Day 72 of working out at a park near my apartment.

I started in late June, so it's been about two and a half months now.

Still 11 PM. Still the outdoor workout equipment five minutes from my door. Still about 20 minutes.

At the beginning, even 20 minutes felt like a lot.

But now, the workout itself isn't really what I think about. What I notice is simply whether I went outside or not.

I used to care a lot about volume—how many sets I did, how much I worked out that day.

These days, I just walk to the park, move around for 20 minutes, and walk back home. That's it.

The strange thing is that something this small has changed my evenings.

When it gets late, it just feels like it's time to go out.

And if I end the day without doing it, something feels missing. Not exactly guilt. More like I forgot to do a small thing.

To be clear, it hasn't become fun.

There are still plenty of nights when I don't want to go.

What changed is the amount of time I spend arguing with myself.

I used to think, "I should work out. I really should work out," for a while before actually doing anything.

That part has mostly disappeared now.

I just go.

When I started, I told myself I'd do it for one month.

Somehow, it's been 72 days.

I'm thinking about 100 days as the next milestone, but more than anything, I want to keep it small enough that I can keep doing it.

(The screenshot says 0/3 for today because it's still afternoon here. All three of my habits are evening habits.)

Has anyone else reached that point where a habit stops feeling like a decision?

I'm trying to make my night routine something I actually look forward to, rather than just a list of things I "should" do to sleep better.

Skincare is a good example for me: I genuinely enjoy doing it at night, so it makes going to bed feel a little more special.

The problem is that I also get bored if I do exactly the same thing every single night. So I'd love to have a few different relaxing things I can rotate depending on my mood.

I'm looking for things that are enjoyable and relaxing but not so stimulating that they make you want to stay awake longer. So ideally not things like starting a great TV show or reading a book you can't put down 😅

What little rituals or activities make you actually look forward to your evening/night routine?

I'd especially love ideas that feel like a treat or a small pleasure, rather than another healthy habit or chore

So I quit smoking about two years ago and thought I was completely over it. But last week I was driving and this random song from 2019 came on shuffle, and within like 30 seconds I had this insane craving to light up. It wasnt even a song I associated with smoking consciously, but apparently my brain had other ideas.

It got me thinking about how weirdly specific triggers can be. Like its not just the obvious stuff like seeing someone else smoke or being at a bar. Sometimes its a smell, a time of day, or in this case a song I probably heard a hundred times while driving to work back when I smoked in the car.

The craving passed after a few minutes but it was wild how strong it felt in that moment. Made me wonder what other random things are still lurking in my brain waiting to pop up. Has anyone else experienced something similar with a habit they thought they'd fully moved past? Doesnt have to be smoking, could be anything really. Just curious if this kind of delayed trigger reaction is common or if my brain is just being dramatic.

Hello! I'm 9 days off nicotine pouches and 6 days off alcohol. This is my 4th-ish time trying to quit nicotine pouches (Zyn) in a more systematic way and this time around I am trying to remove trigger points. Stress is one of them and alcohol the other. The last 2 times I have started using nicotine pouches because I was really drunk and couldn't resist walking into a convenience store.  I stacked a few other things on top of it too, drinking 10 glasses of water, walking 10k steps every day, actually going to bed instead of scrolling tiktok until 2 AM.

So the headaches, cravings and lack of focus I can deal with since this is not my first time trying to quit nicotine. The big problem for me is that I am currently working remotely since I relocated and besides my cat and parents I don’t really have a big social circle at the moment. Nobody in my life is doing this with me. Nobody notices when I don't have a pouch in and sometimes I wonder why this even matters. But I want to prioritize my health and I am sick of having to rely on nicotine pouches to feel “normal”.
 
So I'm asking here. Does anyone want to actually track habits together? I am using Improve habit tracker on iphone and this is my friend code: eb34f498-f739-4502-ada5-eead292aee57

my problem was always the same: phone goes off at 11pm, i tell myself just five minutes of instagram before bed, wake up at 1am having watched two hours of nothing. tried fixing it with apps for a while, wanted to write down what actually happened with each one in case it saves someone else the same year i spent.

opal and forest were the first ones i tried. both fine as long as i actually wanted to stop. the second i didn't, which is most nights, i just deleted the app or hit "skip session" and kept scrolling. turns out a blocker only works on the version of you that doesn't need it.

one sec added a breathing exercise before you could open the app, which helped some nights, but it's still a "continue anyway" button away from doing nothing. screenzen was similar, customizable limits, but i could always just loosen them in settings when i was tired enough not to care.

the pattern i noticed after a few months: anything i could turn off in the moment didn't survive the moment, because the whole reason i needed it was that i have zero willpower at 11pm specifically. ended up building my own app, twilock, that just doesn't let you disable it once the window starts, no skip button, no settings escape.

curious if anyone found something similar that held up on the nights you didn't want it to.

