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How to Create a Journal Layout for Habit Tracking that Works for You

Bullet Journal Habit Trackers | How to Create One that Works for You

Last updated on September 30th, 2023 • Bullet Journaling

You are looking up bullet journal habit trackers because something in you knows you become what you do daily.

And you are pretty sure that a life of Netflix and Cheetos isn’t really producing the results you want.

Okay, so maybe it isn’t actually Netflix and Cheetos dire.

Maybe it’s just that you don’t work out as much as you’d like, or you eat out more than your budget is comfortable with, or you’re just tired of being stressed out, and wonder what would happen if you tried meditating daily.

No matter which habits you want to improve in your life, your bullet journal can support you in achieving them.

While Instagram and Pinterest are full of gorgeous bullet journal habit trackers that take hours (and possibly an art degree) to create, if you want to spend more time on the habits than tracking them, we’ve got you covered.

Let’s get started:

1. Start with the emotional hook.

Did the chart in elementary school with the gold stars (or color grid, or insert _______________ here) make you happy or did it stress you out? Do you tend to feel more inspired with linear graphs and perfectly symmetrical lines, or do shapes and pictures suit you better?

It isn’t the design of the tracker that matters. It’s how it makes you feel when you use it. If it makes you feel inspired and encouraged, it will fuel you, but if it feels difficult or frustrating… Well, that works against you.

This is the reason so many people add art, inspirational quotes, and color to their habit trackers. It evokes emotion when they use it. But if that stuff makes you crazy, acknowledge, and roll with it.

What motivates one person can decelerate another. The key is figuring out how your brain wants to see this.

What does this look like?

Well, if you are tracking water consumption, it might be the difference between writing the number of ounces you drink each hour, or drawing a glass and coloring in different levels with a blue highlighter to represent another glass.

2. Questions to ask yourself to help design your bullet journal habit trackers

The best part about using our journals for habit tracking is that it creates a visual picture of what we are doing. Daily visual evidence of our own progress is motivating.

The best part about using our journals for habit tracking is that it creates a visual picture of what we are doing. Daily visual evidence of our own progress is motivating.

The process goes much faster if you figure out what you are tracking before you start designing the journal layout to do it. Here are questions to ask yourself:  

  • Is your journal layout for habit tracking focused on one habit or many?
  • Do you need to track by date or is a tally of how many times you do something sufficient?
  • Do you need to track duration (how long you do something each day)?
  • Is it more helpful to track annually, monthly, weekly, or daily? (For example, tracking books you read might make more sense annually, tracking exercise could be weekly, while tracking time in meditation might make more sense daily.)
  • How can I make this easy to use? Changing habits takes some effort, so make the tracking of them as easy as possible.

3. Make the page tactile so it’s easy to find.

Don’t waste one second flipping through pages to find your journal layout for habit tracking. Add a tactile element so you don’t have to think about it.

If your journal has two ribbon bookmarks, you can use one for the habits page. Or you can:

  • Put a strip of washi tape down the outside edge.
  • Add a good old post-it tab.
  • Use a thick sticker on the page to give it more depth than the surrounding pages. (If you do this, make it inspirational.)
  • Tape a penny to the page.
  • Dog-ear the page.

The idea is to grab your journal. Flip it open. Make some marks. And get back to your life.

4. Need some ideas? Check out what others have done.

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My digital trackers are awesome but recently I'm finding analog more satisfying. #bujo #visjournaling

A post shared by Cathy Hutchison (@cathy.hutchison) on Apr 28, 2017 at 6:35am PDT

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Super simple habit tracking . . . . #yourvisualjournal #sketchnotes #journaling #creativejournaling #bulletjournal #bujo #bujoinspiration #bujolove #bujoinspire #bulletjournaljunkies #showmeyourplanner #minimalistbujo #dotgrid

A post shared by Cathy Hutchison (@cathy.hutchison) on Jan 5, 2019 at 12:24pm PST

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Read the step by step guide on how to create your own savings tracker! It’s easy!! 😉Link in bio. 🖋 #bulletjournal #bujo #bujoweeklyspread #bujotracker #habittracker #bujosetup #2019bujo #bulletjournaladdict #bujoaddict #bulletjournaljunkies #bujocommunity #bujogirl #savingstracker #habits #savemoney #bulletjournalnewbie #bulletjournaljunkie

A post shared by Bullet Journal | Wellella (@wellellabujo) on Jan 5, 2019 at 12:29pm PST

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PODSUMOWANIE ! . Kolejny miesiąc za nami, więc jest i tabelka z nawykami. . Nie było łatwo, oj nie. Kosztowało mnie to sporo wysiłku. Jestem zadowolona. Co prawda mogło być lepiej (zawsze może). Jednak biorąc pod uwagę grudniowe okoliczności w postaci wzmożonej intensywności pracy i przeziębienie jest Ok :). . Oczywiście tabelka na nowy miesiąc już rozpoczęta. Działam dalej. . Karta monitorująca nawyki do pobrania na stornie. Zapraszam 🙂 . . . A jak to wyglada u Ciebie ? Budujesz nawyki ?

