If you were one of those nerd kids who always found filling in Scantrons satisfying, you’ll love this printable habit tracker. Created by reddit user u/Propelissa, it’s a complete 2021 calendar in fill-in-the-bubble format.
The creator says it was patterned after a calendar that Fleet Feet has sent as a prize for a Strava challenge. This version is available in an easy-to-print 8.5×11″ size, or an 8×10″ variant if you prefer.
The idea is to use it to track your workouts throughout the year, filling a circle every time you go for a run or log a session in the gym. But you could use it for any habit you’d like.
[referenced id=”937758″ url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/08/you-dont-truly-build-a-habit-until-after-you-break-your-streak/” thumb=”https://www.gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/08/13/vraaoiii9wtgnafmb7iz-300×169.png” title=”You Don’t Truly Build a Habit Until After You Break Your Streak” excerpt=”Keeping up a habit every day is a classic hack. Whether you track that with a row of red X’s on a calendar, or you let an app give you badges for consistency, a streak can help you get a habit started. But that’s just the first step. You find…”]
As we’ve written before, there’s real power in rewarding yourself with dinky little tokens of commitment, like stickers on a chart or checkmarks on a calendar. You aren’t working for the prize, because the actual prize is worthless. Instead, the reward is that you get a visual of your own persistence and dedication. The more you do, the more evidence you have to prove to yourself that you really are a runner, or a lifter, or a person who gets shit done.
If you do different activities, consider using a rainbow of pencils or markers to log what you do each day: running in red and strength workouts in blue, perhaps. Or you could colour-code your workouts by intensity. Or borrow running coach Jenny Hadfield’s mood tracking: red if a workout is a struggle, orange if it was fine, yellow if it felt great.
For more ideas on how to track your workouts with pen and paper, check out our tips on setting up a training journal. Apps are fine, but there’s something special about watching your progress on a physical item you can stick in your notebook or post on your wall.
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