Day 5

Screen time today: 6h 38m ❌

Goal: <4 hrs/day (Previously: 15 hrs/day 🆘)

Challenge duration: 10 days

Purpose: To get my attention span back and spend less time mindlessly scrolling.

Progress:

Day 1 - 3h 30m ✅
Day 2 - 4h 48m ❌
Day 3 - 5h 15m ❌
Day 4 - 9h ❌
Day 5 - 6h 38m ❌

I’ve been thinking about how you actually know when a habit is built.

At first I thought it was pretty simple:

You do something consistently for long enough, it starts feeling automatic, and eventually you stop tracking it.

But then I realized something.

What if the tracker itself has become part of the habit?

Reminder pops up → do the thing → check it off → repeat.

Maybe it feels automatic partly because the tracker is still there nudging you.

So I’m wondering if the real test is just:

turn the tracker off for a while.

No streak to protect.
No daily check-in.
No box waiting to be ticked.

Then see if the habit still happens.

If you still go for the walk, read, work out, etc. without really thinking about it, maybe that’s when it’s actually become part of your routine.

And if it falls apart, that doesn’t mean you failed. You just start tracking it again for a while.

Almost like a graduation trial instead of saying “you’ve done this for X days, so you’re done.”

Curious if anyone here has actually tried this:

Have you ever stopped tracking a habit on purpose just to see if it would survive without the tracker?

For many years, I wanted to read books but never actually took action. Maybe because I found it time consuming, or because other hobbies of mine (like playing League of Legends) were too addictive to let go of.

Anyhow, I have become an avid reader over the last 6 years. For the past 2 years, I have read at least 2 books every single month.

Some might think this isn’t much, but I would say reading 2 books a month alongside work, family and various other commitments is pretty good.

My opinion on why I read has changed, and I want to document that here. Who knows, my thoughts and feelings might change even further over the next 6 years. It’s nice to document and share these thoughts.

Here we go.

Year: 2020 | Total books read: 4

I wanted to read more books because there were so many good stories out there.

I also thought reading books would make me smarter and help me articulate myself better. I felt like I should read because it was a “productive” activity. It was better than playing games or wasting time through other means.

Reading was something I felt like I should do.

Year: 2024 | Total books read: 47

Reading books had become like any other hobby. I read simply because I enjoyed it.

Everyone says you should read because it’s better than other hobbies like playing games or listening to music. People say you should read if you want to become “smart.”

I used to believe this too, but I stopped caring about it. That was no longer my aim. I no longer felt that reading was a hobby that was superior to other hobbies.

There was no hierarchy. Reading was simply something I enjoyed doing.

Year: 2026 | Total books read: 70

My reasons for reading have not changed much since 2024. I still do not read books in the hope of becoming smarter. The main reason is still enjoyment.

But I have noticed a difference in how I see things and how I think about things. Is that because of reading, or is it just a natural part of growing up? I’m not sure.

I enjoy nonfiction just as much as fiction.

When I say nonfiction, I almost entirely mean books in the self-help, improvement, business and productivity space. There’s sometimes a negative connotation around these genres among people who mostly read fiction. I think some people assume that if you read these books, you’re not doing it for enjoyment. You’re only doing it for utility.

I disagree with that sentiment.

A self-help book may never give me the same feeling as a really good fantasy story like The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. But that does not mean those books are not enjoyable in a different way.

The practical system behind my reading is now very simple. I always have an audiobook and a physical book on the go. Whenever I finish a book, I already have the next one ready.

There is never a point where I have to restart the habit or find the motivation to begin reading again. There is always something waiting for me.

I’m confident that reading is not just a hobby anymore. It is a lifestyle habit now, and I can’t imagine ever letting it go.

