https://lestallion.com/collections/journal-notebook-for-habit-tracking
Transforming your life doesn't happen through grand gestures but through the quiet power of consistent daily habits. We dive deep into how habit tracking—especially when paired with dedicated physical journals—can bridge the gap between your ambitious goals and the small actions needed to achieve them.
The psychology behind habit tracking is fascinating. When we convert our intentions into trackable actions, something remarkable happens in our brains. Each checkmark becomes evidence of who we're becoming, creating a powerful feedback loop that reinforces positive behaviors. This isn't just about monitoring; it's about manufacturing motivation through visual proof of your progress.
We explore the features that make Listallion journals particularly effective for habit tracking—from their high-quality 120 GSM paper and dashed lines that provide flexible structure to their durable faux leather covers in various colors. These thoughtful design elements transform tracking from a chore into a pleasurable ritual. The tangible experience of writing in a physical journal creates a different kind of commitment compared to digital alternatives.
Through personal stories and research-backed strategies, we address common challenges like inconsistency, lack of direction, and overwhelm. The key takeaways? Start small with just one or two habits, set crystal-clear goals, track daily to build momentum, and review weekly to identify patterns. This approach doesn't just build better habits—it enhances self-awareness, productivity, and mental wellbeing.
Ready to see what consistent tracking could do for your life? Think about one small habit you'd like to develop, and consider how dedicating physical space to tracking might transform both your approach and your results.
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LeStallion offers premium PU leather journal notebooks for writing, dedicated to all those who are pursuing their dreams and goals, or nurturing their personal development and mental health.
For More Info on LeStallion, check out:
https://lestallion.com/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everyone and welcome back to the deep dive.
You know we're always talkingabout ways to like level up your
life right, and today we'rediving into a topic that's
absolutely key.
For that we're going to betalking about habit tracking and
taking it even a step furtherwith dedicated journals.
These journals they can be likea secret weapon for building
those consistent habits andreaching those goals you have.
(00:22):
And we're not just talkingtheory here.
We're going to be looking atsome specific examples,
especially these listallionjournals that so many of you are
probably already familiar with,and by the end of this you're
going to have all the intel youneed to start tracking like a
pro and really see those changesyou're looking for.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
You hit the nail on the head, Like so many people
have these big dreams andambitions, but then those daily
actions they just kind of fizzleout.
So what we're diving into ishow to bridge that gap using
some really cool tools andstrategies.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, exactly, and you know it's funny because
habit tracking might seem likekind of a basic thing, right,
Just marking off what you dideach day.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
But we're actually going to go way deeper than that
.
But we're actually going to goway deeper than that.
We're going to talk about whyit's statement, but the more you
think about it, the more itmakes sense.
It's not just about writingthings down.
It's about the mindset shiftthat happens when you start
consciously tracking your habits.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
It's almost like once you start tracking those
intentions they become like realactions and you can see how
those actions, over time theyadd up to those big changes you
want.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Exactly, and this stuff we're looking at it
highlights how habit tracking itcan be a game changer in a few
key ways.
Right, it helps you getorganized with your goals.
You're not just floating aroundwith these ideas in your head,
you're actually putting themdown on paper, turning those big
goals into those dailybite-sized actions.
And then there's the power ofthose little wins.
(02:03):
You know, each day we can checkoff something you did.
It sounds small, but it can beincredibly motivating and it
keeps that momentum going.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Oh for sure.
And for me, one of the biggestbenefits is just that awareness
you get.
You start to see oh, this iswhat I actually do every day,
not what I think I do or what Iwish I did, but what actually
happens.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Oh, absolutely.
It's about turning thosesubjective feelings into like
objective data, you know, youget real insights into your
habits and your patterns andthen from that foundation you
can set these really realisticand measurable goals for
yourself, grounded in likeactual self-awareness and this
source material.
It talks about celebrating eventhose small milestones, right,
(02:46):
and it's not just because itfeels good although it does feel
good to check things off yourlist, but it's also because it
creates this positive feedbackloop in your brain, making it
way more likely that you'llstick with those habits
long-term.
You know it's like each littlecheck mark you make, each habit
you track.
It's like a small piece ofevidence that's reinforcing that
identity you're trying to build.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I love that.
It's like building up thatevidence day by day.
