Habit trackers – this wonderful thing, born from Brian Tracy’s “Eat the frog” book – are so popular at this time.
People have made huge money just by reselling the idea to others. And I will tell you my secret – organizing my habit tracker and bullet journal is my way to meditate. No yoga, no relaxing in the park. It can be so brain-cleaning and so inspiring at the same time as I’m working on my notebooks. It is the thing I call “creative meditation”. Just like knitting and crocheting…
Having a habit tracker is very popular with mothers, and teenage girls, but not for the small kids. For me this is a problem and I will tell you why.
These days, I am thinking about what wonderful times we are living in. We can travel faster than ever before. We can communicate with our beloved ones or with our business partners like never before. Oh, as a woman, I can have my own business too, separate bank accounts and independence, if I want it. I can study wherever I want to, I can write about any topic which is important to me. I can follow my dreams in many, many ways, all the things which my Great Grandmother, one of the first European suffragettes, was fighting for.
And it is not only about me
It is not only about the women. Our generation and the generation of my child are not restricted by class, by society rules, by religion. There are not big wars, we can fight for nature, we really can change the things around in our planet…
Our limits are sky high!
But what has happened in my generation? What has happened to all the 30 kids in my primary school class? One boy is very, very rich, aother boy has a very good business and he is rich too. One girl is in a very good position in bank management, seven other girls and boys have small but successful businesses… and me – I am financially independent, somehow famous in my country and even though I left my job in the TV, my name is still working for me – I promote products and have my small craft business, which was my dream from a very long time.
And that’s is it. 11 out of the 30. Some will say this is a kind of a good percentage. But I am not sure. It is not enough. Giving you the example with me, I mean that we can start a new life again and again, and again…! But how many people are actually trying to change in their lives? Not many. And why not? Because they were not taught this in their childhood is one of the reasons.
A national disease
In my native country there is a huge national disease – buying lottery tickets in supermarkets. People are buying them every day, throwing their money in the rubbish bin, expecting and dreaming to win big money to change their lives. After that they are going home and watching TV – advertisements for the lottery and, of course, different reality shows, and going to bed still dreaming that the next day will bring them success, money, popularity.
Why am I saying this is a national disease? Because these people are living in the middle of the “world of plenty” and even not trying to do something with their lives. They don’t realize that if they spend the “TV time” learning – for example – some craft, and save the “lottery money” for buying craft materials, they can start changing their lives. The sad thing is that their children, having this example, are very likely to have the same lifestyle and expectations.
And this is not the only one country in the world, I am sure! I am not describing having a good, simple, minimalist, calm and thankful life, appreciating the things you have and not being greedy for more. I am describing a spoiling of life and the rotting of the soul you were given to not be thankful to God or the Universe about this unique thing – your brain and your ability to think and create.
But if we give our kids a good example in life, if we start teaching them to have good, creative habits – then yes! – only the sky will be their limit.
Because creation is appreciation.
How to make a habit tracker for kids
There are few simple rules, and if you keep them, I am sure, the project will be very successful:
- Explain the idea of a habit tracker to the kids – how important is to have good habits and how creating good, creative habits will keep them healthy and will make them successful.
- Choose the notebook for the habit tracker together with your kids
- Make big boxes, not small
- Allow your child to draw in the boxes hearts or flowers or whatever she/he wants, not only to tick or to fill with colour.
- It is a “girls” fashion, but why not habit trackers for boys too?
- Organize the period in the habit tracker by weeks, not by months, because the kid will be lost between all these days, numbers and boxes.
- Use bright colours and decoration.
- Don’t start with a lot of habits – make 3-5 for the first month and add one or two new every month. Because: 1. Human brain needs at least 90 days to create a strong habit and 2. It is not a good idea to make your kid tired.
- Be persistent, but not pushy. Make it as a game. Explain to your child that sometimes it is normal to miss a habit, but missing a habit is also a habit. A bad one.
- Have time every evening for a tracker revision.
- Give points as small rewards and awards for every day with all the boxes filled. A friend of mine is giving her boy stickers and for every five stickers he can have an extra chocolate biscuit from his favourite ones.
- Celebrate every finished month with good results. Go to a sweet shop or a movie, or both. You will work out how. It is important your child to realise that he earned this celebration himself and he deserves this party. This will teach him to enjoy good results when he is an adult and will show him that good work pays.
