If you were one of those nerd kids who always found filling in Scantrons satisfying, you’ll love this printable habit tracker. Created by reddit user u/Propelissa, it’s a complete 2021 calendar in fill-in-the-bubble format.
The creator says it was patterned after a calendar that Fleet Feet has sent as a prize for a Strava challenge. This version is available in an easy-to-print 8.5x11" size, or an 8x10" variant if you prefer.
The idea is to use it to track your workouts throughout the year, filling a circle every time you go for a run or log a session in the gym. But you could use it for any habit you’d like.
As we’ve written before, there’s real power in rewarding yourself with dinky little tokens of commitment, like stickers on a chart or checkmarks on a calendar. You aren’t working for the prize, because the actual prize is worthless. Instead, the reward is that you get a visual of your own persistence and dedication. The more you do, the more evidence you have to prove to yourself that you really are a runner, or a lifter, or a person who gets shit done.
If you do different activities, consider using a rainbow of pencils or markers to log what you do each day: running in red and strength workouts in blue, perhaps. Or you could color-code your workouts by intensity. Or borrow running coach Jenny Hadfield’s mood tracking: red if a workout is a struggle, orange if it was fine, yellow if it felt great.
For more ideas on how to track your workouts with pen and paper, check out our tips on setting up a training journal. Apps are fine, but there’s something special about watching your progress on a physical item you can stick in your notebook or post on your wall.