What is it, how does it work, and why will it work for you?
The Squad Score is the habit tracking system we use to determine your level of proficiency with a new habit. While not all habits are created equal, and some are certainly harder to build than others, the Squad Score takes into account research and literature from leading habit experts to provide you a goal to shoot for while building your habit with your partner.
The Squad Score is your scoreboard. Your goal is to reach a Squad Score of 24. At that point, you won! There's a very good chance you've built your new habit.
The fun part about the Squad Score is that, unlike other habit tracking metrics, it is dependent on both you and your partner showing up. Adding this element forces you and your partner to be accountable and to hold each other accountable.
The Squad Score is a tally of the number of days you and your partner both showed up and logged your habit. When you both show up, your score increases. When only one of you shows up, your score stays the same. When neither of you show up, your score decreases.
For example, let's say my current score is 12:
- if we both show up, our score increases to 13
- if only one of us shows up, our score stays at 12
- if neither of us show up, our score decreases to 11
The goal is to get to 24 points. The fastest you can do this is in 24 days. If both you and your partner show up everyday for 24 days, your habit is formed.
The reason you only earn a point when you both show up is to build your accountability muscle. You are almost twice as likely to follow through when someone else is counting on you. With this system, your partner can only earn points when you show up, and visa versa. It really leans into accountability, which is the fastest way to build a habit.
The reason your score stays the same if only one of you show up is to reward and promote accountability. There will be days when one partner has a bad day, and needs to lean on the other. This scoring system allows partners to hold each other up, but only so much. Your partner can't build your habit for you, only you can.
The reason you lose points if neither of you show up is because research clearly supports frequency when building habits. Said another way, the more often you do it, the faster the habit is built. If you did your habit 24 times but it took you 100 days, the habit is not built. The Squad Score system reflects this.
Other apps try to be the accountability partner. I don't know about you, but that has never worked for me in the long run. So instead, we're trying to help you be a better partner, and for your partner to be better to you. The Squad Score, among other features, aims to do exactly that.
Reach 24, and you've built your new habit. Go get 'em.