A post shared by @ niegubie on Jan 5, 2019 at 5:44am PST

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Here’s a look at my August #sleeplog and #habittracker! 😌 Today I’m turning one year older 🥳 (well, 30 is just a few years away 😒😭lol) I’m happy that I got to celebrate it with my family (most importantly everyone is home this year! 🥰) and the birthday cake fits my taste perfectly! 😋Do you have any family tradition for birthday celebration? We don’t have any but getting a birthday cake is a must! 🤪 . . . . . . #bulletjournal #bujo #bujo2020 #bujocommunity #bujoaugust #bulletjournalcommunity #bulletjournaling #artjournaling #bulletjournaladdict #bujoideas #bujolayout #bujogram #bujosetup #bujoinspiration #bujolove #bujojunkies #bulletjournallove #bujocoverpage #bujomonthly #bujoweekly #bujomalaysia #showmeyourplanner #weeklyspread #monthlyspread #crayolasupertips #doodlelove #doodleart #flatlaystyle

A post shared by Lulu 🔆 (@thedotsandgrids) on Aug 23, 2020 at 7:30am PDT

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For yoga teacher training, I was required to practice this kriya for 30 days. To track it, I drew 30 boxes and colored one each time I completed the kriya.

A post shared by Cathy Hutchison (@cathy.hutchison) on Jan 5, 2019 at 12:41pm PST

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I've been enjoying this reading log, it's been motivating me to read my new book that I just started reading yesterday. I've had it for a little while, finally got into it yesterday and I'm stoked! I had envisioned making a spread with little book pages and making each one count as an increment of 10 pages so that every 10 pages I read, I can color in a square! I'm coloring with whatever mildliner color I feel like 🙂 yay! I also have room for quotes and other fun stuff that may come to mind. I like this book so far, it's a little meta reading a book titled the book that matters most that's about being in a book club discussing the book that matters most to you 😊 Wanted to try a different style of reading log from others I've tried and I'm enjoying this so far! Almost about to color in the next block/mini page! 😊 #bookstagram #booklove #bulletjournal #tinyrayofsunshine #readinglog #booklog #annhood #BulletJournalCollection #BulletJournalBookLog #BulletJournalTracker

A post shared by Kim • Tiny Ray of Sunshine ☀️ (@tinyrayofsunshine) on Aug 31, 2017 at 6:43pm PDT

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Going back to my super simple habit tracker and mood tracker this month! After an overwhelming October, simplicity was the name of the game when I was setting up my November pages. 💜💕 – I’m curious… what kind of habits are you tracking this month? – #bohoberrytribe #bulletjournal #bujo #wearebujo #leuchtturm1917 #tnbujo #habittracker #moodtracker

A post shared by Kara 🌸 Boho Berry (@boho.berry) on Nov 3, 2017 at 6:23am PDT

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My “filled in” habit tracker for December 😅 holidays didn’t gel well with getting my habits completed by the looks of things! 😛 what were your best and worst habits from December?

A post shared by JashiiCorrin (@jashiicorrin) on Jan 5, 2019 at 12:04am PST

Of course, you already know that the point isn’t the tracker. It’s the habits.

The best part about using bullet journal habit trackers is that they create a visual picture of what we are doing. Daily visual evidence of our own progress is motivating.

(And seeing where we are missing it, creates an honesty that prevents us from overestimating our investment. )

Imagine what just a few months of tracking could do for building the habits that shape who you become.

And the best part? No more orange fingerprints on the couch.


Interested in an ebook with even more layouts? Subscribe to Get 11 Visual Journal Templates to Get the Life You Want

About Cathy Hutchison

Cathy Hutchison helps people get more joy, meaning, and freedom in a world of demands through the practice of visual journaling.

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Comments

  1. Rosemary

    11/17/2019 at 9:53 AM

    I keep it simple. I have two lists – a routine list and a to do list – all in one table. The routine is the same every day and the to do varies day by day. I have a results column for each. I love the satisfaction of writing Done each evening next to the relevant item. It’s helped keep me going. Just wish I could make it look prettier, but that’s a bridge too far and as you say, it’s not the tracker that matters! It works for me.

