21 days.
That’s how it takes the average person to develop a new mindset, which is the start of making a new behavior an actual habit.
Like so many other things in life, action is so much easier to take if you develop them as habits. Easier said than done, though.
That’s why we love habit trackers, which help make changing your habits colorfully fun.
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Recommended resources
- Bullet journal starter kit* that's under $25
- Beautiful dual brush marker set* to pretty up your trackers
- Atomic Habits*, a very popular framework for creating habits
What is a habit tracker?
A habit tracker is basically anything that helps you tally how often you do something.
Technically, you can use anything from tally marks on a piece of paper to counters that you drop into a mason jar, to an elaborate corkboard set-up with lots of colored pins, if you want.
A good habit tracker, though, is one that does more than just count what you’re doing. Ideally, your habit tracker should:
- Motivate and inspire you
- Help you discover patterns in your behaviors, so you know what needs to change
- Make your goals feel fun & exciting, rather than a chore
The most popular type of habit trackers: bullet journal templates or worksheets. That’s because they’re cheap, simple to use, and easy to make or find.
Why should you use a habit tracker?
Here’s the thing with human beings: we’re not great at gauging our progress at stuff.
We tend to think we are doing better than we actually are, but when you actually keep track of what you’re doing, it can be shocking to discover that you’re kinda, no actually, waaaaay, off the mark.
But, it can also be the wake-up call we need to change our behavior.
Plus, using a habit tracker is a super easy way to boost your motivation. You know how it’s oh-so-satisfying to cross stuff off of your to-do list?
Samesies with a worksheet where you can color in, cross off, or mark down your progress towards crushing your goals!
How long should I track my habits for?
In general, tracking your habits for one month at a time, for at least two to three months, is a good place to start.
That’s because it takes the average person about 3 weeks to change their mindset, and just under 7 weeks to make the behavior automatic.
Keeping tabs on your behavior for the first month will show you that change is doable, and keeping up those changes for the second month will seal the deal into making it your norm.
Of course, if you think that continuing to track will help you stay the course or you simply enjoy the tracking process, by all means, keep it going as long as you want!
Free habit tracker templates
Find the best free printable habit trackers that are:
- printer-friendly, minimalist black and white design
- perfect to track anything, from physical fitness to mental health to self-care and more in a bullet journal or planner/binder
- all available as digital files, meaning you can print them instantly
Annual
For long-term habits that will last the year, use this habit tracker that's visually broken down by months of the year.
Conclusion
Use any of these printable habit trackers to ditch your bad habits and replace them with ones that will enrich your life. Download our free habit tracker pdf templates today.
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