Habit List

Can an app help me form some of the habits I’d like to embed in my life?

I came across a lovely little app for my iPhone yesterday called Habit List. It’s a very simple app designed to help you form (or break) habits. Now clearly it can’t do the work for you but if, like me, you need some helpful nudges along the way, this app can meet that need.

When you open the app you are presented with little more than a plus sign, inviting you to setup your first habit. You then enter a name for it, set how frequently you want to do that habit, and then choose whether or not you want to get a notification to remind you about it. It’s that simple.

For people with great discipline, I’m sure this app will be of little benefit. But as someone who struggles with discipline—it came up number 34 of 34 in my StrengthsFinder profile—I have a feeling this is going to be a great help. That said, it’s not always the case that I forget to do a habit; it’s that I choose not to do it, or simply get bored. I’m not sure the app will help me with that.

That said, one other feature of the app is that it helps you feel good by trying to motivate you to go on a winning streak, and it keeps track of your all ‘completions’ (or not). So there is some additional motivation served up there too.

As to some of the habits I’m wanting to embed more consistently in my life, these include reading the Bible most days, updating my journal several times a week, writing a couple of articles each week, and—specific for this year—making my way through Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

I cannot say for sure whether this app is going to help revolutionise my life and assist me with embedding these habits into my life but, for now at least, I’m feeling optimistic.