What a habit scorecard is for
Most of what you do in a day happens on autopilot. That is the point of habits, but it also means you stop seeing them. A habit scorecard drags them back into view. You write your day down as it really happens, then rate each line.
James Clear describes the exercise in Atomic Habits as a first step in changing behavior: before you change a habit, you have to notice it. You're not fixing anything yet. You're just looking.
How to fill in your scorecard
- List a normal weekday, in order. Start when you wake up and stop when you fall asleep. Small things count: checking your phone, the second coffee, the snack at 3pm.
- Mark each line +, - or =. Good habits help the person you want to be. Bad habits work against it. Neutral habits are just part of the day.
- Look at the pattern, not the score. Lots of minus marks just shows you where to look, and usually the minus habits cluster around a time of day.
- Pick one thing to change. One. Not five. Write it down as a habit stack below the list.
An example
Say your 15-line day comes out as 5 plus, 6 neutral and 4 minus. Three of the four minus marks are phone habits: in bed in the morning, scrolling after breakfast and in bed at night. That is the pattern worth acting on.
Instead of trying to quit your phone, you could stack something on a habit that is already solid: “After I make coffee, I will read one page.” Coffee happens every day without effort, so it carries the new habit along with it.
Habit stacking, briefly
The “After I ___, I will ___” formula comes from BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits research, where an existing routine acts as the cue for a new behavior. Atomic Habits calls it habit stacking. It works best when the new habit is small enough to do in under two minutes and the anchor happens at the same point every day. Once the habit feels easy, you can make it bigger. Most new habits need weeks, not days, before they feel automatic, which is why it helps to track it for a while.
This tool is not affiliated with or endorsed by James Clear or the publishers of Atomic Habits.
Frequently asked questions
What is a habit scorecard?
A habit scorecard is a list of everything you do on a normal day, in order, with each habit marked good (+), bad (-) or neutral (=). It was popularized by James Clear in Atomic Habits as a way to notice your habits before trying to change them.
How do I decide if a habit is good or bad?
Ask whether the habit helps the person you want to become. The same habit can be good for one person and neutral for another. Checking your phone first thing might be fine for someone on call and a bad habit for someone trying to read more.
What should I do after filling in my scorecard?
Pick one small change. Either attach a new habit to a + habit you already do every day, or make one - habit harder to do. Then track that one change for a few weeks so you can see whether it is sticking.
Is this the official Atomic Habits scorecard?
No. This is a free tool made by Keizoku, inspired by the exercise described in the book. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by James Clear or his publishers. If you haven't read Atomic Habits, it's worth a read.
Do I need to sign up or give my email?
No. The scorecard runs in your browser and saves only on your device. The PDF is made on your computer so nothing you type is sent to us.
Track your + habits
Once you know which habit to build, Keizoku keeps it in front of you. One notebook-style grid, a box for every day, a gentle reminder. Free for up to five habits, no account needed.