Okay, so now let's talk aboutthese listallion journals that
you mentioned earlier, Becauseyou know, a lot of our listeners
are always asking about thebest tools for habit tracking,
and these journals.
They always seem to come up.
So what is it about theselistallion journals that makes
them so well suited for thispractice?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Well, first of all, they're just beautiful objects.
I mean you can tell that a lotof thought went into the design
and the quality.
They have 211 pages of thisnice thick 120 GSM paper, which
means it's really smooth towrite on and you don't have to
worry about any bleed through,and that's a big deal, because
when you're using a journalevery day, it needs to be a
(03:44):
pleasant experience, it needs tofeel good in your hand.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
And the covers too.
They come in these really nicefaux leather covers and they
just feel so durable.
Like you know, this journal isgoing to last.
They come in these beautifulcolors too, like that really
striking ash gray black and awarm cocoa brown, even a bold,
proactive purple.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, exactly, and you know, having that choice,
having those different coloroptions, it makes it feel more
personal.
But beyond just the aesthetics,there are a bunch of features
in these journals that arespecifically great for habit
tracking.
For example, they have dashedlined pages.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Okay, now I have to ask why dashed lines?
Why are they so much betterthan, say, solid lines or blank
pages when it comes to trackinghabits?
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Oh, that's a great question.
Dash lines, they provide astructure without being like
overly rigid.
You know they give you enoughguidance to create these really
clean and organized layouts foryour habit trackers, whether
you're drawing out weekly grids,monthly calendars, whatever
works best for you.
They help you keep those linesstraight in your sections,
(04:45):
uniform, which just makes thewhole thing look so much more
visually appealing and easier toread.
And, unlike solid lines, theystill give you the flexibility
to customize your layout howeveryou want.
And they've also thought oflike little details that really
matter, like they have a backpocket where you can store those
little notes or reminders it'slike they really sat down and
thought about all the littlethings that make a difference.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
You know, Okay, so we've talked about the why and
we talked about the tools, butnow let's talk about those
challenges.
Yeah, because we all knowbuilding new habits it's not
always easy.
Our sources actually talk aboutsome really common pitfalls
that people run into whenthey're trying to establish new
routines.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, they do, and it's so interesting because they
really pinpoint those likeuniversal struggles, you know.
The first one is just plain oldinconsistency.
We all know this one.
You start off super motivated,you're tracking everything,
you're on fire, but then lifehappens and you miss a day or
two and then it's like the wholething falls apart.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Been there, done that , okay, so what's the next one?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
The second challenge is a lack of direction.
It's like you know you want toimprove, but you're not really
sure where to start or how totrack your progress in a
meaningful way.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
I can see how that would be a recipe for feeling
lost for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Absolutely.
And then, of course, there'sthe overwhelm factor.
Right, we try to do too much atonce.
We set all these ambitiousgoals, we're tracking a million
different things, and then wejust burn out and give up.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
That's a real danger.
So how can a structured journal, especially one like the
Listallion that we've beentalking about, help us navigate
these common challenges?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Well, having that dedicated physical space for
your habit tracking, it acts asa constant visual reminder.
It's right there in front ofyou, you know, so you're less
likely to forget about it.
And because you can customizethose habit logs, you can
actually choose your startingpoint.
You can decide how much youwant to track, what metrics you
want to use, and that reallyhelps to avoid both that lack of
direction and that feeling ofbeing overwhelmed.
(06:41):
It's about making it manageable, and just the act of regularly
engaging with that journal, likephysically writing in it, it
reinforces that commitmentyou've made to yourself.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So when you say customizable habit logs, what
does that actually look like inpractice?
What are some examples of howsomeone might personalize their
journal for different habits?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Well, you can decide which habits are most important
to you right now.
Do you want to focus on yourmorning routine, your
productivity, your fitness goals, whatever it is?
And then you can decide howoften you want to track each
habit.
Is it a daily thing, a weeklything or something else?
And then, what kind ofinformation do you want to
capture?
For some habits, it might be asimple yes or no, like did I
exercise today, yes or no, butfor other habits, you might want
(07:25):
to track the duration, theintensity, maybe how you felt
before, during or after you didit.
The beauty of a journal is thatit can adapt you.
