Another Week of Questions: Monday

Last July, I tried something different . . . and it turned out to be pretty fun . . . so I'm going to do it again! 

Every day this week, I'm going to ask YOU a question.
(You can answer in the comments.)

Today's question . . . is about keeping track of yourself.

Do you track anything . . . habits, intentions, or the like? And if you do, what kind of system do you use?

I track . . . all kinds of things. Mostly, I just jot things down in my daily planner (which is very loosely based on a bullet journal, but not nearly that "system-y"). I track fitness plans and dinner menus, blog post ideas and moon cycles, medications, that kind of thing.

But I also track . . . whether I'm on track.

You see, several years ago, when my one-little-word for the year was balance, I figured out that there are five things I need every day to maintain my personal equilibrium. These five things are: Meditation, movement, time to reflect (journaling), time outside (weather be damned), and some sort of creative activity. Ever since I figured out my "five things," I've tracked them in my planner. 

This basic and simple tracker . . . works for me. I know there are a million different ways to track personal habits and intentions of this nature -- from more formal bullet journaling to downloadable checklists to highly specialized apps. As for me, I just prefer a good old-fashioned paper-and-pencil checklist. I just like being able to "see" that I'm doing okay . . . or that I'm headed for trouble - balance-wise - with a quick glance at my "tracker." If there are too many blank spots or inconsistencies, I can course-correct. Or batten down the hatches.

(Besides, I really like filling in those little grid squares!)

How about YOU?
Do you keep track of yourself?
And what system do you use to keep track of it?

I can't wait to hear your stories!

==

Be sure to check back tomorrow . . . for a new question.

 

Comments

[Juliann]

I am rubbish at tracking but that doesn’t stop me from trying! I have a little bubble tracker that I got when I took a class with Cathy Zielske. It has little bubbles numbered 1 - 31. I printed a bunch of them on sticker paper and each month I add one or two to my planner and track things like days on the mat, days walking, or days knitting. It is fun to see those little bubbles all filled in. I do use a Fitbit which is a great way to track my movement and I am inspired by the reading insights that Kindle gives me.

[Bonny]

I envy your tracking abilities! They are simple enough that the process doesn't overwhelm the product and you can see things easily. I am a terrible tracker. It's probably because there isn't much that I have needed to track, and I might also lack the ability to track things on a consistent basis. I use goodreads to keep track of books but that is because I started to read books that seemed familiar and I couldn't remember if I had read them or not. This way I can see what I've read and not re-read it accidentally because my memory is awful. I use the 10% Happier app to meditate and it gives me a check mark for every day completed. That's a nice little thing to see, but those are the extent of my poor tracking!

[Carole]

I use an app on my iPhone called Habit List. I like it because I can set up the frequency of habits so I can have some be daily habits, some be weekly habits, etc. It shows streaks and it acts as a reminder to do certain things. Some of the habits I track are movement, meditation, flossing, journaling, feeding my sourdough starter . . . and more!

[Dee]

I track my blood sugar. (There's an APP for that.)

Other than that, I'd really *want* to track things, but I don't. I do for awhile. Then I don't.

[Vera]

I'm not much of a tracker. I do track our expenses - an Excel spreadsheet that I've used for years. I keep a small book/journal with the books I've read (name, author, my rating 1-5) just for fun and I am also keeping in the same book pictures of my finished knits and stitching. Just to see what I do in a year. nothing special by any means. Oh, and I do keep a record of my blood pressure and blood sugar and weight daily.

[Debbie]

I'm pretty set in my ways as far as exercise and meditation/prayer. I'm not much of a tracker, but I use a planner to note down daily tasks. My problem is that I feel I must complete all the tasks I set for myself each day before I enjoy my creative pursuits.

[Mary]

I use Sleep Cycle which tracks my sleep habits, but mostly because I like the white noise it produces.

Just got back from my annual (got my flu shot there and dropped into CVS for a walk-in COVID booster) and I now have to track my BP again... Dang it, pandemic eating, drinking, and stressing!

Guess I'll get back to tracking my yoga practice also... It'll help on all fronts!

[Sarah]

Most of what I track is related to fitness/health through my Fitbit app. I do track calories and steps, and it tracks my exercise for me. It's interesting to see trends, but mainly it's become a habit and it helps me to stay active and healthy.

[Patty]

I don't track much. I do feel accountable to the rings on my watch but so far that's it! I may incorporate a little more soon...I'm particularly interested in better meal planning. I like to cook and now that it doesn't have to be at 6:00 I'm excited to expand our horizons!

[kim in oregon]

I try and I try and I try.

[kathy b]

I do track my weight since I began with Weight watchers 5 years ago. No wait 7 years ago. I 1ost a1most 60 1bs over 2 years. Then I kept it a11 off unit1......1ast winter. I gained 12 back and cannot seem to 1ose it. But Im not gaining either.
I have to get on the sca1e a few times a week to stay in check

[Kat]

I keep track of some things... meditation used to be on that list until it seemed redundant because my day did not function without it. Mostly the things I track are the things I need to remember to do! :)

Excellent post!

[Geri]

I do track my exercise especially when I’m away from home. When I’m in Florida I track my miles walked. Other than that I don’t do much tracking.

[kmkat]

A year ago last March, 3/19/20 to be exact, I started an Excel spreadsheet to track COVID-19 cases and deaths in places that mattered to me: world, US, Wisconsin, Polk County W (where I Iive), and McKinley County NM (where Elder Son and wife live). Eventually I realized that this was my way of *controlling* covid. By December of last year I was no longer updating it every day and right now the last update was 8/31/21, all thanks to the vaccine -- I let the vaccine control it so I didn't have to. 8-)

[kmkat]

The other thing I track consistently is the books I read, using goodreads.com. I have a shelf for each year, and once the year is done I download it to Excel and add it to my master s/s. I started keeping track in 2010(!). This is invaluable when a book or author seems familiar or I wonder if I read a particular book.

[Eileen]

Every year I try to track important things to me in my life. I buy a NEW planner, journal books and do a good job for about 2.5mo. Then , I misplace the planner, journal and when I find it around Oct-Nov. it's pretty much blank pages. Consistancy is not one of my virtues, laziness is though as well as good intentions, I am also becoming more and more forgetful....darn that aging thing.

[Vicki]

I'm gonna have to say NOPE. I did track my Duolingo progress in a Bullet journal that I kept for 5 minutes a few years ago... until I reached a particular goal and then done (both with tracking & the journal). I wear a Fitbit and check my steps & sleep, but I don't feel like that's ME actively tracking anything... all I have to do is wear the device. I left a trail of empty diaries in my youth, too.

[Margene]

This is an easy answer. I have never tracked anything. I don't journal (and never have for any length of time. I have a calendar with appointments and that's as far as it goes. Goodreads is a tracker, I guess, but that's as far as my tracking goes.