Habit check-in reminders that track your streak for you
A habit tracker only works if you update it, and most people stop after a week. Instead of ticking boxes in an app, your todo.is agent asks you once a day whether you did each habit. You reply "yes, yes, no", it keeps the streaks, and once a week it shows you what is working and what keeps slipping.
The prompt
- Check in with me on my habits every evening at [CHECK-IN TIME] on [WHERE TO SEND]. My habits: [HABITS AND TARGETS]. Ask in one short message, numbered, so I can reply like "1 yes 2 no 3 yes". Keep streaks and a log for each habit. If I miss the same habit 2 days in a row, ask one friendly question about what got in the way and suggest one small fix. Do not lecture. Every [REPORT DAY], send a weekly report: done count per habit, longest streak, and one pattern you noticed. At the end of each month, send the full log as an Excel file with a simple chart.
What to change
- [CHECK-IN TIME]: e.g. "21:30". Pick a time after the habits would normally be done.
- [WHERE TO SEND]: WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack or Discord.
- [HABITS AND TARGETS]: e.g. "1. read 20 minutes daily, 2. no phone in bed, 3. walk 8,000 steps 5 days a week, 4. journal 3 lines".
- [REPORT DAY]: e.g. "Sunday morning".
Example result
- Evening check-in (21:30)
- Quick check for Tuesday:
- 1. Read 20 minutes?
- 2. No phone in bed?
- 3. 8,000 steps?
- 4. Journal 3 lines?
- You reply: "1 yes 2 no 3 yes 4 yes"
- > Nice. Reading streak: 6 days. Steps: 3 of 5 this week. Phone in bed missed tonight.
- After 2 misses in a row
- > Phone in bed slipped two nights. What usually happens? If it is checking messages, one idea: charge your phone in the kitchen and use a cheap alarm clock.
- You reply: "I use it as an alarm"
- > Makes sense. Try putting the charger across the room tonight, so you have to get up to turn the alarm off. Want me to remind you at 22:30 to plug it in there?
- Weekly report (Sunday)
- • Read 20 min: 6 of 7, streak 6 days
- • No phone in bed: 3 of 7
- • 8,000 steps: 5 of 5 target met
- • Journal: 5 of 7
- Pattern: phone in bed and journaling both slipped on the same nights (Tue, Thu), your late work days. Maybe journal at lunch on those days?
- Monthly log (Excel)
- • One row per day, one column per habit (1 = done, 0 = missed)
- • Totals and best streak per habit
- • A bar chart of weekly completion rates
- Changing habits
- • "Add: 10 minutes of Spanish, weekdays"
- • "Pause steps while my ankle heals"
- • "Make journaling 3 days a week instead of daily"
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and list your habits and targets where the [brackets] are.
- Send it to your agent on WhatsApp or Telegram, or paste it on the Today screen in todo.is.
- Reply to the evening check-in with a quick "1 yes 2 no" style answer.
- Read the Sunday report and change habits or targets by sending a message.
Tips for a better result
- Start with 3 or 4 habits. More than that and the daily check-in starts to feel like homework.
- Use weekly targets for things like exercise ("4 times a week"). A missed day does not break the whole habit.
- Make habits concrete: "read 20 minutes" is easier to answer yes or no to than "read more".
- Look at the patterns, not just the streaks. Knowing when you slip tells you what to fix.
habit check-in reminders: FAQ
- How long does it take to build a habit? It varies a lot by person and habit. Research often cites around two months on average for a habit to feel automatic, with simple habits taking less and harder ones longer.
- What is a habit check-in? A short, regular question asking whether you did a habit today. Answering it keeps you honest and builds a record you can learn from.
- Can I check in on WhatsApp instead of an app? Yes. Your todo.is agent sends the check-in to WhatsApp or Telegram and you reply in the chat. No separate app to open.
- What if I forget to reply? Your agent can send one gentle follow-up the next morning, and you can answer for yesterday then.
JavaScript is required to use the todo.is app.