Bee Habit
Good habits to track are small, specific and easy to judge at the end of the day: drink 8 glasses of water, walk for 10 minutes, read 20 pages. Below are 60 ideas sorted into seven areas of life, followed by a simple way to choose where to start.
Health habits to track
- Drink 8 glasses of water
- Take vitamins or medication
- Eat a vegetable with lunch
- Floss
- Lights out by 11pm
- No caffeine after 2pm
- Cook dinner at home
- Skincare routine
- Go outside in daylight
Fitness habits to track
- Walk 8,000 steps
- 10 push-ups
- Stretch for 5 minutes
- Go to the gym
- Take the stairs
- Yoga session
- Walk after dinner
- 3 workout sets
- Pack gym clothes the night before
Mind and wellbeing habits
- Meditate for 5 minutes
- Write three lines in a journal
- No phone for the first hour
- Write down one thing you are grateful for
- Call a friend or family member
- Screen-free meal
- Spend 10 minutes outside
- Deep breathing before bed
Productivity habits
- Plan tomorrow tonight
- Inbox to zero
- One focused hour before noon
- Make the bed
- 10-minute tidy
- Review your week on Sunday
- Clear your desk before logging off
- Phone on silent during deep work
Learning habits
- Read 20 pages
- One language lesson
- Practice an instrument
- Listen to a podcast episode
- Learn five new words
- Take notes on what you read
- One online course lesson
- Write 200 words
Finance habits
- Log every purchase
- No-spend day
- Move money to savings
- Pack lunch instead of buying
- Check your budget
- Wait 24 hours before buying non-essentials
- Cancel one unused subscription a month
- Sell or donate one item
Creativity habits
- Sketch for 10 minutes
- Take one photo you like
- Play music
- Write a short poem
- Work on a side project
- Cook something new each week
- Knit, sew or craft
- Try a new recipe
- Doodle in a notebook
- Dance to one song
Turn vague goals into habits you can track
Most goals need one more step before they work in a tracker. A few examples:
- "Be healthier" becomes "eat a vegetable with lunch"
- "Get fit" becomes "walk 20 minutes after dinner"
- "Save money" becomes "move $5 to savings every morning"
- "Read more" becomes "read 10 pages before bed"
- "Be less stressed" becomes "5 minutes of breathing after work"
The test is simple: at the end of the day, could a friend look at what you did and agree whether it counts? If yes, it is ready to track.
How to choose which habits to track
Nobody should try all 60. Most people who try to start ten habits in the same week are back to zero by the next one. Pick two or three and add more once those feel easy.
A useful mix is one habit for your body, one for your mind and one for something you enjoy. Make each one specific enough that you can answer yes or no at 10pm without arguing with yourself. "Read more" is hard to judge. "Read 20 pages" is not.
Also decide what type of habit it is. Some are a simple check-off (make the bed). Some have a number (8 glasses of water). Some happen a few times a day (3 workout sets). Bee Habit supports all three types, and it sorts habits into the same seven areas used on this page, so you can filter to just Fitness or just Finance.
Common questions
How many habits should I track at once?
Two or three is a good start. Add another once you are completing the first ones on most days without thinking too hard about it.
Should I track bad habits I want to quit?
Yes. Phrase it as a daily win, such as "no soda today" or "phone out of the bedroom", and fill in a tile each day you manage it.
