Habits
Every habit on the site
Recurring behaviors recorded in public statements.
129 entries · ordered by how many of 62 stacks contain each one, then A to Z
Counts include everyone on record: people who use or recommend an item, and people who discuss it, including critics. They measure neither agreement nor effectiveness.
- FREE, no cost01
Daily reading
A fixed daily reading block, usually books rather than feeds
On record from 25 of 62 tracked people: 23 do it, 2 recommend it - FREE, no cost02
Daily meditation
10-20 minutes of formal practice, most days
On record from 21 of 62 tracked people: 17 do it, 1 recommends it, 3 have discussed it - FREE, no cost03
Daily walking
A long walk most days, often without headphones
On record from 19 of 62 tracked people: 14 do it, 5 recommend it - FREE, no cost04
Journaling
Writing to unload the mind, usually first thing or last thing
On record from 14 of 62 tracked people: 13 do it, 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost05
Cutting out alcohol
Drinking nothing, or close to it: the most common upgrade in these stacks
On record from 13 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 2 recommend it, 6 have discussed it - FREE, no cost06
Gratitude practice
Writing down a few specific things you are grateful for, daily
On record from 13 of 62 tracked people: 11 do it, 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - FREE, no cost07
Deliberate solitude
Regular time with your own thoughts and no other inputs
On record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 9 do it, 3 recommend it - FREE, no cost08
Early rising
A fixed, early wake time, often before anyone else is awake
On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 10 do it, 1 has discussed it - FREE, no cost09
Daily writing
Write something every day, published or not
On record from 10 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 2 recommend it - FREE, no cost10
Napping
Short early-afternoon naps: useful, but easy to get wrong
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it, 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - FREE, no cost11
Daily minimum workout
A floor you never drop below: 20 minutes of movement and recovery on your worst day
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 4 recommend it - FREE, no cost12
Dim the lights at night
Low, warm, low-placed light for the last few hours of the day
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 4 recommend it - FREE, no cost13
Phone out of the bedroom
Charge it in another room and buy an actual alarm clock
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 recommend it - FREE, no cost14
Phone-free first hour
No email, news or social media until you have done something of your own
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 recommend it - FREE, no cost15
Weekly review
One scheduled hour a week to close loops and plan the next one
On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it - FREE, no cost16
Pre-workout music
Headphones on, a set playlist, and a fixed cue to switch into training mode
On record from 5 of 62 tracked people: 5 do it - FREE, no cost17
Afternoon caffeine cutoff
A cutoff in early afternoon; caffeine's half-life runs longer than most expect
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - FREE, no cost18
Calorie and macro tracking
Logging food against a calorie and protein target, loosely or to the gram
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost19
Daily prayer
A fixed time for prayer each morning, before the phone and before the day starts
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - FREE, no cost20
Daily step target
Hold a fixed daily step count so everyday movement does not quietly shrink on a diet
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 2 recommend it - FREE, no cost21
Margin notes
Writing in the margins while reading, especially where you disagree with the author
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost22
Personal mantra
A quote kept where you will see it before you perform, taped up or written on your gear
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - FREE, no cost23
Thinking retreats
Blocks of time cleared of the schedule to sit with one hard problem
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 has discussed it - FREE, no cost24
Time with family and friends
Protected off-hours with the people who knew you before the job did
On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.25
Batch cooking protein
Cook a week of chicken, lean meat or fish in one session so protein is always to hand
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - FREE, no cost26
Deliberate discomfort
Choosing the thing you do not want to do, daily, as its own training
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 2 recommend it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.27
Diet soda and non-nutritive sweeteners
Zero-calorie sweetened drinks used in place of sugar or as an appetite tool while dieting
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - FREE, no cost28
Habit tracking
Mark the calendar every day you do it, then protect the chain
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - $$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.29
Personal trainer
Paying someone to program the session and push you through it
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost30
Quitting social media
Deleting the accounts rather than trying to use them less
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 has discussed it - FREE, no cost31
Regular check-ins with friends
A standing group chat or text that asks how you actually are
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost32
Regular weigh-ins
Weighing in a few times a week and reading the trend, not the daily number
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - $$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.33
Talk therapy
Regular sessions with a therapist, kept up long after the crisis passes
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - FREE, no cost34
Warm bath or shower before bed
Warm water an hour or two before sleep drops core temperature after
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost35
Written goal sheet
Goals written down, in numbers, and kept where you see them every morning
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.36
Antilibrary
Shelves holding more unread books than read ones, kept that way deliberately
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.37
Bridge
Contract bridge, played at a table or online, several sessions a week
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - FREE, no cost38
Daily hydration target
Drinking to a set daily volume, often half your body weight in ounces
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 has discussed it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.39
Eating the same meals every day
A fixed set of meals repeated for weeks so food needs no decisions
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 has discussed it - $$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.40
Golf
Hours outdoors, walking, with a problem to solve that is not your own
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - FREE, no cost41
Hot water with lemon
A mug of hot water with a slice of lemon, to start the day or wind it down
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.42
Morning apple cider vinegar
A tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water, usually first thing
