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One critique I have is that it seems like it's binary whether you complete a task on any given day which doesn't work well if you only partially complete someth

One critique I have is that it seems like it's binary whether you complete a task on any given day which doesn't work well if you only partially complete something. For example, lets say I set a goal to walk for 1 hour per day. But then I only walk for 30 minutes, how would the app handle that situation?

ptm 7y ago
I debated having an orange (semi-done) state. But I felt that the ux was getting a bit too complex. So I left it out. Unfortunately at the moment it is binary (done or not-done).
WA 7y ago
See, this is where technology can’t help. Weaseling around with half-done tasks won’t cut it. Why did you want to track the goal in the first place? This is probably the most important question. Why didn’t you set the goal to 30 minutes, if there are days where it’s likely that you miss your more ambitious goal? If you set the goal to walk an hour per day and you just walk 30 minutes, you obviously failed to reach the goal. Depending on the first two questions, you can be hard on yourself for this or not.
- IanCal 7y ago
  > Why didn’t you set the goal to 30 minutes, if there are days where it’s likely that you miss your more ambitious goal? Because the goal is still an hour, but there are different levels of failing. A simple binary "pass/fail" means the record shows the same difference between lying in bed all day Vs running a marathon and walking 59 minutes Vs 61. If I'm 2 grams above my goal weight at Christmas is that a simple "fail"? You are right that setting a goal aligned with what you want to change is the important question, but you want you achieve may not well fit into a clear pass/fail.
  - WA 7y ago
    But walking for 15 minutes is also better than lying in bed. Or for 5 minutes. Where do you draw the line? You could make this percentage-based. Track the progress, show green or some kind of achievement only when you have 100%. I’d argue that this system is okay too, but more complicated than a simple binary yes/no choice. Walking 59 minutes or 2 grams above goal weight: If you are serious about the goal, this could serve as a great reminder that you should push through the last minute of walking or get down on Christmas and burn an extra 150 kcal. Again, depends on how serious you are about your goals.
rapind 7y ago
To me that would be a fail and is part of the premise. It's basically "Don't break the chain". I don't want half credit or it would encourage me to accept half-assing it in the future.
SNACKeR99 7y ago
I recognized this when I built my own X-effect app. For me the hardest part was simply getting started each time, so instead of "run 30 minutes", my goal was "put on your running shoes". It worked just fine because once my shoes are on I'm already in the mindset of working out. (Note those shoes were only ever used for running.)

ptm 7y ago

I debated having an orange (semi-done) state. But I felt that the ux was getting a bit too complex. So I left it out. Unfortunately at the moment it is binary (done or not-done).

WA 7y ago

See, this is where technology can’t help. Weaseling around with half-done tasks won’t cut it. Why did you want to track the goal in the first place? This is probably the most important question. Why didn’t you set the goal to 30 minutes, if there are days where it’s likely that you miss your more ambitious goal? If you set the goal to walk an hour per day and you just walk 30 minutes, you obviously failed to reach the goal. Depending on the first two questions, you can be hard on yourself for this or not.

IanCal 7y ago
> Why didn’t you set the goal to 30 minutes, if there are days where it’s likely that you miss your more ambitious goal? Because the goal is still an hour, but there are different levels of failing. A simple binary "pass/fail" means the record shows the same difference between lying in bed all day Vs running a marathon and walking 59 minutes Vs 61. If I'm 2 grams above my goal weight at Christmas is that a simple "fail"? You are right that setting a goal aligned with what you want to change is the important question, but you want you achieve may not well fit into a clear pass/fail.
- WA 7y ago
  But walking for 15 minutes is also better than lying in bed. Or for 5 minutes. Where do you draw the line? You could make this percentage-based. Track the progress, show green or some kind of achievement only when you have 100%. I’d argue that this system is okay too, but more complicated than a simple binary yes/no choice. Walking 59 minutes or 2 grams above goal weight: If you are serious about the goal, this could serve as a great reminder that you should push through the last minute of walking or get down on Christmas and burn an extra 150 kcal. Again, depends on how serious you are about your goals.

rapind 7y ago

To me that would be a fail and is part of the premise. It's basically "Don't break the chain". I don't want half credit or it would encourage me to accept half-assing it in the future.

SNACKeR99 7y ago

I recognized this when I built my own X-effect app. For me the hardest part was simply getting started each time, so instead of "run 30 minutes", my goal was "put on your running shoes". It worked just fine because once my shoes are on I'm already in the mindset of working out. (Note those shoes were only ever used for running.)