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Building Habits

This page covers how to create a habit, what the settings mean, and how to manage habits that have run their course.

Creating a habit​

Tap the + button on the Habits page or the home dashboard.

Fields:

  • Title — the habit name (required). Keep it action-oriented: "Read for 20 minutes" is clearer than "Reading."
  • Description — the intention behind the habit (optional). This shows on the habit card and in the detail panel. Writing down why helps when motivation is low.
  • Frequency — how often you want to log it (see below)
  • Target — how many total completions make this habit "done." Set to a number if you have a specific goal (e.g., 30 days of meditation). Leave as infinite if this is an ongoing lifestyle habit with no finish line.
  • Infinite — toggle this on if the habit should never be "completed" — it stays active and accumulates completions indefinitely.

Choosing a frequency​

Pick the frequency that honestly reflects your intention, not the most ambitious version of it.

  • Daily suits habits where consistency every day matters — morning journaling, hydration, supplements.
  • Every Other Day works for habits where recovery is part of the practice — strength training, intense exercise.
  • Three Times a Week is good for habits that need regularity but not every day — yoga classes, long runs, language study.
  • Once a Week fits weekly rituals — a weekly review, meal prep, a phone call with someone important.
  • Monthly suits less frequent commitments — a monthly financial review, a long-form reflection.

Frequency matters because it controls your streak calculation. A three-times-a-week habit won't penalize you for skipping a random Tuesday.

Target vs. infinite​

Target: Use this when completing a fixed number of times means you've built the habit or reached a specific goal. When you hit the count, Terra shows a "Mark Complete" button. Example: "Meditate 100 times."

Infinite: Use this for ongoing habits you intend to keep doing indefinitely. There's no target to hit. You can still mark an infinite habit complete manually — for example, if a habit is no longer relevant to your life. Example: "Daily gratitude journal."

Editing a habit​

Open a habit's detail panel and use the edit form inside it. You can update the title, description, target, and infinite toggle. Frequency can be changed but keep in mind it will affect how streaks are calculated going forward.

Archiving a habit​

If you want to pause a habit without deleting it, archive it from the detail panel. Archived habits:

  • No longer appear in your daily view or active list
  • Keep all their completion history
  • Can be unarchived if you want to restart

Use archive instead of delete when you might come back to a habit, or when you want to preserve the history for reference.

Marking a habit complete​

When a habit reaches its target completion count, the "Mark Complete" button appears. Tapping it marks the habit as achieved and deactivates it — it leaves your active list but all history is preserved.

For infinite habits, the Mark Complete button is always available. Use it when you've decided the habit has served its purpose and you don't need to track it anymore.

Deleting a habit​

Use the delete option in the detail panel. Deleting permanently removes the habit and all its completion history. This can't be undone — archive first if you're not certain.

Tips​

  • Start with fewer habits, not more. Three habits you actually log beats ten you feel guilty about. Add more once the core ones are solid.
  • Write a description for each habit. It only takes a sentence. When you're tired and wondering whether to bother, the reminder of why you started helps.
  • Pick the honest frequency. If you're realistically going to exercise three times a week, set it to three times a week. Daily sets you up to feel like you're failing.