How to choose your first habits
A habit tracker works best with a short list. Before you copy twenty ideas into an app, run each one through three questions:
- Can I do it on my worst day? If not, shrink it. “Walk for 10 minutes” beats “run 5 km”.
- Is it clear when it’s done? “Eat better” can’t be checked off. “Vegetables with lunch” can.
- Does it have a home in my day? Tie it to something you already do, like after brushing your teeth or before opening your laptop.
Every idea below says what kind of habit it is. A check habit is done or not done. A count habit has a number, like glasses of water. A timed habit has a duration. A quit habit is something you’re stopping, where a clean day counts as a win.
Morning habits
| Habit | Type | Starter target |
|---|---|---|
| Wake up at the same time | Check | Within 30 minutes of your target |
| Make your bed | Check | Every morning |
| Drink water on waking | Count | 1 glass |
| Morning run or walk | Timed | 15 minutes |
| Stretch | Timed | 5 minutes |
| Meditate | Timed | 5 minutes |
| Journal | Count | 3 lines |
| Take vitamins or medication | Check | With breakfast |
| Eat breakfast | Check | Before 9 am |
| Plan your top 3 tasks | Check | Before work |
| Get morning daylight | Timed | 10 minutes outside |
| No phone for the first 30 minutes | Quit | Clean morning |
Through-the-day habits
| Habit | Type | Starter target |
|---|---|---|
| Drink water | Count | 8 glasses |
| Walk | Count | 7,000 steps |
| Focus sessions | Count | 2 Pomodoros |
| Stand up every hour | Count | 6 times |
| Eat fruit or vegetables | Count | 5 servings |
| Take the stairs | Check | Once a day |
| Inbox to zero | Check | By end of workday |
| Practise a language | Timed | 10 minutes |
| Message a friend or family member | Check | One person |
| Posture check | Count | 3 times |
| Eat lunch away from your desk | Check | Every workday |
| Learn something new | Timed | 15 minutes |
Afternoon habits
| Habit | Type | Starter target |
|---|---|---|
| Workout | Timed | 20 minutes |
| Afternoon walk | Timed | 10 minutes |
| Healthy snack | Check | Instead of sweets |
| Deep work block | Timed | 45 minutes |
| Practise an instrument | Timed | 15 minutes |
| Tidy one area | Timed | 10 minutes |
| Study | Count | 1 chapter |
| Cook at home | Check | Dinner |
| Spend time outdoors | Timed | 20 minutes |
| Review your budget | Check | Log today’s spending |
Evening habits
| Habit | Type | Starter target |
|---|---|---|
| Read | Count | 10 pages |
| Floss | Check | Every night |
| Skincare routine | Check | Every night |
| Gratitude | Count | 3 things |
| Plan tomorrow | Check | Before 9 pm |
| Lay out clothes | Check | For tomorrow |
| Wind-down routine | Timed | 20 minutes |
| Stretch or yoga | Timed | 10 minutes |
| Lights out on time | Check | By 11 pm |
| Kitchen clean before bed | Check | Every night |
| Reflect on the day | Check | One line |
| Prepare lunch for tomorrow | Check | Workdays |
Habits to quit
Breaking a habit can be tracked too. Count each clean day as done, and watch the streak grow.
| Habit | Type | Starter target |
|---|---|---|
| No added sugar | Quit | Clean day |
| No phone in bed | Quit | Clean night |
| No social media before noon | Quit | Clean morning |
| No snacking after dinner | Quit | Clean evening |
| No energy drinks | Quit | Clean day |
| No takeout | Quit | Clean day |
| No impulse buys | Quit | Clean day |
| No doom-scrolling | Quit | Under 30 minutes |
| No nail biting | Quit | Clean day |
| No hitting snooze | Quit | Clean morning |
| No alcohol on weeknights | Quit | Clean evening |
| No screens an hour before bed | Quit | Clean night |
| No complaining | Quit | Clean day |
| No late-night caffeine | Quit | None after 2 pm |
How to track habits so they stick
- Check off as you go. Logging right after you finish is easier and more accurate than reconstructing the day at bedtime.
- Group habits by time of day. Morning habits on one list and evening habits on another make each part of the day a short checklist.
- Use the right kind of target. Counts and timers let partial progress show. Three glasses of water is still better than none.
- Look at the month, not just today. A calendar of each habit shows patterns, like weekends where everything slips.
- Run it as a challenge. Pick your habits for the next 30 days, then review and adjust. See our 30-day challenge ideas.
Tracking these in Chick
Every idea on this page works in Chick, the habit tracker for iPhone and iPad. Habits are grouped into morning, through the day, afternoon and evening, and each can be a check, a count, a timed habit or a quit habit with a progress ring and a streak. Focus sessions use the built-in Pomodoro timer and can count toward a habit.
Questions
What habits should I track first?
Start with three to five small habits you can do on your worst day, such as drinking 8 glasses of water, a 10-minute walk and reading 10 pages. Add more once they feel easy.
Should I track daily or weekly habits?
Daily habits build fastest because repetition in the same situation is what makes a behaviour automatic. Weekly habits, like a long run on Sundays, can be tracked on a schedule alongside them.
Can you track bad habits in a habit tracker?
Yes. Track a quit habit as a clean day, such as no sugar or no phone in bed, and the streak shows how long you’ve gone without it.