Habit trackers are one of my favorite tools for saving space in my planner, color coding and saving time. If you’re tired of using the same style of habit tracker or you’ve decided to start using one, here are some ideas and what they are best for!

Habit tracker ideas

Landscape page orientation

This is my favorite type of habit tracker. I can track lots of habits including business and personal on the one page. There’s more room to write the habits / recurring tasks and the boxes are big enough to use 0.25″ stickers.

If you’re using a small notebook e.g. A5 size (similar to just about every dot grid journal that’s out there) and you don’t want to turn the page, use a printable.  Add a strip of washi tape on the shorter side, and fold it into the book. Then when you want to use it you can unfold / pull it out.

Not sure what to track? See this post:100 things to put in your habit tracker of your planner or bullet journal (plus free printable habit tracker)

Spread across 2 pages

This type of habit tracker is ideal if you’re using a small notebook and want to keep everything horizontal I.e not use 2 rows of dates on the one page. It’s a good way of avoiding Landscape page orientation too.

If you want a planner that already has something like this, try Plum Paper or any planner that has teacher attendance style tracker pages.

Separate boxes for each habit

If you don’t have too many habits to track and have the space, this is a good way to add some color to the page and spread things out. It is one of the most time consuming to set up freehand though. If you’re after a printable see here

Related: 12 Planner Layout Ideas for Monthly Habit Tracking in Your Bullet Journal

Planner stickers

See my shop for planner stickers or get the skills you need to make your own in my ecourse.

Planner stickers come in various shapes, colors and sizes. Use a daily habit sticker for vertical planners, or a couple in the sidebar. Track multiple habits on the 1 sticker etc.

Icon stickers are ideal If you don’t have many habits to track and you don’t want to flick back to the monthly view (plus there are tons of icon stickers to choose from!)

Related: Using MAMBI inserts and Carpe Diem planner stickers for a colorful weekly spread!

Multiple duration’s on the one page

If you want to save space you could combine your weekly and monthlies on the one page…

Or if you need more space use 2 pages and add your dailies as well.

This is my favorite format for recurring business tasks and keeping on top of cleaning.

Project planning for annual overview

Instead of using a typical annual overview page where there’s lines to write events for each month (which involves re-writing the same things if it happens over multiple months). I’ve switched to an annual habit tracker style format (from this printable set in my shop) to map out projects for the year.

I create a graph / gantt chart by doing a border outline when I’m planning on working on things.  Then once it’s underway I draw lines. Once it’s done I completely color in the boxes. Similar to how I track the progress of tasks in my planner using checkboxes.

I’m not posting a photo of it as it’ll give away what’s coming to the blog, but the Unbound planner has a similar page layout to the one I use so you can see what I mean:

Portrait for space saving

If you don’t want to turn the page around each time you check off habits, download this free portrait monthly habit tracker here

Weekly

I once used only a habit tracker to plan the entire week. It worked well for tasks that don’t occur every day and which you may find yourself re-writing. However I wouldn’t use only a habit tracker. I’d add a 3rd page to a weekly spread like this one:

Related: Agendio Review (custom, personalised weekly planner) 

A few things to keep in mind:

• If you want to use a printable, check that it’s Editable – i.e. that you can type in your own tasks before printing. If you want to try one there’s some in the free printables library
• Laminate and use a dry erase maker (i.e. reusable)
• Keep your habit trackers clustered behind a separate tab in your planner, or keep them with the month
• You could add 2 extra columns – one for goal and the other for actual
• Portrait page orientation will give more lines if have a lot of habits
• Color coding. Use a different color for each month, or use a different color for each thing e.g. one habit tracker for personal and one for work
• Minimalist – if you don’t want to do colors, do a pattern instead

Need some habit tracking printables? Get this kit from my shop!

More planning tips

• Minimalist black and white weekly spread in the Moleskine Weekly Planner
• 7 Alternatives to the Erin Condren Hourly Weekly Planner
• Best highlighters for planning 

Found this post helpful?