Streak apps, where users keep a tally of their daily achievements, are seeing a boom in sign-ups. As an alternative to big, unattainable resolutions, Kim Willis discovers the joy of making small, consistent changes by tapping into her brain’s reward centre…
Words: Kim Willis | Images: Shutterstock
The best version of me can hold a plank for a minute, makes time for yoga, runs regularly, resists chocolate binges, stays hydrated and is in bed by 10pm – all while balancing life as a working mum. Until recently, this version seemed unattainable, serving only to make me feel bad about the mediocre version of me. After becoming a mum three years ago, all the things I used to do to feel fit and strong, physically and emotionally, were parked. Life felt too busy to attend to my needs. So, what could I do to get back on track? It felt as though nothing would stick as time just seemed to be slipping through my fingers.
And that’s when I discovered the MyStreaks app, which I downloaded onto my phone in the hope that tracking my habits would help me build consistency. The concept is simple: track daily habits and build a streak. It works because it hacks the brain’s reward centre and gives the gift of a dollop of dopamine, the feelgood hormone released when you do something enjoyable, making you want to do it again. Building consecutive streaks is said to create a powerful desire to keep going, helping you become consistent, which boosts confidence and leads to trying more new things.
I was sceptical at first, but once I got going, I got hooked and found I was having multiple daily wins across all areas of life, from health and fitness to creativity.
Initially, I set up three streaks: drink two litres of water, do one stretch, and don’t scoff sugar (I was eating a slab of chocolate every day and berating myself for it). Streaking these went so well I added the following: do 5 x 25 reps of compound exercises (squats, lunges, etc), a one-minute plank, run 10k a week, spend 10 minutes practising yoga, do daily drawing, declutter one item a day, and go to bed by 10pm. While thinking you have to go to the gym for an hour can feel off-putting – there is effort involved in getting there for a start – everyone has time for one minute of exercise at home. I suddenly found time for all these things I’d previously thought I couldn’t fit in. The better version of myself was no longer a distant pipedream – I was, and still am, becoming her.
Since MyStreaks launched in February 2023, nearly 30,000 people have started using the power of streaks, reporting that they are able to do things they never thought possible, be consistent in areas they never were and their confidence is growing. Curious about why this productivity method works so well, I reached out to the app founder, Jeff Downs. ‘Streaking is the simple practice of conscious, consistent action to create life-changing results. Maintaining a streak motivates you to do more of the things you wish you did more of because streaks activate the game centre of the brain and people like to win games,’ says Jeff. ‘Streaks overcome your brain’s rejection response to anything that requires intentional and deliberate energy. Streaks create momentum – you start actively planning how to keep a consecutive streak going. Streaks give tangible evidence of intangible progress.’ Sounds good.
Making it work for you
But of course, not every day goes to plan. Sometimes a streak breaks and then you must start again. Does the risk of disappointment outweigh the positives of achievement incentivised by a burgeoning tally? Lily Silverton, a mindset and life coach and the founder of The Priorities Method (theprioritiesmethod.com), specialises in sustainable behaviour change through habit creation and simple productivity techniques. ‘I don’t think the risk of disappointment is large enough, nor the impact of that disappointment on the brain significant enough, to discredit using a streaks method,’ she says. ‘However, we don’t want to become completely reliant on the reward of the “tick”. It may keep our motivation going and light up our brain with dopamine, but when we’re thinking about any beneficial change, habit or behaviour, the powerful way to keep going is to enjoy it.’
Lily suggests asking yourself why you want to meet your personalised goals in the first place. ‘Dig down into your intrinsic motivation and connect with the positive impact of that. Make sure you enjoy the process as well as the outcome. Because then, if you miss a day, you are far less likely to beat yourself up. A day is just a day. Life happens. If we attach ourselves to the “why” element of reaching our goals, missing a day won’t feel like such a setback.’
Lily is right. At first, I felt crushing disappointment when an impressive tally reverted to zero after a day didn’t go smoothly and I couldn’t streak. But because I was so enjoying the process of generally achieving more (and, undeniably, the ticking of the box too) I started again the next day. One tick quickly becomes two, which soon becomes many days in a row once again. ‘Ultimately, if keeping a streak makes you feel more positive about life, that’s the win,’ Lily says. ‘If it becomes a burden, go back to why you wanted to achieve your goals in the first place and what they mean to you. The brain loves cutting corners. We must find ways to incentivise it and keep building new neural pathways.’
Keeping it up
I now have 18 streaks on the go, and some are hitting more than 100 days in a row. It’s a fun motivator and the results are tangible: I’m aiming higher, achieving more and feeling stronger, fitter and more capable. But not everyone will thrive using a streaks-based system. ‘It keeps some motivated and inspired and will be a source of happiness,’ says Lily. ‘It can create a feedback loop – you do the streak, tick it off, feel good and go again tomorrow. Others will self-flagellate because it doesn’t help them meet their goals. If it doesn’t work for you, another system might, such as setting weekly rather than daily goals.’
Jeff says it best, after eight years of doing the method himself: ‘Streaking is the way to become who you want to be. When you create a streak in anything, you are doing something and becoming someone in the process.’
Holding a plank for one minute a day might seem like small fry, but it makes me feel strong and capable and that has a ripple effect on every area of my life. Streaking has transformed my intentions into reliable habits and become a joyful part of my day. That’s definitely a big “Tick”!
Find out more about the subscription-based app MyStreaks on Android and Apple. Free streaks apps, offering a limited streak count, are available too.
