A routine checklist is a short list of the things you mean to do every day, in the order you do them: make the bed, take out the dog, pack lunch, answer the post. Ticking each one means you don't have to remember whether you already did it. This guide covers how to write a checklist that's easy to tick, then how to keep it on your phone with Habit Cat, our habit list for iPhone with one tick a day.
Write the list first
Before you open any app, write the routine on paper. A few things make it easier to use:
- Keep it short. A short list is quicker to tick. You can add more steps later.
- One action per line. "Tidy the kitchen" is hard to tick. "Empty the dishwasher" is either done or not.
- Put it in the order you do it. A morning list reads top to bottom, from getting up to leaving the house.
- Split morning and evening if they're different. Two short lists are easier than one long one.
- Mark the things that aren't daily. Watering plants or a gym class might be a few days a week, not every day.
Add each step as a habit
In Habit Cat, each line of your routine is a habit with its own tick.
- Open Habit Cat. On an empty list, tap Add a habit. Later, use the + button at the top of the Habits screen.
- Type the step, like "Empty the dishwasher".
- Under How often, pick Every day, or Days a week for the steps that aren't daily, and set how many days with the stepper.
- Tap Save. Repeat for each step.
You can add as many as you like.
Put the steps in order
With two or more habits, an arrows button shows at the top of the Habits screen. Tap it and drag the steps into the order of your routine, so the list on screen reads like the list on paper.
Tick as you go
Each row has a big round tick for today. Tap it when that step is done, or tap again to untick it.
The card at the top counts how many are done, like "3 of 6 done today", with a row of pills that fill in. A days-a-week step drops off the card once its week is met, unless you tick it again that day.
Tomorrow every row has a fresh tick for the new day, and the last seven days stay beside it as small squares, so you can see which steps keep slipping.
Forgot to tick something you did? Open that step and tap the day on its month calendar. You can tick any day up to today.
Set a reminder for the first step
You don't need a reminder for every line. One at the start of the routine is often enough.
- Open the first step and tap Edit.
- Turn on Remind me and pick a Time.
- Leave the weekday circles empty for every day, or tap the days you want, like weekdays only.
- Tap Save.
iOS asks for permission the first time there's a reminder to set. The reminder says "Time for" and the step's name.
Print the month for the fridge
A checklist on the fridge is one the whole house can see. On the Habits screen, tap the printer button at the top left, then Print chart under this month, or Share chart as PDF to print it somewhere else.
You get a landscape page with every step as a row, in the same order as your list (a long list carries over onto more pages), and a column for each day of the month. Days you've ticked in the app come out filled, and the rest are empty boxes to tick by hand. For more on the chart, see how to make a printable habit tracker.
What it costs
Everything above is free: as many steps as you like, every-day or days-a-week targets, reminders, streaks, ticking past days and the monthly chart. There are no ads and no account. Your habits are kept on your phone and in your own backups, and leave only when you print, share or export them.
Habit Cat Pro is an optional one-time purchase. It adds a week sheet to print, with big boxes for this week, plus a year chart, stats for each habit, notes on any day, an icon and colour for each habit, and a CSV export. More on the Habit Cat page.
Quick answers
Does the checklist reset every day?
Yes. Each row has a new tick for today, and the days before stay in its history.
Can some steps be on weekdays only?
A step can be Days a week, like 5 days a week, and any days count. The reminder can be set for picked weekdays only.
Can I have a morning list and an evening list?
Habit Cat keeps one list. Put the morning steps at the top and the evening steps below them.
Do I need an account?
No. There's no sign-in, and your habits are kept on your phone.
Try Habit Cat
Try Habit Cat: free, no ads, no sign-up → iyio.com/apps/habit-cat