You're not stuck with apre-designed template.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And we talked about those dashed lines earlier.
They also play a role in visualtracking, right Like using
grids, charts or symbols torepresent your progress.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
How does that work using grids, charts or symbols
to represent your progress.
How does that work?
Yeah, visual tracking can beincredibly powerful because our
brains are wired to processvisual information so quickly.
When you see a visualrepresentation of your progress,
like a line going up on a graphor a bunch of boxes that are
checked off, it gives you thatimmediate, like visceral
feedback.
And the dashed lines in theLaStallion Journal they make it
(08:04):
so easy to create those visualelements.
You can make those straightlines even boxes, and it just
looks so much cleaner and moresatisfying.
And then when you look back atyour progress, it's easy to see
those patterns and those trendsat a glance and this source
material.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
It also emphasizes the importance of reflection
right yeah like having a spacein your journal to actually
think about why you're trackingthese habits, how it's going,
what's working, what's not.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Exactly that reflection piece.
It's where the real magichappens, you know.
It's where you move beyond justchecking boxes and you start to
understand yourself better.
You start to identify yourtriggers, your obstacles, the
things that really motivate you.
And the Lestallian journals.
They have plenty of space foryou to do that, to really dive
into those reflections withoutfeeling limited.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
It's like having that conversation with yourself.
You know on paper, and thenthat table of contents we were
talking about.
That makes it easy to go backand revisit those reflections,
see how your thinking haschanged over time.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
It's like documenting your own personal growth
journey.
Okay, now I know you have astory about how you used a
Lestallion journal for yourwriting.
You were talking about itearlier.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Oh yeah, totally.
So I was trying to be moreconsistent with my writing, but
I'd have these bursts ofproductivity, you know, I'd
write like crazy for a few daysand then weeks would go by where
I wouldn't even touch mymanuscript.
I tried all sorts of things,you know, like setting digital
reminders, using apps, butnothing seemed to stick.
And then I thought, okay, maybeI need to go old school.
So I got myself a listallionjournal and I started writing
down my daily word count goal init, and then I would just track
(09:31):
my progress each day, even ifit was just a tiny amount.
And what I found was the act ofphysically writing it down.
It created this different kindof commitment and I don't know,
maybe it's weird, but even thefeel of the paper, it just made
the whole experience moreenjoyable Seeing those pages
gradually fill up.
It was a visual reminder of myprogress and it was really
(09:51):
motivating.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
You know, it's funny how those seemingly little
things like the quality of thepaper can make such a big
difference.
And that's one of the things Ilove about the Listallion
journals they didn't just focuson the functionality, they also
paid attention to the userexperience.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
And in your case, it sounds like that definitely
contributed to your success.
Absolutely, and thinking backon why that journal worked so
well for me, it was partlybecause the paper it was just so
nice to write on and thatsturdy cover I could take it
anywhere with me, you know,throw it in my bag without
worrying about it gettingdamaged.
It made it so easy to just makeit a part of my daily routine.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Removing those little friction points right, like if
the paper's flimsy or thecutter's flimsy, it's just one
more excuse not to use it.
But when you have a journalthat feels good to use, that's
well made, it makes the wholeprocess more enjoyable and that
enjoyment it feeds into thatconsistency.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Totally you enjoyable , and that enjoyment it feeds
into that consistency Totallyyou know what else?
I was talking to mysister-in-law and she was
telling me how she was trying tobuild a bunch of healthy habits
all at once.
She was like I want to drinkmore water, take more breaks
from my computer, get moreexercise, and she was trying to
keep track of it all in her head, which you know wasn't working
so well.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
It's like trying to juggle a million things at once.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Right, and your brain can only handle so much.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Right, exactly.
And then she started using alistallion journal.
I think she went with the softcover in that cocoa brown color
and it made a huge differencefor her.
She loved having that dedicatedspace to list out her habits
and track her progress each day.
And those dashed lines againthey came in handy.
She used them to create thisreally clear visual layout for
(11:25):
the week so she could seeeverything at a glance.
And she told me that just theact of seeing all those goals in
one place and then being ableto check them off each day, it
gave her this amazing sense ofcontrol.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
It's like taking those abstract ideas of being
healthier and turning them intoconcrete actions, you know, and
then seeing that visual progress.
