Do you use a habit tracker?  Or, are you aware of a habit tracker that is monitoring you?  (We tend to see these at the end of the year when you get your “Spotify Wrap Up” or your year-end credit card statement.) You might have even thought about a habit tracker to get you started on your “New Year’s Resolution.”  If you did think about it and possibly did an internet search to see what tools, suggestions, and applications were available, you might have gotten a bit overwhelmed.  The real question is not really about the habit tracker itself, but the why behind it.  What is it that you are really trying to do: develop a new skill, make sure that you have completed a “must-do” task, or as a way to cope with some of the stresses of daily life?  Fundamentally, habit tracking is a means to an end, a way to support the development of daily behaviors to build self-awareness, consistency, and even resilience.

Of course, there are other ways of solidifying a good habit or behavior. For example, as I was trying to develop a yoga practice to support flexibility and health, I put a quarter in a jar each time I practiced, so I could reward myself with something I wanted after enough change was collected.  (This was a bit better than seeing a little box get checked on a scoreboard, but it still was a habit tracker.)  We also see a number of programs that pass out badges, challenge coins, and other “rewards” when you reach a milestone.  But, again, these are the result, not the why.  A person really needs to look at the why and also reflect on the journey.

Each person is on their own specialized journey, and one of their own making.  We celebrate the common milestones, birthdays, and anniversaries.  We tend to celebrate bigger achievements, graduations, and years of service.  But, each of us track other things, number of books read, number of steps per day, number of days practicing the piano, etc.  These are more personal, sometimes celebrated, sometimes communicated, but they are something you do for yourself, and it is not about the passage of time.  These “streaks” say something about you.  They point out what you “value,” whether or not you have articulated it to yourself or not.  Currently, I am tracking some things very actively, but others sort of snuck up on me.  I have a Duolingo streak of 1,618 days as of this writing (been working on German, but also have done a bit of Spanish and Navajo).  It is also a bit fascinating that I chose to look at the streak today, as 1.618 is the “Golden Ratio,” an idea of symmetry.  It is found in nature, in art, and in mathematics.  But, for me, it is a coincidence that allowed me to focus on the geometry or framework of my current development or the architecture of my daily and weekly actions.  I am building on what is important to me to focus on my goals and what I want to accomplish.  This particular streak is a strong reflection of my value for continuous learning.  It may seem like just a “habit,” but it is one that cannot be maintained without that drive.  

The drive keeps me going, but we all know that streaks come to an end.  For example, I maintained a streak last year that lasted over seven months, listening to a particular podcast daily.  The streak ended when I got busy with family and work.  But the fact that I didn’t return to it after the disruption indicated there wasn’t the “drive” to keep it going.  However, the reason I was listening to that particular podcast, and the streak has restarted in a different way.  The purpose, the why, is still very present, and the new habit is sustained in a much more constructive way.  This is just an example of how our streaks can scaffold our growth and support our lives.

A key to maintaining the streak, habit, or purpose is the why behind it.  Why do you track the number of glasses of water you drink each day?  It is a technique to ensure that you maintain hydration, and it is a tip for helping lose weight (sometimes we eat just because we are thirsty).  Why do we track the number of steps each day? Supposedly, it helps us maintain a level of fitness or supports our health because we have to get up from behind the desk.  Think about what you are tracking or not tracking.  As we rely on our “tools” think smart phone, and calendars, we generally don’t take the time to reflect.  Without reflection and examination, we tend to be adrift in the world, and our lives are less fulfilling.  Understanding what we value and building our scaffolding to help us focus on those values provides a sense of fulfillment and peace, and allows us to maintain the streaks that are important to us.