In this blog I am going to teach you how to create a habit tracker Bullet Journal and a period tracker. I like to monitor my progress, track how far I have come and how far I still have to go.
What is a habit?
A habit is a regular practise that is hard to give up. Habits are not always good like biting your nails or eating to much chocolate (yes their is such a thing!). In this blog I will be referring to ‘healthy habits’ which are things like exercising daily, eating more fruit, drinking more water or making time for self care. These types of habits can take between 18-254 days to form and on average take about 60 days to stick.
Healthy habits often lead to a positive change of lifestyle and can lead us to achieving goals we may have set. I am always creating habits around my goals, they help me achieve them faster! For example this year I would love to read 20 books but surprise surprise, I haven’t been reading lately! So I create a habit around this goal which is to read a chapter a night. It is manageable, completely doable and means that when December arrives again, I would have (fingers crossed) read 20 books.
I have never found creating the habit a problem, it is the sticking to it that always trips me up. Sticking to your habit is obviously the most important part and is the part we all find the hardest. That is where a habit tracker within your bullet journal really comes in handy. It allows you to monitor your progress and make changes along the way so that you succeed in creating a new practise.
What is a Habit Tracker?
Habit trackers are your solution to creating lasting habits but what are they? Well, it’s all in the name! Habit Trackers help you track, daily, weekly and monthly habits. They are a part of your bullet journal that allows you to reflect and succeed. Although today I am going to show you how to create a habit tracker when it comes down to creating your own remember to make sure it works for you. To actually get the most out of your habit tracker, you have to use it! So let’s first look at how to make using your bullet journal a habit.
How to make using your Bullet Journal a habit.
A Bullet Journal will help you be more productive and more organised but only if you use it. In order to stick to your habit tracker, you need to create you first habit which is using your bullet journal daily. Everyday you should be checking in on your daily log, casting an eye over your monthly log and of course your habit tracker. Set a time when you check in on your bullet journal. This is the habit I have built around mine:
- At the end of the month I sit down and set out my next month (I add in important dates or tasks I am already aware of)
- In the morning when I sit down at my desk (with my cup of tea!), I cast an eye over my daily log. I add in tasks that have come up for that day and for other days. I personally add time limits next to my tasks. I find this helps me be extra productive.
- I then flick to my monthly view to check I am not missing anything (like someones birthday) and my future log.
- Then it is habit tracker time. My habit tracker is a form of self care. Why? because everything in it is going to positively benefit me. I then check off any habits I have already done sometimes from the night before or that morning. I also check in on the ones that are still to come like my lunch time work and flick to my daily log to make sure it is scheduled.
- This might sound like a lot but in reality it only takes me a few moments and it gives me time to gather my thoughts, formulate a plan around my to-do’s and get cracking with my day.
- Remember that the whole point of a bullet journal is to make your life easier not harder so form a habit around it that suits you.
How to create a Habit Tracker Bullet Journal ?
It’s time for me to show you how to re-create this travel themed habit tracker. At a time when most of us can not travel near and far like we normally do, I thought we should all be able to travel the world from the comfort of our Bullet Journal. I hope this offers us all hope and helps to excite us for future adventures.
The Doodle
This habit tracker has a hot air ballon doodle on it. Imagine being with your besties looking down on the world while the sun is setting. This is a monthly habit tracker so for the next month you could carry on the travel theme but with a different doodle. Here are some doodle suggestions –
- A palm tree (who doesn’t want to be on a tropical island)
- A bowl of pasta (Hello Italy)
- A mountain
- The sun (shining, rising or setting)
- World monuments like the Eiffel Tower
To draw this hot air balloon doodle, first sketch it with a pencil, go over it with a black waterproof pen and then shade it in with watercolours. Use a light grey watercolour for shading and then a brighter colour to highlight/make the doodle pop.
The Lettering
For the main lettering ‘habit tracker’ first write the letters in pencil. Then go over with a black waterproof pen and finally shade with grey watercolour or white gel pen to make them jump off the page. You can pick the type of lettering you would like to do but here I have used block lettering. It is easy to read and stands out on the page.
The Habits
For the rest of the page start with a pencil. Rule out a table. Leave enough room for the amount of habits you want to add. The mark out all of the days and dates along the top. Rule vertically and horizontally. Once this is done, double check that you are happy with it before going over it with black pen. Make sure that the pen is all dry before lightly spreading some watercolours over the habits and days. You can use two different colours like I have or whatever you think would suit your spread. Bullet Journaling has no rules, its all up to you!
Make sure then to leave a gap, rules up your notes section in pencil, shade the outside with watercolour and the inside shade lines to grey that you can write in.
Once you have completed these steps, you have a habit tracker which you can use for the month. You also have the template for other habit trackers throughout the year. Make sure to experiment with the colours and designs so that it matches your personality.
With the help of your habit tracker, you will be smashing your goals and creating healthy habits that stick each month! Whether you are at university, in full time work or at home, habit trackers are your key to success.
Bonus! How to create a period tracker.
Do you find digital period trackers confusing? Because I do! I find it much easier to have everything in my bullet journal. Sticking with my travel theme, this period tracker is Paris (fashion) themed. It is very easy to re-create.
- Start by sketching small blocked letters in pencil. Lay them out like I have above. Once you have them the way you like them, shade the inside with black pen and the outside with white gel pen. The lightly paint circles over them with pink and yellow watercolours. Write tracker first in pencil and then trace over with pen.
- Sketch out the outline of a dress that is on a mannequin. Make sure the bottom of the dress is wide enough to put in each date of the month. Add in the details (like the top of the dress). Then rule out the inside of the dress, write the dates in. Grab your black pen and draw over the pencil carefully. After that grab your watercolours and paint the top of the dress pink and yellow like the letters. Add in some light shading with your black pen.
- When your period arrives you can mark the days on the tracker. I paint mine each day with a watercolour but you could just put a cross through to save time. Now each month you can flick back and compare dates.
Get creating!
If you re-create my habit tracker or period tracker please take a picture and tag me on Social Media.
Follow me on Instagram here.
Did you enjoy this blog? Let me know in the comments below.
Thank you for reading and happy journaling,
DR Hema
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