Back in January, I was setting my goals and resolutions for the year ahead. For almost a decade, I\u2019d given myself annual targets: a certain number of books to read, films to watch, daily step count to hit. I tracked everything using apps on my phone: Goodreads for books, Letterboxd for films, Strava for runs, and the Health app for steps. But as I was drafting my 2025 targets, I asked myself whether this was adding anything positive to my life, or if I was just turning my hobbies into chores. I realised I had developed a habit of choosing books based on whether I could cram them in before New Year\u2019s Eve, forcing myself to watch films I had no real interest in, and dragging myself through extra kilometres in the rain just to hit an arbitrary step count.<\/p>\n
So I quit: I deleted the apps and decided not to track anything at all (besides sneaking an occasional look at my step count). Now, more than halfway through the year, I\u2019d guess I\u2019ve been reading fewer books, watching fewer films and hitting 10km less frequently on evening walks. But I\u2019ve also enjoyed myself more. I read and watch what I feel like, when I feel like it. When I go for a walk and want to turn back, I just turn back. These are such small, obvious things that I almost feel silly writing them down, but that\u2019s the point. I\u2019d overcomplicated my downtime by giving myself another list of goals to tick off, instead of letting it be what it was meant to be: a time to relax and enjoy myself.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not the only one feeling this tracking fatigue. \u201cA couple of years ago, when I was tracking my steps and the exercises I did, it became harmful as I felt that if I didn\u2019t meet my daily goals, I had totally failed as a person, which is a very toxic way to think,\u201d Jenni<\/a>, 28, tells me. \u201cI had to stop using the Health app as it did more harm to my mental state than good.\u201d While she still logs her reading on the app Storygraph, she only follows her partner. \u201cI haven\u2019t felt tracking fatigue with the books I read, probably because I don\u2019t compare my reading to others.\u201d Ava, 27, ditched her Apple Watch for similar reasons. Failing to meet daily goals made her feel inadequate and took the joy out of working out: \u201cI was pushing myself to do more reps and longer workouts even when it didn\u2019t feel good, mentally or physically,\u201d she says. Now she exercises in a way that feels intuitive, with more emphasis on self-care than self-surveillance.<\/p>\n when people tell me they have letterbox i know they watch movies performatively<\/p>\n \u2014 sabunny (@mama_moons) August 13, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n