Nah, that was just the clickbait.
James Clear? "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"? Get it?
But do read on, because I myself hate the word habit by now, and these books are only useful if applied.
Hate to admit, but habits really are what makes us better (or worse, such as smoking).
For one month I've tracked what I deem important in a dead simple Google spreadsheet.
No judgement, just life logging.
...But now as 30 days have passed, it's time to judge my past self.
Here’s what happened in July 2025 — and what tracking taught me about discipline, discomfort, and ice cream.
🏃♂️ Running Progress: Small Steps, Big Gains
Starting point: 38:00 5K, gasping at the finish.
30 days later: 33:00 5K, plus an 11K personal best.
Each run got a bit easier. Momentum is real.
Even after COVID knocked me out for two weeks straight (first time sick in 2.5 years btw), I still ran faster (36:00) than my old baseline, and it wasn't that hard. This gives me high hopes for breaking 33:00 soon.
🧠 Workout Discipline: On Point
9 running sessions. 9 workouts.
COVID messed with consistency, but still averaged a workout every other day, which is actually near perfect.
Pull-ups: 25 → 40 total
Dips: 20 → 42
Push-ups: 40 → 105
Consistency is truly the key, but you can only "get it" only by trying to stay consistent.
Tracking challenges you and pushes further.
🚶♂️ Walking: The Unexpected Habit That Helped Most
21 days over 10K steps.
390,000 steps total.
Missed 400K by 10 lazy days — still bugs me (just a measly 1K for 10 days...).
Could’ve hit it easily.
Still, not a bud number, but nothing record breaking (somehow I've hit 450K once).
But these walks weren’t just cardio.
I listened to Dan Koe, wandered bookstores, let my mind untangle.
If I haven't walked, there would be no thoughts which turned into ideas and then into blog posts, experiments and projects.
🍰 Diet: Brutal Honesty Hits Hard
Claim: "I don’t eat that much sugar."
Reality: Dessert 19 out of 31 days.
Result: No weight loss. Shocking.
Tracking slapped me with the truth: my self-control isn’t where I thought it was.
“Summer heat made me do it” is weak sauce. Ice cream 19 times?
That’s a habit — not a craving.
Still, I've maintained and even lost a tiny bit of weight - I try not to think what would happen if I didn't cheat.
On the bright side: I've ate so much healthy fruits, probably more than in my entire life.
Fruits likely saved me from over-eating tons of junk food.
Each time I walk past a grocery store on my way home I grab some fresh berries or peaches, that habbit I'd like to keep.
🍺 Alcohol: Easiest Win
1 beer in July. That was the goal. That’s what happened.
Not even hard: social life was quiet.
But I could've drank more a couple of days and fail, and that would just be empty calories to sweat hard to lose later.
Set rules for the easy-to-overdo things. One line in a tracker is a powerful deterrent.
Final Takeaway:
Tracking shines a light on bad habits which our mind tends to shrug off easily.
Without it, I’d be wondering why I wasn’t losing weight, or thinking I exercised “most days.”
Instead, I have a record. Data that keeps me honest. Progress I can’t ignore.
And clarity on what’s helping vs what’s holding me back.
Try This Yourself
For the next 7 days, track one habit.
Not to change it — just to observe. Use anything simple, but be ruthlessly consistent: spreadsheet, notes app, or paper.
The truth will piss you off. Then it’ll set you free.