In this reflective vlog, the creator examines whether they will ever cease tracking their seven foundational health habits—alcohol, sleep, protein, caffeine, water, steps, and whole foods—after 38 months of diligent daily and monthly logging. They compare their method to influencers Josh Bridges and Paul Saladino, who appear to maintain healthy lifestyles without meticulous tracking. The speaker outlines their tracking routine (daily tick sheets and monthly spreadsheets), evaluates current consistency (four habits at ~80% reliability, three still vulnerable), and acknowledges a lack of natural discipline that makes tracking essential. They argue that tracking provides awareness, accountability, and habit reinforcement, preventing backsliding, and conclude that while stopping might be possible someday, it is unlikely in the near future. The video also offers links to templates and resources for viewers to start their own tracking system.
Chapters
Recently, I've been pondering the question, will I ever stop tracking my foundational health habits? And what started me thinking about this was seeing how a couple of people that I follow online are living out their healthy lifestyles. And these two people are Josh Bridges and Paul Saladino. I'll post links to their YouTube channels in the show notes if you want to find out more about them. But the point is this: their lifestyles are very natural. Neither of them are meticulously tracking their habits or counting their calories. They tend to have this almost effortless way of sticking to good habits and making choices. And honestly, this more natural way of going about things really does appeal to me. My approach? Well, look, there's no doubt about it, it does feel a little bit obsessive. Some might argue it's a bit restrictive, and it definitely is something that I have to spend time on. Every day I track each of my 7 foundational health habits with a tick or a cross. That's alcohol, sleep, protein, caffeine, water, steps, and whole foods. And that's just the day-to-day. There's also the admin of creating a new physical tracking sheet each month and also updating the monthly spreadsheet tracker at the end of the month. So yeah, it definitely requires a little bit of upkeep, both daily and monthly. Now with all of that said, like anything, once you get used to it, it just becomes a way of life. And honestly, tracking my habits on a daily basis takes literally only a few minutes, and then you have maybe half an hour at the end of the month to close it out and create a tick sheet for the following month. So in the grand scheme of things, whilst it might appear that there's a lot going on on the surface, it really isn't a big time sink. But look, it's still a thing, and it's certainly not as natural or as effortless as I see with Josh Bridges and Paul Saladino. So all of this has me wondering, would life be nicer if I didn't track them at all? How would that feel and how would it pan out for me? Of course, I would never let go of the concept of the 7 foundational health habits. They're just too important to how I look, feel, and how I live my life. I'd just be letting go of tracking them. Now, as I think about this question, will I ever stop tracking my foundational health habits, I keep coming back to the same answer. Maybe, but certainly not anytime soon. Now, why is that? Well, firstly, I don't think I've built anywhere near a solid enough base yet. For my 7 foundational health habits, 4 of them are on fairly solid ground. That's protein, caffeine, water, and alcohol. For these, I'm very good at coming in at 80% consistency each month. Of course, alcohol is the exception. That'll always be 100% because I've given it up for good. That said, it's not unheard of for the other 3 to take a dip. Case in point, I dipped below 80% for protein just last month. So whilst they're pretty safe, safe habits can erode and what works can stop working. So I always need to stay on my toes with these 4. And then there are the other 3 habits: sleep, steps, and whole foods. These are still a bit more vulnerable and I'm working hard to get to the point where they feel as reliable as the others. I just need to keep my eye on the ball with these. So overall, I'm in a pretty good spot. But even though I've been tracking these habits for 38 months straight now, I'm weirdly also still quite early on the journey. I haven't built anywhere near the solid foundation where 80% consistency with all of the 7 habits just happens naturally. Secondly, I might not be naturally disciplined enough to survive without the crutch of daily tracking. That's why my answer is maybe, but not anytime soon. And that maybe matters because it doesn't rule out the possibility that I might end up needing to track these habits daily for the rest of my life. And what it comes down to is this: I don't think I'm naturally a very disciplined person. I just don't stand out as someone with strong willpower. I see these other people like Bridges and Saladino, they seem to be able to just decide something and that's it.— it gets done. And I notice other people in my life like this too. They just have this natural discipline to stick to something once they've made up their mind. And I've never really had that skill. It doesn't come naturally to me. I usually have to come up with some specific routine, environment hacks, or some type of tracking to stick with something. It just takes a bit more brute force on my end. And yeah, it might look a bit over the top on the surface, but even as I record this, I know deep down that it's all very necessary. And that's what it all actually comes down to. Tracking these habits is crucial to building them and sticking to them. It forces awareness multiple times a day. It forces reflection every day, every month, and over the longer arc of quarters and years. And that reflection often pushes me to keep good habits solid or to break new ground with habits I'm still developing. And I'm pretty convinced that if I stop tracking I'd stay consistent for maybe a few weeks, but then I'd probably slide backwards. And that's not a risk I'm willing to take. Because as I said, these habits truly are the foundation of my health and fitness and the solid ground I stand on to take care of everything else in my life. They are the foundation of my physical and mental health, and letting them slide isn't negotiable. So I actually think this is a forever journey, and I suspect daily tracking is why I need to hold myself accountable and stay above the water with all 7 habits. And even if it feels easy one day, I reckon tracking will be what helps me keep it that way and what will stop a potential slow backslide. So will I ever stop tracking my foundational health habits? Again, the answer is maybe, but not anytime soon. Because the truth is, it isn't just about ticking boxes. It's about staying intentional, and it's about building a life where health is non-negotiable. And for me, tracking is just a part of the system that keeps that life on track. So for now, and probably for a long while, maybe even ever, the tick sheet stays. By the way, I'll drop a link in the show notes showing exactly how I track my habits both daily and monthly, and you'll find examples, ideas, and even a template you can use to get started today. And as always, reach out if you need any help on this journey. I'm here to help.
