Track Your habits
Tracking habits is a powerful tool to help you build new behaviours or habits. It acts as a cue when placed somewhere obvious, triggering you to carry out your desired behaviour.
It also acts as a reward when ticking your habit post carrying out the behaviour. This makes it more memorable in your brain and more likely you will continue with this behaviour in the future.
Tracking habits also helps you see how far you have come, and where you can make any changes. FYI Tracking habits doesn't have to be a forever thing, but it can certainly help you when starting out.
4 factors to consider when using a habit tracker
1) Start small with your new habit. Picking something that's too big can overwhelm you and make the whole behaviour less rewarding leading you to give up more easily. Starting small can lead to moments of success. e.g If you are wanting to read more, reading two pages or for two minutes might be a great way to start. You would then build on this over time.
2) Ideally attach this behaviour to something you already do, this is called habit stacking. This connects something you are already doing, with the new behaviour you're trying to build. e.g Using the example above, you could place your book on your pillow each morning, so at night time you literally have to pick up your book as you head to bed. This might be the best time for you to read build your reading habit. Another example might be taking your supplements after brushing your teeth.
3) Place your tracker somewhere obvious. This will allow you to see it which can act as a cue or reminder for the behaviour. Because you are building the habit of using your habit tracker whilst trying to build another habit its sometimes useful to set an alarm on your phone as a reminder whilst also placing it somewhere obvious.
4) Show some self-compassion as you explore using a habit tracker :) This might be super new to you, kind self-talk will help you as you use a tracker.
Below you will find two Habit Roadmaps, one is a 14 Day Habit Roadmap, the other is a month long one. Download either or, or both, whatever works for you, by clicking on the PDF buttons below.
Before using the Habit Roadmap you should also download our Habit Roadmap Goal question sheet and work through steps 1-5. The aim is to find our what your goal is and to create a behaviour change plan so you know exactly when and where you will carry out the desired behaviour. You can do this for each habit you want to build.
Enjoy!! :D