It just reinforces that senseof accomplishment and motivation
.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Exactly, and you know it's interesting.
In the materials we werelooking at there's a story about
a college student named Liam,and his experience with habit
tracking and using a Lestallionjournal is so similar to what my
sister-in-law was talking about.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
It is.
Liam was struggling to stay ontop of things.
You know he was busy withclasses and everything else
going on in college life and hewas having a hard time staying
consistent with things likedrinking enough water, getting
enough study time in and fittingin exercise.
But then he started using alistallion journal and he
specifically tracked thosehabits and just that act of
tracking them, bringing thatvisual awareness to his
(12:24):
consistency, it made a hugedifference.
And he also used that journalto reflect on his progress each
week and what he found was thateven these small daily actions
they were having a positiveripple effect on his overall
well-being and even his timemanagement skills.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
It's amazing how even those small habits, when you
track them and you make themconsistent, they can have such a
big impact on other areas ofyour life.
You know management skills.
It's amazing how even thosesmall habits, when you track
them and you make themconsistent, they can have such a
big impact on other areas ofyour life.
You know, and you know.
One thing I really appreciateabout the materials we've been
looking at for this episode isthat they don't just talk about
the why of habit tracking.
They also give some reallysolid, actionable tips and those
(12:58):
tips they actually alignperfectly with using a journal
like the Lestallion.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yeah, they do.
So the first tip is start small.
Don't try to change everythingat once.
Just pick one or two habitsthat you want to focus on.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
And how can a journal help with that?
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Well, because a journal has limited space right,
especially when you're firststarting out.
So it kind of naturally forcesyou to be selective.
You're not looking at thisoverwhelming digital interface
with a million options.
You have a physical page, andthat encourages you to be really
intentional about what youchoose to track.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Makes sense.
Okay, what's the next tip?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
The second tip is set clear goals, and we've talked
about this a bit already, butwriting things down, making them
concrete, that's so crucial.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
And how does a journal reinforce that?
Speaker 2 (13:42):
When you actually dedicate a section of your
journal to defining your goalsand then you break those goals
down into those trackable habits.
It forces you to get specific.
You can't just write down behealthier or be more productive,
you have to actually definewhat that looks like for you,
what those daily actions are.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Okay, tip number three Crack daily, make it a
routine.
And again, this is where ajournal really shines, because
it becomes your dedicated spacefor that daily tracking and
those dashed lines.
They make it so easy to createthose daily logs and make them
visually appealing.
So it's not a chore, it'ssomething you actually enjoy
doing.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
It's like building that little ritual into your day
, you know, and the last tip.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Review progress weekly.
Take some time each week tolook back at what you've tracked
, see what patterns you notice,celebrate your wins and make any
adjustments you need to make.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And the Lestallion Journal.
It's perfectly designed forthat right, with all those pages
for your logs and that handytable of contents so you can
easily flip back to previousweeks.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Exactly.
You have this amazinghistorical record of your
efforts all in one place andwhen you review your progress
regularly, it helps you staymotivated and it helps you learn
and adapt your approach overtime.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
It's like you're not just tracking your habits,
you're also tracking your ownpersonal growth.
Yeah, so someone's listening tothis and they're thinking OK, I
want to give this a try.
What kind of tangible benefitscan they expect to see from
consistent habit tracking,especially when they're using a
tool like a Listallion journal?
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Well, you know the research on habit tracking.
It shows that it can lead tosome pretty incredible outcomes.
First of all, it can boost yourproductivity because you're
consistently engaging in thoseactions that are moving you
toward your goals.
It can improve your mentalwell-being because you're
feeling more in control, you'reexperiencing that sense of
accomplishment.
And it can even enhance yourself-awareness Because as you
(15:32):
track your habits and youreflect on your progress, you
start to understand yourselfbetter.
You start to see those patternsin your behavior, your
strengths, your weaknesses.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
And for me it's clear that those Listallion Journal
features.
They actually amplify thosebenefits.
It's like the quality of thematerials, that intentional
design, it all creates a morepositive and engaging experience
and that just makes you want touse it.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Absolutely.
