Example
Read 1 page after coffee
Total days done: 4
Want a full plan with a cue and a back-up for missed days? Make a habit plan. Prefer paper? Print a blank habit tracker.
How this tracker counts
Total days done, not a streak
Every day you tick adds one to the total. A missed day leaves it where it was; only unticking a day lowers it. There is no current streak to lose. “Longest run” shows your longest stretch of days in a row, as a side note. To see where your total sits on the research ranges, use the habit timeline.
After one missed day
In a UCL study of people forming a new daily habit, missing a single day did not materially affect habit formation. It looked at single missed days, not longer breaks. So after one missed day the tracker shows that, and your own “If I miss a day, then I will …” line if your habit has one.
After two or more missed days
The tracker shows a restart card instead: pick it up today, smaller if needed. You can make the tiny version smaller right there. Your total stays as it was.
Habits you want to do less
A habit you are cutting down on shows a “Caught it today” button instead of a tick, and counts the days you caught it. It has no missed days and no runs.
Ticking past days
You can tick or untick today and the 6 days before it. Days before a habit's start are greyed out and never count as missed. Up to 3 habits can be active at once; archive one to make room, and its days are kept.
What happens to what you type
Your habits are saved in this browser only and are never sent anywhere. “Export CSV” makes a file on this device that opens in Excel or Google Sheets. Anyone using this browser can see these habits; “Delete everything” removes them. For a habit with a cue and a plan for missed days, make a habit plan first and press “Start tracking”.
Not sure what to track?
Browse habits to track, ideas by area with a tiny version each, and add up to 3 at once. For reading or studying, the reading log adds pages and books finished, and the study planner adds subjects and a weekly plan.
Print it or use a spreadsheet
The printable habit tracker prints your habits from this browser on a month, 30-day or weekly sheet, or a blank one. For Google Sheets or Excel, get the habit tracker template.
If you need help now
These tools are for everyday habits. They are not a crisis service. If you are struggling or don't feel safe, you can contact:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): call or text 988, or chat online. Free and confidential, 24/7.
Emergency services (911)
US: call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate harm or danger.
Samaritans
Samaritans (UK and Ireland): call 116 123, free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Emergency services (999 or A&E) · NHS 111, mental health option
UK: call 999 or go to A&E if someone's life is at risk or you can't keep yourself or someone else safe. For urgent help that isn't an emergency, call 111 and choose the mental health option (NHS).
Elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
Sources
- Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J (2010). How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. European Journal of Social Psychology 40:998–1009. doi:10.1002/ejsp.674
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
- Contact Us. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. 988lifeline.org
- Contact a Samaritan. Samaritans. samaritans.org
- Where to get urgent help for mental health. NHS. nhs.uk