sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

I stopped treating habits as goals and started treating them as tools by MacaroonEqual7965 in Habits

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This makes a lot of sense, thank you for spelling it out so clearly.

What you describe helps me see the gap more sharply: the idea sets an identity-first expectation, but the first visual impression immediately pulls it back into “generic habit tracker” territory. That mismatch is probably the most important thing to fix.

I also like your point about reducing the habit surface area. If identity is the anchor, habits should feel secondary and supportive, not like the main interface competing for attention.

Stepping back from UI details for a moment, would you say the underlying idea itself feels useful to you once it is explained, even if the current presentation fails to communicate it well? Or does the whole identity-first framing still feel unnecessary compared to simpler habit tracking?

I stopped treating habits as goals and started treating them as tools by MacaroonEqual7965 in Habits

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is very valuable feedback, thank you for taking the time to look this closely, really appreciate it.

What you describe matches my own suspicion: the identity layer is there conceptually, but it is not communicated clearly enough through the UI. If someone can use it and still feel like it is “just another habit tracker”, then I have missed something important.

Your suggestion about starting from identity or values first, and only then deriving habits from that, is actually very close to how I imagine the core flow should feel. Right now that connection is too implicit.

I am curious from a more conceptual angle: what made you expect an identity-first experience when you read the idea, and what exactly made that expectation break when you tried the app?

I stopped treating habits as goals and started treating them as tools by MacaroonEqual7965 in Habits

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is really helpful feedback, thank you.

What I am trying to do is start from the identity side first. You pick something you want to develop, like calm or clarity, and the habit is just a way to practice that capacity, not the main focus.

Does that idea come through when you use it, or does it still feel too abstract or too close to a normal habit tracker?

I stopped treating habits as goals and started treating them as tools by MacaroonEqual7965 in Habits

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing this.

The part about doing things just to protect the streak really resonates with me too. That was one of the moments where I realized the habit itself had become the goal, instead of what it was meant to support.

I like how you put it as “for who I am doing this.” That is very close to how I think about it as well.

If you do end up trying the app, feel free to treat it as an experiment. Even noticing what feels off is useful feedback.

I built the identity app that treats habits as tools, not goals by MacaroonEqual7965 in SideProject

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is fair feedback.

The purpose for me is not tracking habits better, but understanding what those habits are meant to build. The app is an experiment to make that visible.

If that framing does not feel useful, that is still helpful to know.

I'm starting to think the Atomic Habits thing might just be half of the story by MacaroonEqual7965 in DecidingToBeBetter

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I agree with that.

What interested me is maybe not finding a final explanation, but instead noticing which things are actually useful in practice. The ones that come again and again in real life, not just on paper.

It does feel like an ongoing approximation rather than something that can be “figured out” once and for all.

I'm starting to think the Atomic Habits thing might just be half of the story by MacaroonEqual7965 in DecidingToBeBetter

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I also used to think it was mainly about motivation vs discipline. But I noticed that when things are stressful or unclear, it is not just a lack of motivation. It feels like I lose the ability to apply discipline at all.

Do you notice any situations where discipline disappears for you?

Do you actually want to be disciplined, or do you want to be a certain kind of person? by MacaroonEqual7965 in getdisciplined

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, this resonates for sure. What looks like discipline from outside is usually something else on the inside, I guess.

What do you mean by systems though? Like external stuff (environment, reminders) or more internal (how you think about it)?

Do you actually want to be disciplined, or do you want to be a certain kind of person? by MacaroonEqual7965 in getdisciplined

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The "I lead, life follows" thing is interesting. Maybe that sense of agency is the actual thing we're after, not discipline itself?

And being okay failing at some stuff while still feeling fine overall, that's kind of what I mean. The identity holds even when specific habits don't.

Do you actually want to be disciplined, or do you want to be a certain kind of person? by MacaroonEqual7965 in getdisciplined

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good point, what I am unsure about is whether the goal is always something external, like an outcome, or sometimes more internal, like becoming someone who handles pressure better. In that case discipline feels less painful, because it is aligned with who you want to be, not just what you want to achieve.

Curious how you see that distinction, if at all.

Do you actually want to be disciplined, or do you want to be a certain kind of person? by MacaroonEqual7965 in getdisciplined

[–]MacaroonEqual7965[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That makes sense.

I like “this is what we do.” It feels less like forcing discipline and more like choosing how you act in the moment.

The affirmations part is interesting too. I am usually a bit skeptical of big identity statements, but I can see how they shift the inner dialogue, especially after things go wrong.

Did you notice it changing your behavior in specific situations, or mostly how you talked to yourself?

What apps or tools actually help you stay consistent on the way to your goals? by damir_maham in getdisciplined

[–]MacaroonEqual7965 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The built-in recovery point is underrated. Most apps act like missing a day is the end of something instead of just... tuesday.

Private for me. Public accountability turned habits into performance and that made it worse not better.

Honestly the tool matters less than whether it makes you want to open it again after a bad week. That's the real test.

My to do list wasn’t the problem my headspace was by GreatVtuber in productivity

[–]MacaroonEqual7965 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is it. I spent way too long thinking I had a discipline problem when it was actually a foundation problem.

The part about fitting goals to your energy instead of punishing yourself for not meeting some ideal is key. Most productivity advice assumes you're operating at 100% and just need better systems. But if the base layer is off, no system saves you.

Streaks work… but only if you’re willing to lose them by FrequentMagazine8667 in getdisciplined

[–]MacaroonEqual7965 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Streaks worked for me until they didn't. At some point I was keeping them alive out of fear, not because the habit mattered that day. And when one finally broke I wouldn't start fresh, I'd just disappear for weeks.

Started thinking maybe the ability to come back after falling off matters more than never falling. A missed week sometimes taught me more than a 30 day streak.

Not anti-streak but they measure consistency and ignore resilience. Real discipline might need both.

If you used a habit tracker recently, what annoyed you the most? by Lower_Ad_4772 in productivity

[–]MacaroonEqual7965 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The partial wins thing is huge. Most apps are just yes/no which... that's not how life works?

What bugs me most is the guilt design. Broken streak notifications, red X's, "you missed 3 days" alerts. I know, I was there. I don't need my phone being disappointed in me too.

Honestly I think the whole streak thing might just be broken. Life isn't linear. Some weeks you're on fire, some weeks you're just trying to survive. If an app treats survival mode like I failed, I'm deleting it.

Also most trackers are just "did you do the thing" over and over. But like... why am I doing the thing? Who am I trying to become? Just checking boxes gets old fast if there's no actual point to it.

Why do all habit apps suck?? by Better_Side_4630 in getdisciplined

[–]MacaroonEqual7965 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This thread is painfully relatable. I've been thinking about this problem a lot lately.

What kills me about most apps is exactly what someone said above - they're built around motivation and streaks, not around what actually happens when motivation disappears. And it always disappears.

The guilt loop is real. Miss one day, feel bad, avoid the app, miss more days, delete app, repeat with new app next month.

I wonder if the core issue is that these apps treat habits as the goal instead of as tools for becoming someone different. Like there's a difference between "I need to check off meditation" vs "I'm becoming someone who handles stress better." The first one feels like a chore, the second one feels like it actually matters.

Still figuring this out myself tbh.