💪 s e l f i m p r o v e m e n t
After spending a lot of time researching online, I have a strong feeling that I have ADHD. My whole life, I’ve struggled with focus, setting and achieving goals, and actually completing things. My mind is always racing: constantly juggling things I need to do, things I want to do, or… well, just endless thoughts. It never really quiets down.
On the flip side, when something truly excites me, I become completely absorbed in it. I lose track of everything: important payments, appointments, to-dos, friends, family - every other part of my life fades into the background. Only the new "thing" holds my full attention. This pattern is also why I’ve been absent from the blogging world on Hive. I want to write. I want to express myself. But actually sitting down and starting? That’s a whole different challenge. My chaotic mind just won’t let me.
This "habit" has had real consequences. I’ve lost relationships, dealt with financial struggles, and faced serious health issues—including a drug addiction that I managed to overcome nearly nine years ago. Now, as I approach my 40s, I know it’s time for real change.
Right now, I’m searching for a psychiatrist to get an official diagnosis, but do I actually want to take medication for ADHD? On March 14, 2025, I’ll be nine years sober. No alcohol, no drugs - nothing except nicotine and sugar. I know I have an addictive personality, and I’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this point. Instead of suppressing symptoms with medication, I want to work with my mind, not against it.
My first goal is to build better discipline, especially around setting goals and keeping track of important things in my life. I want to create simple habits that help me stay organized, reduce mental chaos, and improve my overall well-being. Habit-tracking apps could help, but here’s the problem: everything requires an account. Data gets stored on centralized servers, sold to companies, and monetized at the expense of people’s mental health. Sure, I could use a diary or a spreadsheet, but right now, I need constant reminders and some basic stats to track my progress. And what do I check a thousand times a day? My phone. So, the most practical solution is an app.
On the flip side, when something truly excites me, I become completely absorbed in it. I lose track of everything: important payments, appointments, to-dos, friends, family - every other part of my life fades into the background. Only the new "thing" holds my full attention. This pattern is also why I’ve been absent from the blogging world on Hive. I want to write. I want to express myself. But actually sitting down and starting? That’s a whole different challenge. My chaotic mind just won’t let me.
This "habit" has had real consequences. I’ve lost relationships, dealt with financial struggles, and faced serious health issues—including a drug addiction that I managed to overcome nearly nine years ago. Now, as I approach my 40s, I know it’s time for real change.
Right now, I’m searching for a psychiatrist to get an official diagnosis, but do I actually want to take medication for ADHD? On March 14, 2025, I’ll be nine years sober. No alcohol, no drugs - nothing except nicotine and sugar. I know I have an addictive personality, and I’ve worked incredibly hard to get to this point. Instead of suppressing symptoms with medication, I want to work with my mind, not against it.
My first goal is to build better discipline, especially around setting goals and keeping track of important things in my life. I want to create simple habits that help me stay organized, reduce mental chaos, and improve my overall well-being. Habit-tracking apps could help, but here’s the problem: everything requires an account. Data gets stored on centralized servers, sold to companies, and monetized at the expense of people’s mental health. Sure, I could use a diary or a spreadsheet, but right now, I need constant reminders and some basic stats to track my progress. And what do I check a thousand times a day? My phone. So, the most practical solution is an app.
Now comes the fun part: I really like developing apps. It’s something I enjoy and - fittingly - something I can hyperfocus on. So, I’ve started building an app designed exactly for my needs: no logins, no centralized data storage - just a simple, personal tool to help me stay on track. My primary goal is to make something that helps me first, and if it can help others along the way, even better.
👜 p o c k e t 🎯 g o a l s
Pocket Goals is an offline app designed for tracking, managing, and improving your habits. It also includes features for setting one-time tasks and general reminders: all within the app. My main goal is to create something that genuinely helps me. If it does that successfully, chances are it can help others change their lives too.
