Habits are the engine of consistency. In Griply, you can build habits that support your goals or simply bring more structure to your daily life, even if they’re not tied to a specific outcome.

If you’ve completed the onboarding, you’ve likely already created your first habit(s). This article helps you understand how habits work in Griply and how to make the most of them.

Goals vs Habits

Before using Griply, it’s important to understand the difference between goals and habits.

Goals are long-term outcomes that require multiple steps. For example, “Run the New York Marathon.” To get there, you’ll need to register, train, book accommodation, and so on. A goal is something you work towards.

Habits are actions you want to repeat consistently - like “Work out three times per week.” They’re not outcomes, but routines. You can track your progress, view statistics, and link habits to a goal.

One of Griply’s strengths is how habits and goals can work together. If your goal is to run a marathon, a habit like “Run four times per week” helps you stay consistent. The same goes for business goals: if your goal is to generate $100K in revenue, a helpful habit could be “Reach out to 10 potential clients per week.”

Why habits matter

Habits in Griply are powerful because they:

• Help you build momentum toward your goals

• Turn big ideas into consistent action

• Keep your progress visible with statistics

• Make progress feel doable, even when motivation is low

Example 1 - Fitness goal:

If your goal is to write a book, you could create the habit:

• “Write 500 words every day” or

• “Work on my book three evenings per week”

Example 2 - Work goal:

If your goal is to start my own business, you could create habits like:

• Talk to 10 prospects every week

• Read a business book 20 min per day

• Plan my week every Sunday evening

Over time, these small steps compound. That’s how big goals get done.

Recurring tasks vs habits

Recurring tasks and habits work the same way in Griply.

When you add a repeat schedule to a task, it becomes a habit (also called a recurring task).

You can choose whether or not to display it in your Habits section:

• Shown in Habits: Track it as part of your ongoing routines, with streaks and statistics.

• Hidden from Habits: Treat it as a recurring task so your Habits section stays focused on the routines you actively want to track.

Habit settings

You can set up a habit in several ways: within a goal or life area, in the habits section, or anywhere when creating a new task and adding a repeat schedule. However you start, the setup screen is the same.

Let’s walk through each setting so you can get your habit just the way you want it:

Name

Choose an action-oriented name like “Run 5km” or “Write 500 words.” Clear, action-focused names tell you exactly what to do and make the habit feel concrete, helping you get started faster.

Icon

Every habit starts with a default repeat icon. Click it to choose a different one (Premium feature). Icons make your habits visually recognisable and easier to scan in your list.

Schedule

Griply’s schedules are flexible and dynamic:

• Strict schedules are great if your days are predictable

• Flexible schedules work best if you want to complete something x times per week/month/year but not on the same days

The schedule determines how often the habit appears in your lists. There are two main ways to set it:

1. Schedule on specific days

   • Select this option if your habit repeats on certain days or dates.

   • Choose how often it should repeat (every week, month, or year).

   • For weekly habits, select the days of the week (e.g., Mo, We, Fr).

   • For monthly habits, choose a date (e.g., the 1st) or a pattern (e.g., first Monday of the month).

   • For yearly habits, choose a month, week, and day (e.g., first Monday of January).

   • Example uses:

     • “Run 3 times per week” (Mo, We, Fr) for your marathon goal

     • “Review budget” on the 1st of every month for your finance goal

     • “Annual health check-up” on a set date each year

2. Set weekly, monthly, or yearly target

   • Select this option if you want to complete the habit a certain number of times within a period.

   • Enter the number of completions and select the period (weekly, monthly, yearly).

   • Example uses:

     • “Read 200 pages per month” for your learning goal

     • “Swim 5 km per week” for your triathlon goal

     • “Attend 12 networking events per year” for your business growth goal

Tip: Daily targets like “Drink 10 glasses of water” can be set by using Schedule on specific days and then adjusting the “Complete [1] time per day” field after clicking Done.

Learn more in our deep dive into Griply’s Habits & Recurring Tasks

Reminder

Add a reminder to keep your habit top-of-mind. Especially useful for new habits that haven’t yet become automatic.

Priority

Assign a priority to help you sort or group your habits in lists. Useful when you have many habits across multiple goals.

Link to

Habits are extremely important towards reaching your goals and making your vision come to life.

When defining your life areas and goals, take some time to think about which habits will support progress.

• Assign to a life area when they contribute to the whole area

• Assign to a goal when they contribute directly to that goal

Example:

• Life area: Sport & Health

  • Habit: Eat clean

  • Goal: Run a marathon

    • Habit: Run 4 times per week

Reassigning a habit after completing a goal

When your goal is completed and you’ve built a new habit, you might want to keep tracking it.

When you complete a goal, your habit remains active. If you want to assign your habit to the life area or to another goal you can:

• On desktop: Right-click → Edit

• On iOS: Open the habit → Tap the menu (…) → Edit

Tags

Tags help you group and filter habits across different goals and life areas (e.g. “Wellbeing” or “Home”).

Show in habit / task list

Use these toggles to control where your habit appears and keep your views focused:

Show in habit list: Turn this on if you want the habit to appear in your Habits section. This is useful for ongoing routines you actively track for streaks and statistics. Turn it off for recurring tasks that you don’t need to treat as a “habit,” so your Habits section stays relevant and uncluttered.

Show in task list: Turn this on if you want the habit to appear in your daily Task list. This is helpful if completing the habit is part of your day-to-day planning. Turn it off if you have many daily habits and prefer your Task list to focus only on one-off or high-priority tasks.

Breaking down your habit

Once you’ve created your habit, you can make it even more actionable by adding subtasks and a description. These help you clarify what “done” means and make it easier to stay consistent.

Subtasks

Subtasks break a habit into smaller, repeatable actions. They’re especially useful for routines with multiple steps.

Examples:

• A workout habit with specific exercises (e.g., squats, push-ups, planks)

• A weekly cleaning habit with rooms or areas to tackle

Subtasks give you a clear checklist to follow each time, so you’re never wondering “what’s next?”

Description

Use the description to define success or include helpful context. This keeps you focused and ensures you always know exactly what you’re aiming for.

Examples:

• Add your definition of completion (e.g., “Run at least 5 km without stopping”)

• Include links (e.g., a running plan, recipe, or YouTube tutorial)

• Add reminders or tips (“Do this first thing after lunch when energy dips”)

A clear description helps you stay on track, even when motivation is low or you’re picking up the habit after a break.

Tips for building effective habits

Start small to go big

Research shows that small, consistent actions compound into remarkable results over time (Atomic Habits). In Griply, that means setting habits you can easily complete, even on your busiest days. Consistency beats intensity when you’re building a routine.

Focus on a few key habits first

Studies on behaviour change highlight that trying to master too many habits at once often leads to burnout. In Griply, aim for 1–3 habits that make the biggest difference to your goals. Add more only after the first ones feel automatic.

Link habits to meaningful goals

Habits are easier to stick with when they serve a bigger purpose. If your goal is to run a marathon, a “Run 4 times per week” habit is more motivating than a vague “Exercise” habit. Connecting the two keeps your “why” front and centre.

Make them easy to start

Lower the friction. If your habit is “Read 20 minutes every evening,” keep a book on your nightstand. In Griply, make sure your habit appears in the right lists (e.g., task list or habit list) so you see it when you need it.

Reflect and adjust regularly

Use Griply’s Insights section to review your completion rates and streaks. Reflection not only celebrates wins, but also helps you spot patterns — like which days you tend to skip — so you can adjust your schedule or approach.