It's about creating thatenvironment that supports you,
that makes habit tracking feelless like a chore and more like
a journey of self-discovery andimprovement.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
So, as we wrap up this deep dive into habit
tracking, I think the bigtakeaway for everyone listening
is that this is a powerful toolfor anyone who wants to make
lasting changes in their life,and a dedicated journal
especially one like theListallion that we've been
talking about it can be a gamechanger.
It gives you that structure, itencourages you to be consistent
and it makes the whole processmore visible and rewarding.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
It's about giving yourself the tools and the space
to cultivate those positivehabits and really unlock your
potential.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
So for you listening, we'd love for you to think
about one small habit that you'dlike to start building, just
one, and think about howdedicating a physical space to
tracking that habit using ajournal could change your
approach and your results.
Maybe explore the listallionjournals, see if they resonate
with you.
It all starts with that firststep and then tracking your
journey along the way.
Hey everyone and welcome back to the deep dive.
You know we're always talkingabout ways to like level up your
life right, and today we'rediving into a topic that's
absolutely key.
For that we're going to betalking about habit tracking and
taking it even a step furtherwith dedicated journals.
These journals they can be likea secret weapon for building
those consistent habits andreaching those goals you have.
(00:22):
And we're not just talkingtheory here.
We're going to be looking atsome specific examples,
especially these listallionjournals that so many of you are
probably already familiar with,and by the end of this you're
going to have all the intel youneed to start tracking like a
pro and really see those changesyou're looking for.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
You hit the nail on the head, Like so many people
have these big dreams andambitions, but then those daily
actions they just kind of fizzleout.
So what we're diving into ishow to bridge that gap using
some really cool tools andstrategies.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Yeah, exactly, and you know it's funny because
habit tracking might seem likekind of a basic thing, right,
Just marking off what you dideach day.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
But we're actually going to go way deeper than that
.
But we're actually going to goway deeper than that.
We're going to talk about whyit's statement, but the more you
think about it, the more itmakes sense.
It's not just about writingthings down.
It's about the mindset shiftthat happens when you start
consciously tracking your habits.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
It's almost like once you start tracking those
intentions they become like realactions and you can see how
those actions, over time theyadd up to those big changes you
want.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Exactly, and this stuff we're looking at it
highlights how habit tracking itcan be a game changer in a few
key ways.
Right, it helps you getorganized with your goals.
You're not just floating aroundwith these ideas in your head,
you're actually putting themdown on paper, turning those big
goals into those dailybite-sized actions.
And then there's the power ofthose little wins.
(02:03):
You know, each day we can checkoff something you did.
It sounds small, but it can beincredibly motivating and it
keeps that momentum going.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Oh for sure.
And for me, one of the biggestbenefits is just that awareness
you get.
You start to see oh, this iswhat I actually do every day,
not what I think I do or what Iwish I did, but what actually
happens.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Oh, absolutely.
It's about turning thosesubjective feelings into like
objective data, you know, youget real insights into your
habits and your patterns andthen from that foundation you
can set these really realisticand measurable goals for
yourself, grounded in likeactual self-awareness and this
source material.
It talks about celebrating eventhose small milestones, right,
(02:46):
and it's not just because itfeels good although it does feel
good to check things off yourlist, but it's also because it
creates this positive feedbackloop in your brain, making it
way more likely that you'llstick with those habits
long-term.
You know it's like each littlecheck mark you make, each habit
you track.
It's like a small piece ofevidence that's reinforcing that
identity you're trying to build.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
I love that.
It's like building up thatevidence day by day.
Okay, so now let's talk aboutthese listallion journals that
you mentioned earlier, Becauseyou know, a lot of our listeners
are always asking about thebest tools for habit tracking,
and these journals.
They always seem to come up.
So what is it about theselistallion journals that makes
them so well suited for thispractice?
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Well, first of all, they're just beautiful objects.
I mean you can tell that a lotof thought went into the design
and the quality.
They have 211 pages of thisnice thick 120 GSM paper, which
means it's really smooth towrite on and you don't have to
worry about any bleed through,and that's a big deal, because
when you're using a journalevery day, it needs to be a
(03:44):
pleasant experience, it needs tofeel good in your hand.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
And the covers too.
They come in these really nicefaux leather covers and they
just feel so durable.
Like you know, this journal isgoing to last.
