A habit-tracker is the ultimate way to achieve consistency.

During lockdown, I gained almost eight kilos despite a moderate exercise routine. I was clearly eating way more calories than I was burning.

I had to lose this excess weight — I installed the Myfitness app to track my food intake.

I was diligent in tracking every single day.

The result — it’s been a little over two months and I have already lost close to four kilos.

Here’s the psychology behind tracking

When you track, you are consciously noting the habit. You get to see the cumulative impact over time.

Tracking food intake made me conscious of the high-calorie food I was consuming. I would think twice before stuffing my stomach with anything unhealthy.

Checking a box or logging your habit releases dopamine — the chemical that makes you feel satisfied — like a reward for completing the task. Every time you successfully complete a task, your brain associates it with something good. This association become strong with every repetition.

My most recent habit is to write a one-minute story every day on Medium for the next 30 days to build a writing habit.

As you progress in your journey (say in a few weeks itself) you will see a remarkable difference — you will feel proud of what you’d achieve.

That feeling of accomplishment will motivate you to pursue your goals till the end — workouts, meditation, sports, reading or creating content.

It’d also keep you going in the toughest circumstances — I am writing this article after a 12-hour long work-day — the only reason that keeps me motivated is because I don’t wish to break my 4-day streak.

Track what you do, and it will become a habit.