP
    A good rule of thumb that I like to live by is to never miss more than one circle! Life happens, we all will miss a day here and there and thats no problem! Just get back on it the next day and don’t let those “missed” days get clumped together. Don’t let yourself get discouraged by the empty space, just use it as motivation to make sure you pick back up and try again.

  3. Have an accountability buddy
    Just having a family member or a friend who will check in on your goals regularly can really help! Or speak about it publicly on your social channels and put it out into the world. People are more motivated to stick with things if they know others are aware of their goals.

  4. Reward yourself
    Set an achievable short term goal that will help you achieve your long term goal, and once it is achieved reward yourself. For example, if you have a goal to eat healthy and you go an entire week with no missed spaces - let yourself have a treat at the end of the week! You’ve earned it and it will show you that habit tracking isn’t all about the grind - it can come with some good moments, too!

  5. Use your vision board
    If you have goals to save money, to get healthy or something else that will have an amazing pay off - put it on your vision board! Saving money means you can go on that trip to Europe or buy your dream home? Put a picture on your vision board! Does healthy look like a six pack or being able to run a marathon? Put it on your vision board! Make sure you can see what your dream outcome looks like so that each day you are motivated to get there.

By implementing even a few of these tips and remembering why habit tracking is so important will help you to make this year the best one yet! I am excited to see how habit tracking helps me to become a better person and achieve my goals in 2022. Like I said above, I’ve created a really fun habit tracker that you can print out each month and customize to track your own habits!

Leave me a note in the comments and let me know what you’re tracking! Let’s be accountable to one another and work towards being the best version of ourselves.

Much Love,

 
Health, WellnessAngela Priceresolution, habit tracking, habits, atomic habits, download1 Comment