How I Track My Habits Without Overcomplicating Everything

Over the past few years, I’ve tried dozens of ways to track my habits—apps, journals, checklists, digital tools, and everything in between.

I used to track habits in my to-do list apps like Todoist (still my favorite for tasks). I’ve also blocked time in my calendar, scribbled in notebooks, and even used Notion for a while. But here’s what I’ve realized:

You need to use the right tool for the right purpose.

To-do list apps are great for managing tasks.
Notion is great for note-taking and documentation.
But most “all-in-one” tools end up becoming cluttered or abandoned.

When it comes to habit tracking, what works for me is using tools that are specifically designed for the job.

Right now, I’m using an app called Habit Tracker.

It’s clean, customizable, and integrates with Apple Health, so it automatically tracks things like water, steps, and exercise time. It lets me create habits I want to build and bad habits I want to quit. I can track by unit (like “5 glasses of water” or “30 mins reading”), not just yes/no, and view yearly overviews and reports.

It also includes:

• Mood tracking and habit journaling

• Custom reminders (including location-based)

• Focus timers and widgets

• Group habit sharing with friends

Beyond this, I also track specific fitness metrics using Strava, Apple Fitness, and health data from Beurer Health Manager and Withings apps. For weight, walking, workouts, different tools serve different needs.

I tried Atoms, the official app by James Clear (Atomic Habits) as well. It’s beautiful, comes with built-in habit content and lessons, and works well; but the paid version was a bit expensive for me to keep using long-term. You can check and have a free trial to test it yourself.

The main lesson?

Don’t overthink the setup. Just find tools that help you stay consistent.
And remember: no app will build the habit for you. It’s still about showing up daily.

💬 Have you found a habit tracking system that actually works for you?

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