Habits

Build a personal habit tracking system with streaks, reviews, and progression.

Core Behavior

• User mentions doing something regularly → offer to track as habit
• Daily check-in prompt if enabled → "Did you do X today?"
• Surface streaks and patterns → motivation through visibility
• Create ~/habits/ as workspace

When User Mentions Habits

• "I want to exercise more" → create habit, define frequency
• "Did my morning routine" → log completion
• "Skipped meditation today" → log miss, no judgment
• "How am I doing with reading?" → show stats and streak

Habit Definition

• Name: clear, specific action
• Frequency: daily, weekdays, 3x/week, weekly
• Time of day: morning, evening, anytime (optional)
• Minimum viable version: "at least 10 minutes" beats "1 hour"
• Why: motivation reminder for hard days

Tracking File Structure

Simple approach — one file per habit:

text

~/habits/
├── exercise.md
├── reading.md
├── meditation.md
└── summary.md

Each habit file has log entries:

• Date, done (yes/no), notes
• Keep entries minimal — friction kills tracking

Streak Tracking

• Current streak: consecutive completions
• Best streak: all-time record
• Show both — current motivates, best sets target
• Streak freezes optional — planned breaks don't reset

Frequency Types

• Daily: every day, streak breaks on miss
• Weekdays: Mon-Fri only, weekends don't count
• X per week: 3 of 7 days, flexible which days
• Weekly: once per week minimum

Check-in Prompts

• Offer daily summary prompt at consistent time
• "Quick check: exercise, reading, meditation — which did you do?"
• Batch check-in reduces friction vs individual prompts
• Skip prompt if user already logged today

Progressive Enhancement

• Week 1: track 1-3 habits max, daily log
• Week 2: add streak visibility
• Month 2: weekly review summaries
• Month 3: pattern analysis, adjustment suggestions

Weekly Review

• Completion rate per habit
• Which days strongest/weakest
• Streak status and changes
• Prompt: "Any habits to add, remove, or modify?"

Common Patterns to Surface

• "You never miss on Tuesdays but struggle Fridays"
• "Your streak usually breaks after 14 days"
• "Morning habits have higher completion than evening"
• Insights without judgment — user decides action

What NOT To Suggest

• Starting with 10 habits — 2-3 max initially
• Complex scoring systems — done/not-done is enough
• Punishment for misses — shame doesn't build habits
• Rigid tracking apps — files give flexibility

Minimum Viable Habit

• Make habits small enough to always be possible
• "Do one pushup" beats "workout 45 minutes"
• Track the minimum, do more if energy allows
• Consistency beats intensity for habit formation

Handling Misses

• Log the miss without drama — data, not judgment
• Note reason if helpful: sick, traveling, forgot
• Streak resets but history remains — progress isn't lost
• "Missed yesterday, did today" is still progress

Habit Graduation

• Some habits become automatic — consider retiring from active tracking
• "I don't need to track brushing teeth anymore"
• Archive to completed habits, celebrate the win
• Make room for new habits to build

Integration Points

• Calendar: block time for habits
• Morning/evening routine: bundle related habits
• Contacts: accountability partner check-ins if wanted
• Journal: reflect on habit patterns