#69, How to Track Habits Like a Pro

Just a few minutes ago my phone made a very recognizable tone and I knew I needed to check in with my daily reset practice. I stopped, I did my five minutes of journaling, then I got back to work. On the app on my phone I can see a streak of several days that I have followed through with the habit.

What is habit tracking? 
Habit tracking is simply keeping track of how many days, weeks, or months in a row that you have followed through with a specific habit. 

Why would you want to do that? 
Installing new habits reminds me of roads I see out in the pastures. I’m a farm girl and these roads cut into the pasture because the farmer or rancher has driven there so many times that the weeds and grass no longer grow in the ruts. That is the way habits work too. If you do the same thing over and over, that will be the easiest road to take and the old roads will get overgrown, making them difficult to go back to. Every Time you do that new habit you're paving the new path and letting old habits fade away. Consistency is key, but it can be very hard to see. No one really notices if you remember to do your breathing exercises once a day or take the dog out for a walk. You might not even really know how well you are following through with that habit unless you have some way to track it. That is what we are talking about today. Today I’ve got 8 helpful hacks to allow you to start keeping track of your habits like a professional. 

1. Use an app. There are great apps out there. They allow you to put in multiple habits and will notify you when you have got them done. Then you can look at that day, see graphs, and stay motivated to keep growing. 
2. Use a calendar. Put a little mark on an actual physical calendar each day you get a habit completed. 
3. Color in a chart. You could even use stickers. This is very visual and pretty fun. You can watch your progress grow. 
4. Set an alarm on your phone. This could be a reminder to do that habit and/or to mark down its completion. 
5. Ask someone to become accountable to you. Sometimes simply sharing your goal with someone can make them feel invested and excited about your journey and that can make you accountable to your progress.
6. Set up multiple streak celebrations. For example, you might celebrate with a special coffee on day seven or a hike in your favorite park when you reach a streak of 14 days. Whatever your celebration/reward is, make sure it is relevant and exciting to you. 
7. Share your streaks. I love this one. Once again it will help you stay accountable but it can also be incredibly inspiring to others. 
8. Document other changes along with your streak. For example, when you get to a 21 day streak you weigh X amount of pounds or when you get to a 40 day streak you can run x amount of minutes. This is motivating all in itself, reminding you of how that habit is changing your life. 

Whew! I hope 1, 2 or even five of those hacks are something that you can put in place right away and start doing to enjoy progress in your goals. I’m so excited for what you are working on. And, could you do me a favor? If you try out any of these hacks or tips, could you share them on social media and tag me? For both Facebook and Instagram my handle is Armendariz.Lora and it would mean the world to me to see what you are doing with these ideas. 

Okay, that’s it for now. But, before you move on to the exciting and amazing doings of your life, it would really mean a lot to me if you would write a review. It doesn’t have to be long but it will help others find this podcast and I really believe we can all use more positivity in our lives. 

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