They come in these beautifulcolors too, like that really
striking ash gray black and awarm cocoa brown, even a bold,
proactive purple.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Yeah, exactly, and you know, having that choice,
having those different coloroptions, it makes it feel more
personal.
But beyond just the aesthetics,there are a bunch of features
in these journals that arespecifically great for habit
tracking.
For example, they have dashedlined pages.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Okay, now I have to ask why dashed lines?
Why are they so much betterthan, say, solid lines or blank
pages when it comes to trackinghabits?
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Oh, that's a great question.
Dash lines, they provide astructure without being like
overly rigid.
You know they give you enoughguidance to create these really
clean and organized layouts foryour habit trackers, whether
you're drawing out weekly grids,monthly calendars, whatever
works best for you.
They help you keep those linesstraight in your sections,
(04:45):
uniform, which just makes thewhole thing look so much more
visually appealing and easier toread.
And, unlike solid lines, theystill give you the flexibility
to customize your layout howeveryou want.
And they've also thought oflike little details that really
matter, like they have a backpocket where you can store those
little notes or reminders it'slike they really sat down and
thought about all the littlethings that make a difference.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
You know, Okay, so we've talked about the why and
we talked about the tools, butnow let's talk about those
challenges.
Yeah, because we all knowbuilding new habits it's not
always easy.
Our sources actually talk aboutsome really common pitfalls
that people run into whenthey're trying to establish new
routines.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Yeah, they do, and it's so interesting because they
really pinpoint those likeuniversal struggles, you know.
The first one is just plain oldinconsistency.
We all know this one.
You start off super motivated,you're tracking everything,
you're on fire, but then lifehappens and you miss a day or
two and then it's like the wholething falls apart.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Been there, done that , okay, so what's the next one?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
The second challenge is a lack of direction.
It's like you know you want toimprove, but you're not really
sure where to start or how totrack your progress in a
meaningful way.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
I can see how that would be a recipe for feeling
lost for sure.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Absolutely.
And then, of course, there'sthe overwhelm factor.
Right, we try to do too much atonce.
We set all these ambitiousgoals, we're tracking a million
different things, and then wejust burn out and give up.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
That's a real danger.
So how can a structured journal, especially one like the
Listallion that we've beentalking about, help us navigate
these common challenges?
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Well, having that dedicated physical space for
your habit tracking, it acts asa constant visual reminder.
It's right there in front ofyou, you know, so you're less
likely to forget about it.
And because you can customizethose habit logs, you can
actually choose your startingpoint.
You can decide how much youwant to track, what metrics you
want to use, and that reallyhelps to avoid both that lack of
direction and that feeling ofbeing overwhelmed.
(06:41):
It's about making it manageable, and just the act of regularly
engaging with that journal, likephysically writing in it, it
reinforces that commitmentyou've made to yourself.
Speaker 1 (06:52):
So when you say customizable habit logs, what
does that actually look like inpractice?
What are some examples of howsomeone might personalize their
journal for different habits?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
Well, you can decide which habits are most important
to you right now.
Do you want to focus on yourmorning routine, your
productivity, your fitness goals, whatever it is?
And then you can decide howoften you want to track each
habit.
Is it a daily thing, a weeklything or something else?
And then, what kind ofinformation do you want to
capture?
For some habits, it might be asimple yes or no, like did I
exercise today, yes or no, butfor other habits, you might want
(07:25):
to track the duration, theintensity, maybe how you felt
before, during or after you didit.
The beauty of a journal is thatit can adapt you.
You're not stuck with apre-designed template.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And we talked about those dashed lines earlier.
They also play a role in visualtracking, right Like using
grids, charts or symbols torepresent your progress.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
How does that work using grids, charts or symbols
to represent your progress.
How does that work?
Yeah, visual tracking can beincredibly powerful because our
brains are wired to processvisual information so quickly.
When you see a visualrepresentation of your progress,
like a line going up on a graphor a bunch of boxes that are
checked off, it gives you thatimmediate, like visceral
feedback.
And the dashed lines in theLaStallion Journal they make it
(08:04):
so easy to create those visualelements.
You can make those straightlines even boxes, and it just
looks so much cleaner and moresatisfying.
And then when you look back atyour progress, it's easy to see
those patterns and those trendsat a glance and this source
material.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
It also emphasizes the importance of reflection
right yeah like having a spacein your journal to actually
think about why you're trackingthese habits, how it's going,
what's working, what's not.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Exactly that reflection piece.
