The Power of Dual Habit Tracking
Why I track habits in both paper and app—and how this analog-digital duo fuels long-term clarity, balance, and insight.
I’ve shared before that I use a paper journaling system as my core tool for clarity and reflection. I’ve also talked about axis, the habit-tracking app I’ve been building—designed to support balanced living while pursuing ambitious goals.
At first glance, it might seem redundant to track the same habits in both analog and digital formats. Why double the effort? Today, I want to explore why I do exactly that—and why it’s worth it.
You can also watch the video:
Why Paper Journaling Still Wins
My paper journal is the anchor of my daily self-reflection. It slows me down. It filters distractions. It creates a tactile, focused moment to pause and reflect. I’ve tracked habits in it every day for over 914 consecutive days.
But analog has its limits.
It can’t compute trends.
It can’t correlate data.
It can’t scale insights.
That’s where digital tools can help—not to replace the analog—but to extend it.
Introducing Axis: My Analog-Aware Habit App
To bridge the gap, I created axis, a habit tracker built around six essential areas of life:
Rise – Wake up before your threshold.
Move – Engage in physical activity.
Frog – Tackle the hardest task first.
Play – Work that feels like play.
Bond – Invest in meaningful relationships.
Next – Reflect on the day and prepare for tomorrow.
The axis app is not just another habit app. It’s deeply integrated with my real-world analog system. I originally tracked Rise, Move, Play, and Bond. Then I layered in Frog and Next as the system matured.
Why Duplicate It All?
For over two and a half years, every evening I’ve logged my habits in both places: my journal and the app.
Paper is my source of truth—my holistic life OS. But axis gives me a computational layer. It allows me to look back and see trends. What days had full completion? How did that align with mood, focus, or success?
Digital gives me answers my journal can’t easily provide.
Why I Built It on Apple Watch
The Apple Watch version of axis makes habit capture frictionless. I can log habits instantly—while walking, thinking, or talking. Later, during my evening journaling ritual, I reflect on that day’s tracking and visually log them in my monthly overview.
At month’s end, I count how many “perfect days” I had—when all six habits were completed. This is what axis does for me now too.
Health + Mood Integration
The axis goes even further by connecting with Apple Health.
I've long tracked my mood on a 0–4 scale in my journal. Now, axis can capture that digitally and sync it with Apple Health for richer insight. It also tracks mindfulness metrics like the time spent reflecting in the evening.
This two-in-one system gives me a full-circle view of how my habits affect my mood, energy, and focus—without ever letting go of the analog core.
Paper + App = Self-Awareness Multiplied
The axis isn’t about going fully digital. It’s about making the most of both worlds.
Paper for presence, reflection, and holistic life tracking.
Digital for insight, correlation, and trend recognition.
The axis app fills a gap I couldn’t find in other apps: a minimalist, habit-focused system rooted in balanced living, built to extend—not replace—your journaling practice.
Over to You
Do you see yourself in this challenge—loving paper, but craving deeper insights? Would the axis app solve that for you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts. Drop me a comment or reply.
Also, feel free to check out my YouTube channel, where I share weekly updates on the axis app development and reflections.