I’ve tried every habit tracking method you can think of.

Bullet journals. Notion templates. Complex apps with gamification. Spreadsheets. Calendar apps. Sticky notes.

Most of them failed. Here’s what I learned.

Method 1: Paper Bullet Journal

The appeal: Analog. Intentional. Instagram-worthy.

Reality: I spent more time making it pretty than actually tracking habits. And I’d forget to bring it places.

Why it failed: Too much friction. Too easy to skip “just one day” when the notebook isn’t in front of you.

Verdict: Works for some personality types. Not mine.

Method 2: Notion Templates

The appeal: Customizable. Looks organized. Database-powered tracking.

Reality: I spent three hours building the perfect template. Used it for four days. Never opened it again.

Why it failed: Too complex. Too many clicks to log a simple habit. Too easy to forget it exists.

Verdict: Powerful tool. Terrible for daily habits.

Method 3: Complex Habit Apps

The appeal: Gamification. Social features. Data visualization.

Reality: The app wanted to know my mood, my weather, my location, my notes, my photo for the day…

I just wanted to check a box.

Why it failed: Feature bloat. Every extra feature is friction that adds up.

Verdict: Built for engagement metrics, not for building habits.

Method 4: Spreadsheets

The appeal: Complete control. Data lives forever. No subscription.

Reality: Opening a spreadsheet every day feels like work.

Why it failed: No mobile-friendly option that doesn’t suck.

Verdict: Good for analysis. Bad for daily use.

Method 5: The Method That Works

Simple app. Tap to check. See streak. Nothing else.

That’s it.

No mood logging. No social sharing. No streak freezes. No complicated statistics.

Just:

  • Did I do the thing? Yes. [Check]
  • How many days in a row? [Number]

Why Simple Wins

Friction is the enemy. Every extra step reduces the chance you’ll log consistently.

Streaks create accountability. Don’t break the chain. Simple psychological hook that actually works.

Less is more. The apps with the most features have the lowest retention. The apps that do one thing well get used forever.

My Current System

  1. 5-7 habits maximum. More than that and nothing feels special.
  2. One tap to log. Open app, tap, done. Under 3 seconds.
  3. Morning review. Check what’s pending. Evening: check what’s done.
  4. Protect the streak. The longer it gets, the more motivated I am to not break it.

What I Built

I built SimpleStreaks because nothing else was simple enough.

Add a habit. Check it off. Watch the streak grow.

No gamification. No social features. No complexity.

Just streaks that keep you accountable.

Turns out that’s all you need.

— Dolce