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - FREE, no cost43
No eating close to bedtime
Finishing the last meal a few hours before sleep so digestion is done by lights out
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost44
Open calendar
An appointment book kept almost empty so most days are free for reading and thinking
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - FREE, no cost45
Scheduled rest days
Fixed days off training each week so recovery is planned rather than forced by injury
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - FREE, no cost46
Screens off an hour before bed
Phone, laptop and TV closed for the last hour, replaced by a book or nothing at all
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost47
Training first thing
The workout goes before the workday; a session planned for later tends not to happen
On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it On record from 1 of 62 people · 82 entries, A to Z
- FREE, no cost
A high savings rate
Bank a large share of income by spending well below what the income allows
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost
Accountability mirror
Telling yourself the blunt truth in the mirror every day, then fixing it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Act on the thing causing stress
Make the first call or send the first email on whatever is nagging at you
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Asking for criticism
Book regular time with your manager and ask what you should be doing better
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost
Asking for help
Four words, can you help me, used on purpose rather than as a last resort
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost
Batch processing email
Sit down once and clear thirty or a hundred messages in a run
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Blackout poetry
Making a poem by blacking out most of a printed page with a marker
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Breaking one bad habit at a time
Dropping a single habit every six months and leaving everything else alone
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Celebrating your flaws
Point at the thing you would rather hide instead of trying to cover it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Chess
Short games used as a mental reset between blocks of demanding work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Coca-Cola
Several cans of Coke a day, regular or cherry, as the default drink
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Commonplace book
A notebook kept only for quotes and passages copied out of what you read
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Cooking family dinner
Making the evening meal from scratch as the default, kids in the kitchen
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Daily design
Writing the day ahead in the past tense, then scoring it out of ten at night
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Daily olive oil
Several tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil a day as the main fat
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Daily sunscreen
High-SPF sunscreen on exposed skin every day, not only at the beach
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Dark chocolate
A square or two of high-cocoa chocolate, usually after dinner
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Documenting the journey
Filming and publishing the work in progress, failures included, before it succeeds
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Evening reset
Clear today's mess and stage tomorrow before you go to bed
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Extended sabbatical
A month or more entirely off work, announced well in advance
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Falling asleep to podcasts
Narrative audio at lights out in place of a book or the television
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
High five in the mirror
A silent high five to your own reflection after brushing your teeth
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
High-protein frozen meals
Ready meals chosen for protein and fiber when there is no time to cook
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Inbox zero
Empty the inbox by deciding once where every message goes
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Jigsaw puzzles
Thousand-piece puzzles as a screen-free way to switch the mind off
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Jotting ideas the night before
Rough notes at bedtime, organized writing the next morning
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Keeping a streak
One thing every day, with an unbroken count of days as the rule
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Learning something new daily
A short block each day on a skill you have never had before
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost
Lenten fasting
Forty days of giving something up, plus fast and meat-free days, in the Christian calendar
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Lion's breath
One deep breath in, then a big loud exhale, used to break a spiral of frustration
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost
Living without debt
No mortgage, no loans, no balances, chosen for the flexibility not the interest
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Logbook
A few lines a day recording what happened, not what you thought about it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Making the bed
The first completed task of the day, done before anything else
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Mastery hobbies
Recovering through a demanding hobby rather than through rest
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
McDonald's breakfast
A fixed fast-food breakfast picked up on the drive to work, the same few items every day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Memento mori reminder
A daily, deliberate reminder that you are going to die
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Menstrual cycle tracking
Logging cycle days and symptoms, then reading training and fueling against them
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Morning newspapers
A stack of print papers read start to finish before the working day begins
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Morning puttering
A slow, unscheduled first hour or two: coffee, the paper, breakfast, no meetings
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Naming your inner critic
Give the voice in your head a name so you can hear it as separate from you
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost
Nasal breathing
Breathe through the nose by default, including during easy exercise
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 has discussed it - FREE, no cost
No alarm clock
Waking without an alarm, kept only for early flights
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
No fried food or artificial sugar
Dropping fried food, artificial sweeteners and artificial drinks, at least while competing
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
No meetings
Declining meetings and answering in writing instead
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
No meetings with strangers
A standing no to anyone with no existing reason to be meeting you
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
No phone calls after 10 p.m.