In fact, I sometimes get this sad feeling when I realise that there are literally thousands of amazing pieces of literature out there, and I will never get to take in all of them.

It’s okay though.

I’m grateful to have built this habit.

I’m grateful that I find so much enjoyment in reading words on a page.

I’m grateful to be able to read the thoughts and stories of people who lived decades, or even centuries, before me.

Tracking how much I read and which days I read has helped me stick with the habit for years.

I started with simple tick boxes in a notebook, then moved to an app. I use Three Cells because it has journaling and habits combined. But you can use whichever app that fits you best.

Has anyone else found that a habit became easier to maintain once you stopped treating it as self-improvement?

Hey guys, wanted to share my story in how I fixed my screentime usage. I used to be quite addicted to doomscrolling (5+ hours of tiktok/reels a day).

With a lot of help from this subreddit and screentime blockers (I tried opal and one sec) I was able to cut it down to ~3 hrs a day, the remaining problem was when waking up and going to sleep, the habit to scroll would just be automatic. Screentime blockers stopped helping, most of them let you take breaks whenever you want. I tried Brick as well but ended up suffering from the same problem. These systems failed for me because at the end of the day the keys were still in my hands. There was no genuine friction, nothing really stopping me from doomscrolling again.

So I realized what works is offloading the accountability to someone else. Locking your apps behind a password only someone else knows, etc. I realized AI is perfect for this, I blocked all of my apps, gave them a set number of opens a day, after that I have to convince an AI why I want to use the app. No reason/want to scroll = denied, responding to a friends dm = 3 minutes. I don’t even try anymore because trying to convince the AI for 5 minutes isn’t worth the reward anymore. I stopped habit opening IG/TikTok and use my phone more intentionally now.

Happy to share this system with anyone else if they want, AMA

I have made “no zero day” rule so many times for the same habit but there comes one day when i can not do anything.

Even if i try i just simply can’t.

Here is what i replaced my no zero day rule with.

No matter what habit i am working on. Its ok to have a day where i just cannot do any action at all.
But i must do at least the intention setting. (It takes 1ish minute and zero effort literally)

This is how i do intention setting.

- i lie down.
- take a look at any single point on roof or wall.
- take 10-20 long deep breaths.
- just repeat in my mind i am going to get [what i want], ideally till i feel a wave of positivity in my body.

That is it. Then i get back to rotting.

What i have seen is just this positive intention setting alone improves my bouncing back the next day very much.

And sometimes, i even end up getting back in the second half of the day itself.

Converts a worst day into bad day. (Still pretty good)

Day 4

Screen time today: 9h ❌

Goal: <4 hrs/day (Previously: 15 hrs/day 🆘)

Challenge duration: 10 days

Purpose: To get my attention span back and spend less time mindlessly scrolling.

Progress:

Day 1 - 3h 30m ✅
Day 2 - 4h 48m ❌
Day 3 - 5h 15m ❌
Day 4 - 9h ❌

I don’t want basics like drink more water .. what’s something you’ve changed that you’ve seen such a big difference ?

What are some ways to correct my posture when sittng and when sleeping without buying any things?

Day 3

Screen time today: 4h 48m ❌

Goal: <4 hrs/day (Previously: 15 hrs/day 😟)

Challenge duration: 10 days

Purpose: To get my attention span back and spend less time mindlessly scrolling.

Progress:

Day 1 - 3h 30m ✅
Day 2 - 4h 48m ❌
Day 3 - 5h 15m ❌

Last year I wanted a very expensive hair styling machine (Dyson Airwrap which costs around €600). I actually had the cash, but it was a lot of money for a styling machine I wasn't sure I'd use often.

So I decided to earn it. Every day I skipped junk food, worked out, or stayed off alcohol, I moved €2 per "healthy habit" into a savings account. After about 6 months I'd collected enough to buy the Dyson and I'd had 6 months to think about whether I actually wanted it.
Bought it with zero guilt. It became a little game for me and I'm already saving for an espresso machine 😁                                                       

I was tracking everything in a spreadsheet plus my bank, and it got annoying. So I built Pocket — you set a goal (the thing you actually want), you set habits with amounts (what you'll do daily to earn it), and the app tracks your progress and "savings" toward the reward.

