XP TRACKERStarting over, from level 0
Every hero in XP Tracker starts at level 0, alone, with nothing. That's not a bad place to begin. You set your targets from where you are today, not where you think you should be, and build from there.
If you are starting over after a crisis, a loss or burnout, please lean on people too: a doctor, a therapist, friends. This page is about habits, not treatment.
Why restarts failThe fresh-start trap
A fresh start feels powerful. A new month, a new job, the morning after a bad week. Researchers Hengchen Dai, Katherine Milkman and Jason Riis (2014) called this the fresh start effect: people are more likely to start goals at moments that feel like a new chapter. The trouble is what comes next. The plan is sized for the person you want to be, not the person who has to do it on Tuesday.
So the restart goes like this. Big plan, two great weeks, one bad day, and the feeling that it's all ruined. Then another wait for the next Monday.
The fix isn't more willpower. It's a smaller start, and a system where a bad day costs a little instead of everything.
A game built for coming back
- Start where you are. In onboarding you set where you start and where you want to get to. The quests build up from there over your whole journey.
- Level 0 is a real beginning. Your hero starts at level 0, and each level unlocks the next panel of the comic.
- Bad days cost XP, not progress. Levels, gear, pets and story stay. A lost boss fight costs only that fight.
- Rest is allowed. Take a rest day and your streaks hold until tomorrow.
- There is an ending. The journey runs about 8 to 14 months across all eight classes. It's a finite climb, not a forever chore.
An example first week back
General advice. Adjust it to your life.
- Day 1: one anchorPick one small morning action and one small evening action. Bed made, three breaths at night.
- Days 2 and 3: add movementA ten-minute walk counts. Physical Training in XP Tracker can be a walk with the dog.
- Days 4 and 5: add one thing for your mindA few pages of a book, five minutes of focus on one task.
- Days 6 and 7: review, don't judgeWhich anchors held? Keep those. Shrink the ones that didn't.
Starting over in a specific situation
Different restarts need different first steps. We have pages for starting over at 40, habits after a breakup, rebuilding after burnout, a broken streak and failed New Year's resolutions. For the general method, read how to get back on track after missing days and how to get out of a rut.
Small quests for the first days
The text below is copied from the quest cards in the app.
Questions people ask
I've failed at habits many times. Why would this be different?
Maybe it won't be, and that's fine to admit. What XP Tracker changes is the cost of a bad day: a missed quest only costs the XP you didn't earn, and your levels, gear and story stay. Many restarts fail because one bad day feels like losing everything.
Where should I set my targets if I'm starting from nothing?
Lower than feels impressive. In onboarding you set where you start and where you want to get to. Five minutes of reading you actually do beats an hour you dread.
What if I stop again after a few weeks?
Come back. Your hero, gear and story are still there. Lost boss fights cost only the fight. Our guide to getting back on track covers the first days after a gap.
Is this a replacement for therapy or medical help?
No. If you are starting over after a crisis, burnout or loss, a doctor or therapist is the right support. A habit game can sit alongside that, as a way to add structure to your days.
How long does the whole journey take?
Your plan runs over the whole journey, about 8 to 14 months for all eight classes.
Related pages
Start your journey
Pick a class, do the day's quests, and watch your hero level up with you.
Start free on iPhone and Android.
Scan to install Point your phone camera at the code. iPhone opens the App Store, Android opens Google Play.