Many of us are looking to establish good habits. There are plenty of hacks, tips, and tools. My purpose today is not to rehash the research or give a lecture. I want to tell you about a tool that I believe will be a great help in establishing habits. And it’s free!

The tool is an app called HabitShare. I’m using the iPhone version (of course), and perhaps there is an Android version. This app is very simple. You add habits and set the frequency, e.g., daily, X-times per week or month, and set a reminder if needed. Now, what makes this app different from all the other various task-list apps? Here is the kicker: sharing. You can become friends with other people who use the app and share your habits with them.

With that one simple twist, you now have very powerful reinforcement to maintain your habits. For each habit, you can choose to keep it private or make it shared. You now have accountability with all the people with whom you have shared habits. Every time you complete a habit, anyone with whom you shared the habit will get a notification. 

Simple and brilliant. When you are only holding yourself accountable, it’s easy to slide. When you make your habits public, now you have accountability to at least one other person. 

Give it a shot if you want, and if you’re looking for someone to hold your feet to the fire (especially if you have any goals around sleep) I’m happy to oblige.