Why does PlanJour not show me a habit streak?
By PlanJour team, Sparklithic Ltd · Published · Updated
Because a counter that resets to zero after one missed day is the single most reliable way to make somebody quit. Here is what PlanJour shows instead.
If you have used a habit tracker before, you know the sequence. A day is missed through illness, travel or ordinary life. The counter resets. A red mark appears. And then the thought arrives: what is the point.
A qualitative study of run streaking found motivation was driven largely by anticipated regret at breaking the streak — which tells you exactly what happens the moment it breaks.
What PlanJour shows instead
Momentum. A figure over the last twenty-eight days, weighted so recent days count for more and older ones fade. Miss a Tuesday and it dips a little. Miss a fortnight and it dips a lot. It never resets, and it will never show you a zero.
Plain facts, not verdicts. Alongside it: five of the last seven days. That is something you can act on. A zero is only a punishment.
Why this matters more than it sounds
PlanJour is built to be gentle. Shipping the one mechanic that most reliably makes people give up was a contradiction in our own product, and we would rather have a number that tells you the truth quietly than one that performs encouragement until the day it turns on you.