It's where the real magichappens, you know.
It's where you move beyond justchecking boxes and you start to
understand yourself better.
You start to identify yourtriggers, your obstacles, the
things that really motivate you.
And the Lestallian journals.
They have plenty of space foryou to do that, to really dive
into those reflections withoutfeeling limited.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
It's like having that conversation with yourself.
You know on paper, and thenthat table of contents we were
talking about.
That makes it easy to go backand revisit those reflections,
see how your thinking haschanged over time.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
It's like documenting your own personal growth
journey.
Okay, now I know you have astory about how you used a
Lestallion journal for yourwriting.
You were talking about itearlier.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Oh yeah, totally.
So I was trying to be moreconsistent with my writing, but
I'd have these bursts ofproductivity, you know, I'd
write like crazy for a few daysand then weeks would go by where
I wouldn't even touch mymanuscript.
I tried all sorts of things,you know, like setting digital
reminders, using apps, butnothing seemed to stick.
And then I thought, okay, maybeI need to go old school.
So I got myself a listallionjournal and I started writing
down my daily word count goal init, and then I would just track
(09:31):
my progress each day, even ifit was just a tiny amount.
And what I found was the act ofphysically writing it down.
It created this different kindof commitment and I don't know,
maybe it's weird, but even thefeel of the paper, it just made
the whole experience moreenjoyable Seeing those pages
gradually fill up.
It was a visual reminder of myprogress and it was really
(09:51):
motivating.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
You know, it's funny how those seemingly little
things like the quality of thepaper can make such a big
difference.
And that's one of the things Ilove about the Listallion
journals they didn't just focuson the functionality, they also
paid attention to the userexperience.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
And in your case, it sounds like that definitely
contributed to your success.
Absolutely, and thinking backon why that journal worked so
well for me, it was partlybecause the paper it was just so
nice to write on and thatsturdy cover I could take it
anywhere with me, you know,throw it in my bag without
worrying about it gettingdamaged.
It made it so easy to just makeit a part of my daily routine.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
Removing those little friction points right, like if
the paper's flimsy or thecutter's flimsy, it's just one
more excuse not to use it.
But when you have a journalthat feels good to use, that's
well made, it makes the wholeprocess more enjoyable and that
enjoyment it feeds into thatconsistency.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Totally you enjoyable , and that enjoyment it feeds
into that consistency Totallyyou know what else?
I was talking to mysister-in-law and she was
telling me how she was trying tobuild a bunch of healthy habits
all at once.
She was like I want to drinkmore water, take more breaks
from my computer, get moreexercise, and she was trying to
keep track of it all in her head, which you know wasn't working
so well.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
It's like trying to juggle a million things at once.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Right, and your brain can only handle so much.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Right, exactly.
And then she started using alistallion journal.
I think she went with the softcover in that cocoa brown color
and it made a huge differencefor her.
She loved having that dedicatedspace to list out her habits
and track her progress each day.
And those dashed lines againthey came in handy.
She used them to create thisreally clear visual layout for
(11:25):
the week so she could seeeverything at a glance.
And she told me that just theact of seeing all those goals in
one place and then being ableto check them off each day, it
gave her this amazing sense ofcontrol.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
It's like taking those abstract ideas of being
healthier and turning them intoconcrete actions, you know, and
then seeing that visual progress.
It just reinforces that senseof accomplishment and motivation
.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Exactly, and you know it's interesting.
In the materials we werelooking at there's a story about
a college student named Liam,and his experience with habit
tracking and using a Lestallionjournal is so similar to what my
sister-in-law was talking about.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
It is.
Liam was struggling to stay ontop of things.
You know he was busy withclasses and everything else
going on in college life and hewas having a hard time staying
consistent with things likedrinking enough water, getting
enough study time in and fittingin exercise.
But then he started using alistallion journal and he
specifically tracked thosehabits and just that act of
tracking them, bringing thatvisual awareness to his
(12:24):
consistency, it made a hugedifference.
And he also used that journalto reflect on his progress each
week and what he found was thateven these small daily actions
they were having a positiveripple effect on his overall
well-being and even his timemanagement skills.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
It's amazing how even those small habits, when you
track them and you make themconsistent, they can have such a
big impact on other areas ofyour life.
