Decide what to write, how to score it, and when to do it—so your daily notes stay honest and easy.
Start with things that change how your day feels and that you can actually influence. Sleep hours and how rested you feel (0–10) work for most people. Add morning energy on the same scale so you see if last night’s sleep paid off. Mood can be one word—steady, flat, upbeat, tense—and how strong it feels (1–5).
For stress, ask: “How full is my plate right now?”—not “what kind of person am I.” For movement, write minutes of walks, classes, or home workouts you meant to do. Optional extras: water, last coffee, time outside, or a quick note about seeing friends. Don’t start with ten columns; add more only after the first few feel automatic.
On page one, write what your numbers mean. Example: “Energy 7 = I can focus about ninety minutes without crashing.” That way next month still makes sense.
Pick meanings and stick to them. Sleep 0 might mean “barely slept” and 10 “woke up clear.” A 5 should mean the same thing next Tuesday as it does today. Yes/no works for habits (“screen-free last hour?”). One-to-five fits stress or tight muscles.
Colors or emoji are fine for speed—just turn them into numbers when you review the week. Traveling? Write wake time in local time and note the time zone. In darker months, a quick note on time outside (none / under 30 min / over 30 min) explains mood dips better than blaming yourself.
Mornings are best for sleep (before you forget): time in bed, guess at sleep time, wake time, first-hour energy. Evenings fit movement, stress, and wind-down habits. Either way, most people spend under ninety seconds. If you only log once a day, evening works—just fill in sleep right away while it’s fresh.
Set a reminder called “three-minute check-in” tied to something you already do—coffee, brushing teeth. Weekends count too; they often explain a rough Monday. Busy week? One line—sleep, mood word, one number—beats skipping entirely.
Plan Your Weekly Check-InYour log is for noticing patterns—not replacing a licensed healthcare professional. If something keeps getting worse, talk to someone qualified. Stop or ease up on exercise if you feel sharp pain, dizzy, or short of breath. Drink to thirst; more water isn’t automatically better for everyone.
Describe what you feel, don’t diagnose yourself. “Headache 4/10 after a long screen day” is enough. If you track your cycle, look at sleep and energy too—travel, work, and food still matter. Keep private notes private. Kids should track with a parent and simple fields. When you’re sick, focus on rest and what your care team suggests—not performance scores.
The usual trap: too many boxes for three days, then you quit. Pick three, keep going two weeks, then add one thing. Forgot yesterday? Write “don’t know”—don’t invent numbers. Perfect streaks aren’t the goal; showing up most days is.
Drop extras until three fields feel automatic.
Start a fresh month when you change your scale.
Block fifteen minutes weekly—notes only help if you read them.