They say that three weeks is all it takes to build a habit. While it may seem simple, keeping yourself accountable for that duration can be challenging. That's where habit builders and trackers come in handy. There are several apps and programs that not only help you set goals but also track your progress towards them, thus helping you build habits. I personally use a habit tracker on my laptop to ensure I drink sufficient water on a daily basis, spend less time on social media apps, and overcome excessive procrastination.

With the onset of the new year, it's the perfect time to set goals and form habits that positively impact your life. Owing to this, I decided to put together a list of apps and services that let you track and visualize your habits in an organized manner. Of course, you can always use a simple notepad to jot down your habits, but a visual representation can provide just the right amount of push you need to work towards cultivating those habits. Think of it like the activity rings on an Apple Watch. You feel motivated to close them when you see your progress throughout the day. These habit-builders aim to do exactly that.

6 Clockify

Track your time

If you're looking for a portal that offers much more than just a habit tracker, Clockify should be your destination. It offers a timesheet, a time tracker, and the ability to input the type of work you've done. Based on this, it creates a summary of all the billable work you can send to your clients. Personally, I found this to be helpful since it motivates me to put in more hours when I see the bar graph showing me the time I spend working during the day or week.

It's not useful just for work, though. You can create multiple projects and label them depending on your use case. For example, you can create a workout project where you can input the time you spent working out and all the different exercises you did during that duration. Clockify will then plot a graph indicating how much time you spent doing what on a particular day. This data can be used to improve your habits gradually. You can also use Clockify as a planner thanks to its built-in calendar. I'm a freelancer with multiple clients, and Clockify has helped me become more responsible in terms of the time I spend working while keeping a tab on all my submissions.

5 TickTick

Two in one

I have been using TickTick for a while now as my to-do list, and it works great for that purpose. However, I recently learned that the app can also be used to track habits thanks to the ability to create multiple lists and set timers for individual tasks. You can create a daily or weekly schedule with multiple tasks. For example, you can create individual tasks for all your work-related deliverables in a day, followed by chores like laundry, cooking, etc. In fact, you can even create repeat tasks that occur multiple times a day, like working out once in the morning and then again in the evening.

When you complete each task, you can hit the checkbox next to it and mark it as done. Aim to tick every task on your daily list to build habits in the long run. For those who like keeping things more organized, TickTick also lets you categorize your lists so you can add sub-tasks. There's also an overview feature where you can see your upcoming tasks for the next week so you can be prepared for them. What I also liked about TickTick is the built-in Pomodoro timer that helps you stay focused during work, ultimately building a habit of not getting distracted while performing a task. TickTick is one of the first few apps I install on a new device, so you know how useful it is as a to-do list and as a habit tracker. Heck, I even use it for reminders!

4 Habitica

Build habits across sectors

Lots of people find it tedious to input goals or tasks and simply check them off once they're done with them. So, Habitica takes a different approach to building habits. It gamifies the entire experience and makes it seem like you're on a quest to accomplish your goals and build daily habits. When you complete a certain task, the platform rewards you in the form of various artifacts that can be used in the game. Once you complete a productive task, you can also reward yourself with some time to watch TV, spend time on your PS5, or head out for a quick basketball session.

The best feature of Habitica, in my opinion, though, has to be the ability to start or join what is referred to as a Party. When you start a Party, you can send the link to your friends and invite them to join. This way, you can work alongside your friends while sharing your progress with each other. It motivates everyone in the Party to build habits and complete their tasks at the earliest. The first person to complete all their tasks wins. Think of it as an equivalent of the share activity feature on the Apple Watch. You can share your activity progress and compete with friends to close your rings. The Party feature works in the same manner.

If you don't know enough people who can join your Party, you can also look for an existing Party and join it to compete against other users. Overall, Habitica is probably one of the best habit-building apps that makes the experience a lot more fun. It's also visually appealing, something that's important for an app like this.

3 Notion

Take notes while building habits

Notion needs no introduction. It's probably one of the most popular apps out there for note-taking, creating a personal knowledge management system, and creating to-do lists. However, did you know that you can also create a habit tracker and builder within Notion? Thanks to its versatile nature and a plethora of features, you can quickly create a habit tracker in Notion that gives you an overview of your pending tasks along with hobbies that you may want to pursue. You can allocate specific durations for individual tasks and view a visual representation of what you've adhered to and what you haven't.

If you've been using Notion for a while for other tasks, it makes sense to employ the same platform to track your habits as well. This way, you can save yourself from downloading a new app on all your devices. It also helps that Notion is a cross-platform app, and all your data syncs automatically across your devices. Another advantage of using Notion for this purpose is how you can customize the look of your habit tracker using the various modules inside Notion.

2 SmartTask

Track your projects

The highlight of SmartTask, and pretty much the only area where it differs from the competition, is the Boards feature. Essentially, it's a neat way of representing your tasks without looking cluttered. A wall of text with your to-dos may seem intimidating, especially if you have a lot of goals daily. But, if they're spread out in the form of cards on a board and they look more manageable, you can attend to them one at a time. Once you complete a task, all you need to do is drag a card on the board and move it to the Done section.

Two more notable features that I liked about SmartTask are the built-in Chats, where you can coordinate with your teammates or colleagues without leaving the app, and the graphical representation of your progress for extra motivation. I work individually, so I don't collaborate with anyone else. However, you can use SmartTask as a project management software, in which case you can onboard multiple users and share goals with them. You can also create separate groups for different types of tasks — one for work, one for personal goals, one for hobbies, etc.

1 Microsoft Excel

Surprise!

Whenever I come across an awesome new use case for Excel, I'm awe-struck by how cool and versatile the app is. You can use Excel in ways you would've never thought of, including using it as a habit tracker. I found an awesome habit tracker template inside Excel that adds tasks, schedules, and attractive visuals to denote your progress toward completing a goal. There are multiple workbooks where you can set daily, weekly, and monthly goals.

The advantage of creating a habit tracker in Excel is you don't have to rely on third-party apps. Excel is the best alternative if you're concerned about your privacy and don't wish to share details related to your work with apps. Moreover, all the services mentioned above rely on an internet connection, whereas you don't need that with Excel. You will undoubtedly miss out on features like an integrated calendar and reminders, but it's definitely worth checking out if you want something minimal.

Hold yourself accountable

A habit tracker is an excellent way to increase your accountability, regardless of whether you use it for work or personal hobbies. Being a freelancer, it's difficult to motivate myself to start work every morning, but a habit tracker has made things better over time. If you've tried such apps before but have still found it difficult to stick to timelines and habits, you can check out Beeminder, an app that charges you real money every time you don't accomplish a task!