You know management skills.
It's amazing how even thosesmall habits, when you track
them and you make themconsistent, they can have such a
big impact on other areas ofyour life.
You know, and you know.
One thing I really appreciateabout the materials we've been
looking at for this episode isthat they don't just talk about
the why of habit tracking.
They also give some reallysolid, actionable tips and those
(12:58):
tips they actually alignperfectly with using a journal
like the Lestallion.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
Yeah, they do.
So the first tip is start small.
Don't try to change everythingat once.
Just pick one or two habitsthat you want to focus on.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
And how can a journal help with that?
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Well, because a journal has limited space right,
especially when you're firststarting out.
So it kind of naturally forcesyou to be selective.
You're not looking at thisoverwhelming digital interface
with a million options.
You have a physical page, andthat encourages you to be really
intentional about what youchoose to track.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Makes sense.
Okay, what's the next tip?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
The second tip is set clear goals, and we've talked
about this a bit already, butwriting things down, making them
concrete, that's so crucial.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
And how does a journal reinforce that?
Speaker 2 (13:42):
When you actually dedicate a section of your
journal to defining your goalsand then you break those goals
down into those trackable habits.
It forces you to get specific.
You can't just write down behealthier or be more productive,
you have to actually definewhat that looks like for you,
what those daily actions are.
Speaker 1 (13:58):
I love that.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Okay, tip number three Crack daily, make it a
routine.
And again, this is where ajournal really shines, because
it becomes your dedicated spacefor that daily tracking and
those dashed lines.
They make it so easy to createthose daily logs and make them
visually appealing.
So it's not a chore, it'ssomething you actually enjoy
doing.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
It's like building that little ritual into your day
, you know, and the last tip.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
Review progress weekly.
Take some time each week tolook back at what you've tracked
, see what patterns you notice,celebrate your wins and make any
adjustments you need to make.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
And the Lestallion Journal.
It's perfectly designed forthat right, with all those pages
for your logs and that handytable of contents so you can
easily flip back to previousweeks.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Exactly.
You have this amazinghistorical record of your
efforts all in one place andwhen you review your progress
regularly, it helps you staymotivated and it helps you learn
and adapt your approach overtime.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
It's like you're not just tracking your habits,
you're also tracking your ownpersonal growth.
Yeah, so someone's listening tothis and they're thinking OK, I
want to give this a try.
What kind of tangible benefitscan they expect to see from
consistent habit tracking,especially when they're using a
tool like a Listallion journal?
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Well, you know the research on habit tracking.
It shows that it can lead tosome pretty incredible outcomes.
First of all, it can boost yourproductivity because you're
consistently engaging in thoseactions that are moving you
toward your goals.
It can improve your mentalwell-being because you're
feeling more in control, you'reexperiencing that sense of
accomplishment.
And it can even enhance yourself-awareness Because as you
(15:32):
track your habits and youreflect on your progress, you
start to understand yourselfbetter.
You start to see those patternsin your behavior, your
strengths, your weaknesses.
Speaker 1 (15:39):
And for me it's clear that those Listallion Journal
features.
They actually amplify thosebenefits.
It's like the quality of thematerials, that intentional
design, it all creates a morepositive and engaging experience
and that just makes you want touse it.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Absolutely.
It's about creating thatenvironment that supports you,
that makes habit tracking feelless like a chore and more like
a journey of self-discovery andimprovement.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
So, as we wrap up this deep dive into habit
tracking, I think the bigtakeaway for everyone listening
is that this is a powerful toolfor anyone who wants to make
lasting changes in their life,and a dedicated journal
especially one like theListallion that we've been
talking about it can be a gamechanger.
It gives you that structure, itencourages you to be consistent
and it makes the whole processmore visible and rewarding.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
It's about giving yourself the tools and the space
to cultivate those positivehabits and really unlock your
potential.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
So for you listening, we'd love for you to think
about one small habit that you'dlike to start building, just
one, and think about howdedicating a physical space to
tracking that habit using ajournal could change your
approach and your results.
Maybe explore the listallionjournals, see if they resonate
with you.
It all starts with that firststep and then tracking your
journey along the way.
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