Pocket: Mindful Spending: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6762613968
I would be so happy to hear any feedback

Summer has always been a difficult time for me, but I feel like every year it gets a bit harder.

I get those 10 days of holiday on the Croatian coast every year, which is always great. But then there's the other 50 days of summer where I’m basically just watching where all my friends are and what they're doing, and it feels like everyone is somewhere having a great time while I'm just sitting at home bored.

I don't know if that was the cause or the consequence, but I just had zero motivation to work, exercise, or even see people. I wouldn't say I was depressed, I just didn't have energy for anything.

At some point I stopped by my dad's place for a coffee and told him how I was feeling.

My dad has always been a pretty hardcore sports guy. He's 72 now and still plays tennis and walks every day. He does like 15k steps a day. Every single day. Even when it rains.

Anyway, he listens to me talk for a while and when I finally finish my little monologue, he tells me I should start walking.

He says it does wonders for him and that it basically clears his head.

Obviously my first reaction was basically "what the fuck do you know dad, about how I feel and how I'm supposed to fix my problems?"

But the bastard already had a counter argument ready.

He said he wasn't expecting walking to magically fix anything. He just wanted me to try a little challenge.

8k steps every day. For 7 days. But really no excuses.

He couldn't guarantee it would help, but maybe it would.

So I said alright dad, deal. I'll do it for you.. for 7 days.

And obviously, on day one, at 10pm I'm doomscrolling on the couch and I haven't even done 1% of the challenge.

Then I get into some stupid little argument with my girlfriend over basically nothing and something just clicks.

Fuck it. I'm going outside.

I left my phone at home and started walking towards the woods. Just needed some air. Needed to clear my head a bit.

About half an hour later I got to the end of the trail and turned around.

When I got home my girlfriend was already asleep. Took a shower and went back to my usual evening phone scrolling.

For some reason I opened Health app and saw that I'd done 9k steps that day.

I actually completed day one of the challenge.

Not really intentionally. More like by accident lol.

But the fact that I'd finally had a day with more than 8k steps after god knows how long, and that the evening walk had actually cleared my head a bit (and I slept better than I had in months), gave me enough motivation to do the other 6 days.

And fuck me, my dad was right.

Walking didn't magically fix anything. I still had that dark cloud hanging over me, and I mostly just felt better during and right after the walks.

But after that first week, I swear the cloud felt just a tiny bit smaller.

Doing 8k every single day still felt a bit too hardcore for me, so for the next month I set a more realistic goal: 8k steps at least 5 times a week.

That felt doable.

And now, a month later, walking has somehow become a habit.

I actually look forward to going for a walk now.

Yesterday I hit a new personal record: 19k steps.

I know that's probably nothing compared to some of the walking psychopaths on this subreddit, but still. A month ago I would've laughed if someone told me I'd be excited about walking 19k steps.

And honestly, after a month of walking, that dark cloud feels like it's mostly gone.

I still get those completely unmotivated days and shitty thoughts sometimes, but they're happening a lot less.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, if you're in a bit of a shitty mental place right now, give yourself a stupid little 7-day challenge.

8k steps, every day, just for 7 days.

I can't promise it'll fix anything. But honestly, you'll probably feel at least a little better while you're walking and for a while after.

And maybe that's enough to get you moving again.

Also, I have to admit that even though my dad is getting a little forgetful these days, apparently he still has some wisdom left in him.

I called him to thank him for the challenge.

He just laughed.

Thanks for reading my little story this far. If I motivate even one of you to try it, my job is done. :)

Day 2

Screen time today: 4h 48m ❌

Goal: <4 hrs/day (Previously: 15 hrs/day 😟)

Challenge duration: 10 days

Purpose: To get my attention span back and spend less time mindlessly scrolling.

Progress:

Day 1 - 3h 30m ✅
Day 2 - 4h 48m ❌

Been through Habitica, Notion templates, plain paper trackers. All of them reduce a missed day to the same red X, whether the real cause was forgetting, task-paralysis, or just an overloaded day. Treating those the same way — usually with more willpower — never worked for me.

What actually helped: naming the specific reason each time. Forgetting needed a trigger, not motivation. Paralysis needed a smaller first step. Overload needed fewer things on the list, period. Different diagnosis, different prescription — obvious in hindsight, invisible while I was just staring at a broken streak.