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1 cappuccino later. #urbansketching #sundaymorning 1 cappuccino later. #urbansketching #sundaymornings
My favorite part of #urbansketching is when the ba My favorite part of #urbansketching is when the basic idea is captured then I can add the ink. People move. Pencil is a good place to start!
One of the things I’ve enjoyed about carrying a One of the things I’ve enjoyed about carrying a notebook everywhere is that l can capture things during times when I would otherwise be scrolling. 

It takes me from consuming to creating. 

I drew this woman while waiting for a music and meditation program to start at the library last night. 

This morning, I finished the sketch at Starbucks. You don’t have to be able to draw to carry a notebook. Random notes and doodles also put you in creation-mode. And who knows? If you do it long enough you might pick up some skills. (That’s what happened to me.) #urbansketching #yourvisualjournal #carryanotebook
This book! I read The Buy Nothing Get Everything This book! 

I read The Buy Nothing Get Everything Plan at the intersection of: 

+ Feeling overwhelmed by how much plastic I use (and learning the severe limitations of plastic recycling.) 

+ The extreme cost of alternatives like toothpaste that comes in tablets, biodegradable plasticware, etc.

This book is SO PRACTICAL! Not only did it connect me to the Buy Nothing app which has resulted in some great gifts with people in my neighborhood, but it also reminded me that our grandparents didn't use all this stuff. (Commercials changed the way we live.) 

This book reminded me that: 

1) My mom brushed her teeth with baking soda as a child. (I put some in a diner-style sugar dispenser with peppermint essential oil and the cleaning results are pretty great.) 

2) Homemade salad dressing is easy and WAY more delicious than what comes in a plastic bottle.

3) Tons of things can be repurposed. (And Amazon doesn't need to be my first move.) 

I highly recommend downloading the free @buynothingapp and grabbing a copy of this book. (I first listened to it on my library's app, then decided to buy a copy so I could mark it up and use flags on the pages where I want to implement the ideas. 

#sustainability #plasticfree #artjournaling #yourvisualjournal #booksofinstagram
This is the most complex #urbansketch I’ve compl This is the most complex #urbansketch I’ve completed to date. Saturday, my @starbucks was crowded. I started with a quick pencil sketch, but the reality is that the scene kept moving. People standing there are amalgamations of those who came and went. 

It's interesting the decisions you have to make to simplify what's there so the drawing communicates, but still remains authentic to the scene. (ie. there's a lot of stuff missing behind the counter) I'm deeply enjoying this practice of drawing everyday scenes. 
#urbansketching #urbansketchers
#yourvisualjournal #artjournaling
Ever hear something that resonates so much you hav Ever hear something that resonates so much you have to write it down in your #journal word for word? #artjournaling
I'm finding that the more digital my world becomes I'm finding that the more digital my world becomes, the more satisfying it is to touch pens and paper. It's part of why I'm enjoying practicing #urbansketching.

The thing about urban sketching is that you learn it by doing it. I have a small pouch of pens and #watercolors with me all the time, so when I had some wait time at the Arboretum I tried to capture what was right in front of me. It became the backdrop to a #journal entry.

#yourvisualjournal
I carry my notebook with me everywhere and capture I carry my notebook with me everywhere and capture whatever feels significant or particularly charming. Because it is such a hub I keep my calendar here as well. It gives me a visual overview of the month and the doodles make me smile when planning. #journaling #yourvisualjournal #bulletjournal
Wine and I are not friends. (Yes, I know. Shocking Wine and I are not friends. (Yes, I know. Shocking.) 

However, I do enjoy wineries (= sitting on patios in beautiful locations talking with friends.) 

So, this weekend, I went with my wine friends which gave me the chance to practice #urbansketching in new locations. 

I find I keep focusing on the people and ignoring the scenery. By far to me the best part of any “place” is the people who are part of the fabric. 

It’s been fun exploring this type of #visualjournaling
Sometimes when faced with a whole #journal page it Sometimes when faced with a whole #journal page it’s easier to draw a smaller canvas to work in. Plus botanical #doodles are fun. #artjournaling #yourvisualjournal
I love capturing moments in a conversation in my j I love capturing moments in a conversation in my journal. This page was captured while sitting around Melanie’s kitchen table drinking tea.
Yesterday I went out solo for lunch to practice mo Yesterday I went out solo for lunch to practice more #urbansketching. This is such a fun challenge trying to build the skill.
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Some links on this site are affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The author receives a  small (really small) commission if you happen to buy something.  Funds are used to support journaling supplies & four crazy sweet Aussies who bark for treats every time I come in the door. (To be fair, I have a pattern of giving in to them.) I write about all kinds of journaling, and if Bullet Journaling is your thing, I’m here to support you. But if you want to go deep, go to the original source–Ryder Carroll, who created the system, and started it all at bulletjournal.com. I use the method daily which is why I started writing about it here.
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