The app is completely private: there’s no backend, meaning all your data stays on your device and belongs solely to you. A backup and restore feature will be available for those who need to switch phones (more details on that later). Additionally, I plan to add optional Hive integrations down the line.
Since the purpose of Pocket Goals is to support personal growth through simple habit tracking and motivation, I have no intention of monetizing it in any way. This is purely about building a tool that makes life better: for myself and for others.
The app is completely private: there’s no backend, meaning all your data stays on your device and belongs solely to you. A backup and restore feature will be available for those who need to switch phones (more details on that later). Additionally, I plan to add optional Hive integrations down the line.
Since the purpose of Pocket Goals is to support personal growth through simple habit tracking and motivation, I have no intention of monetizing it in any way. This is purely about building a tool that makes life better: for myself and for others.
- The app will remain ad-free.
- I will not sell any data (as I don't store it anywhere).
- There will be no DHF proposals made.
- I won’t milk the reward pool with unnecessary storage strategies or comment farming.
- Major updates about the app (and only major ones) will be shared exclusively on my channel.
With every project, I ask myself if it can be self-sustaining. Financial income is usually needed for that. But if I stay true to the app’s core purpose, it won’t require self-sustainability. I handle the manual work, update the app store listings, and that’s it. There’s no need for expensive servers, a moderation team, marketing, or anything costly. I’d even be fine if I’m the only one using it.Starting a project without financial incentives is refreshing.
It feels like I’ve finally found a true passion project 😊
🧭 c u r r e n t a p p s c o p e
I've completed almost all the tasks listed below. Writing them down helps me stay focused on the minimum feature set needed to release the app. In fact, just writing this post has already helped me refine my focus. I’ll likely revisit it in the future as a reference.
📱 g e n e r a l
- Cross-platform (Android, later iOS)
- maximum offline compatibility (if the specific feature allows it)
- simple and quick to use
- maximum flexibility for the user
- tracking progress should be fun
- backup / restore of your data
📝 h a b i t s
- Defining general info like:
- Category
- Name
- Description
- Icon
- Highlight Color
- Defining a measurement interval:
- Daily, Weekly, or Monthly
- e.g. Every Day, Only Workdays, Only Tuesdays, Every Week, Every Month
- Setting a Target:
- Will work with the intervals above
- A target can be:
- Goal: Minimum tracking value
- Limit: Maximum tracking value
- Documentation: Without any judgement
- There are many possible units:
- pages
- steps
- milliliters
- kcal
- etc.
- Instead of tracking values and units you can also:
- Track your current mood
- write something like in a diary
- Setting automatic reminders
- Defining a reward when a certain streak is met
✅ t a s k s
- All of habits but:
- The interval is one time or a recurring event
- every day, every week, every month, every year
- As target there is an open/done state only
- The interval is one time or a recurring event
🔔 r e m i n d e r s
- Defining general info
- Reminder date and time
- linked habit or task
- (If a reminder is a recurring one: it is probably a task or even a habit)
📊 s t a t i s t i c s
- There will be various ways to report your progress:
- charts
- gauges
- KPis
- etc.
🚀 f u t u r e p l a n s
Obviously, my priority is to complete all the features within the app’s initial scope before moving on to short-term goals. Most likely, I’ll release a beta version (more on that below) so users can try it out and provide feedback before the official public launch.⏳ s h o r t - t e r m g o a l s
- UI improvements
- The Possibility to post your progress to Hive with a simple drag&drop editor
- open-sourcing it
- Android Playstore release
- Collabs with communities like:
- C/DIYHub
- C/Personal Development
- C/Clean Planet
- and others that could benefit from this app
🔭 l o n g - t e r m g o a l s
- Possibility to use Hive as backup space
- Home-screen widgets to access/track even quicker
- iOS Appstore release
- More Reward / Punishment settings:
- Link Habits with each other:
- You can consume 10g more sugar next week if you accomplish 10k steps/day for one full week.