A hard stop on calls and conversations late in the evening so the brain can wind down
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
No sugary soft drinks
Water as the default drink, with sugar-sweetened sodas cut out entirely
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
No television
Cutting TV out of solo hours, keeping it as something done with other people
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
No-phone zones
Named rooms, hours and events where the phone is not allowed at all
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Notifications turned off
No alerts, no badges and no social apps, so the phone only interrupts when you let it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Phone away in conversation
Put the phone out of sight when someone starts talking to you
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost
Phone calls after a workout
Spend the flat half hour after training on calls, not on hard work
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Protein coffee
Coffee blended with protein powder, drunk instead of an early breakfast
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Public library
Borrowing instead of buying, and browsing shelves instead of recommendations
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Quitting the news
Dropping the daily news cycle rather than trying to follow it more carefully
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Reading books out of order
Many books open at once, opened at whatever section fits your mood that day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Reading history
Put the reading hours into what already happened rather than into forecasts
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Reading philosophy before bed
Ending the day on a page or two of philosophy, then thinking it over before sleep
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Rereading a small set of books
Going back through the best hundred books repeatedly rather than chasing new ones
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Respiratory rate tracking
Watching overnight breathing rate as an early fatigue and illness signal
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Resting heart rate tracking
Logging morning heart rate and watching for the days it runs high
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Rewriting notes by hand
Copying the same material out longhand, daily, until it sticks
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Rice cakes
Puffed rice cakes as a low-fat carbohydrate that counts itself while dieting
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Saved answers to common requests
Write the reply properly once, then send it every time it repeats
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Saying I don't know
Admit uncertainty out loud instead of producing a plausible answer
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Saying I get to instead of I have to
Swap one verb in your self-talk and the daily grind reads as a privilege
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Saying I love you to friends
End calls with close friends the way family would, and mean it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Sitting on the floor
Using the ground instead of a chair for part of the day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Sleep score tracking
Checking a nightly sleep score from a wearable or app, and comparing notes with friends
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Staying put
Not switching jobs, fields or cities, so skills and trust keep compounding
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost
Taking the stairs
Stairs over elevators, and carrying your own bags, as movement built into the day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
The brain check question
Asking whether a choice is good or bad for your brain before you make it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Time in nature
Deliberate time outdoors among trees, water or open sky, most days
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Training as practice
Treating a session as skill rehearsal rather than a workout to be survived
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - FREE, no cost
Uncomfortable conversations
Say out loud that the conversation will be hard before you start it
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Vegetable gardening
Growing food you then cook, on a plot, a raised bed or a balcony
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Washing the dishes
Doing the dishes by hand after dinner as a fixed, screen-free end to the day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Water before coffee
A full glass of water on waking, before the first cup of coffee
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Weekly cheat meal
Six days of measured eating, then one planned meal with nothing off the menu
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Work and downtime device modes
Two profiles on one device, switched on a clock, so the machine changes job
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - FREE, no cost
Work-life harmony
Treat work and home as feeding each other rather than as a strict trade-off
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - $$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.
Working with a life coach
Regular sessions with a coach who sets priorities and holds you to them
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.