Get Creative With Habit Trackers to Make Doing More Fun!

Habit trackers great for monitoring behaviors and can offer a fun way to visualize your SMART goal progress.

Traditional habit trackers focus on doing something with consistent frequency. They can challenge you to maintain a winning streak by not missing a day or to outdo your numbers from the previous month, week or day You can also gain a lot of insight about yourself by finding patterns and learning which obstacles you struggle with most.

They generally look something like this:

SMART goal tracking isn't always condusive to the traditional habit tracker. SMART goals tend to have a specific number attached to them, and may not necessarily be linked to something you do every day. It may make more sense to use a more customized tracker for these.

Because your SMART goals have a clear ending point, counting down may make more sense. Personally, I find these more satisfying and motivating. You can see how far you have come and much you have to go. The clear beginning and end make it easier for me to feel like I have accomplished something.

For example, let's say your SMART goal is to purchase a new computer in 6 months. You have decided to save $210 per paycheck, 2 times each month, to reach a goal of saving $2,500 at the end of 6 months.

Your tracker might look something like this:

I have found that making my everyday goals into SMART goals, can make accomplishing them more fun using custom trackers. They also allow for more flexibility.

For example, if I am trying to run more, I might set it up like a virtual run. Ideally, I would like to average 3 runs per week and miles per run. I'll find a route that I could finish in 1 month to 1 year, depending on how soon I want to finish it.

If I am already running fairly regularly, I might choose something that would take longer. If I am out of the habit of running, I might choose a shorter route that I could finish sooner, so that I will be more likely to stay motivated and engaged.

Longer Tracker (1 year):

Goal: run 3 miles per week for 52 weeks = 468 miles. Hobbiton to Rivendell = 458 miles.

This route is 10 miles short, but having some built-in forgiveness days for bad weather or illness isn't a terrible idea. It also makes it seem less daunting.

I am actually doing this one now. This is my tracker and progress so far:

Shorter Tracker (4 weeks):

Goal: run 9 miles per week for 4 weeks = 36 miles. Yellowstone National Park's South Entrance to Old Faithful = 39 miles.

Below is another one that I am currently using to track my weight-loss progress. I included milestone steps for prizes, and it looks like I owe myself one already!

I have also used these type of trackers for school: homework hours, assignments/exams, the number of times I had to go to a microbiology lab where I had the most horrible lab partner, etc...

What kind of tracking system(s) have you found helpful? I would love to hear from you!

Wishing you a happy and well-planned week!