- You can drink 1 more beer next month if you drink 3 liters of water each day for a whole month.
- etc.
The core idea is simple: you send a certain amount of Hive into a smart contract. If you achieve your goal, you get your Hive back. If not, it gets burned or sent to an account of your choice - whether that’s a charity, community, friend, or even an enemy. Of course, there’s always the possibility of cheating, but in the end, you’d only be cheating yourself. Reward / Punishment powered by @vsc.network:
- Link Habits with each other:
📷 s o m e i m a g e s o f t h e c u r r e n t s t a t e
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🧪 t e s t i n g t h e b e t a
The app is still in an early stage UI-wise, even though most of the core features are already complete. Right now, I’m experimenting with the design to keep it as simple as possible while still allowing user flexibility, which is proving to be the biggest challenge.Once I’ve decided how and where to release the beta, I’ll share the details here on my profile. If you’re interested in joining the beta phase, let me know in the comments!
💬 f e e d b a c k
Whether you’re a beta tester or not, I’d love to hear your thoughts:- What do you look for in a habit or task-tracking app?
- Do you currently use one (which one), and if so, what made you choose it?
- What’s the biggest challenge you face when trying to build or maintain habits?
- Do you prefer digital tools or traditional methods (like journals or planners) for tracking your habits? Why?
- If you could design the perfect habit-tracking app, what features would it need to have?
- How do you stay motivated when working toward long-term goals?
- What’s one habit or routine that has had the biggest positive impact on your life?
- Also, how do you feel about the growing trend of “you need an account for everything” on the internet?
I’m eager to hear your perspective and appreciate your comments in advance. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for being an integral part of Hive. I'll update you on the progress and when there is a beta here on my profile. Until next time:
Wow You hit me hard with this post. You described many of the things that happen to me and I'm afraid I could fit with the same diagnosis that you suspect. It's great that you've transformed your need into an opportunity to develop something new. Your app looks very good, if you need testers for the iPhone version I will be happy to help. Keep up the amazing work with the project!
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Hey @palomap3 Thank you for the kind words. I know that many people struggle in life with their personal issues and mental health. We are all in the same boat, and if there could be technology helping us with that, it can be a big success even though not directly financially. As soon as the iOS app is out (which will take a few months, I guess), I will let you know! I think I am going to post my progress in the personal development community as the app fits in there perfectly, in my opinion.
Sending energy to you 📧
I agree, the app fits perfectly in that community. Everyone has their mental health stuff to manage, yes, but only a few people are brave enough to take care of it and sharing it with the world. And that helps a lot to others! I appreciate it when I see this kind of content. 😌
Yes, please, count me in for testing the iOS app when is needed. ☺️
Woohooo! 🎉
You made great progress from the "simple" idea to the functional app!!!
Now that I understand the deeper meaning of it for you, it's obvious why it means so much to you!
Never used habit trackers, but I will make an expectation when you launch yours! 😃
Good luck with development!!! 💪
Thank youuu! Yes I have a big need for this app, so I am very passionate :D
I am already using it successfully. I drink more water every day, I clicker-train my cats every day, I have successfully done my housework on time (we rotate who does what every week), and more. Some people do not need such a self-improvement app, but for others, it is a lifesaver. I will let you know when it is ready to get tested :)
As I'm using a To-Do list for my daily tasks, maybe I will be able to integrate that into your app... My only problem is that I don't like to do things on my phone... lol... Yeah, I know... I'm old and grumpy... 😂
But, I want to try it and test it! 💪
👏🏻 Good idea, especially the privacy part is quite unique I guess. Hope it helps you and others. I would definetely look into it once the iOS Version is ready.
Greetings!
Thomas
Thank you for your comment, man :) The iOS version is very, very far in the future as I would need a Mac to compile it. But I have some people who could do this for me eventually. I'll update you as soon as I get it done. Peace!
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