Your Best Times: Discover Your Optimal Check-in Times for Maximum Success

The Your Best Times card in Cohorty's Insights Dashboard analyzes your historical check-in data to identify when you're most successful. It shows success rates by time slot, highlights your optimal check-in window, and provides habit stacking tips to maximize your consistency.

What is Your Best Times?

Your Best Times is a premium Insights Dashboard feature that displays:

• Time slot analysis: Success rates for different times of day
• Best time identification: Your optimal check-in window
• Visual progress bars: Easy-to-read success rate indicators
• Habit stacking tips: Personalized recommendations for pairing your habit with existing routines
• Success statistics: Number of successful check-ins per time slot

This card answers one of the most common questions in habit formation: "When should I do my habit?" The answer isn't universal—it's personal. As research on implementation intentions shows, specifying when you'll do a behavior increases follow-through by 91%.

Your Best Times uses your actual behavior data to reveal your personal optimal timing, then helps you leverage that insight through habit stacking.

The Science Behind Timing Consistency

Why "When" Matters as Much as "What"

Most people focus on what habit they want to build. But behavioral science reveals that when you do the habit is equally critical.

The mechanism: Your brain forms habits through context-dependent learning. When you perform a behavior in the same context repeatedly, that context becomes a cue. As explained in the habit loop, cues trigger automatic behaviors.

Time as a cue: Clock time (e.g., "7:00 AM") is one of the strongest cues because:

1. It's predictable (happens every day)
2. It's external (doesn't rely on memory)
3. It's precise (no ambiguity about when)

Research findings: A 2019 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found that habits performed at consistent times become automatic 40% faster than those done at variable times.

The Cost of Variable Timing

When you check in at different times each day:

• Decision fatigue increases: "Should I check in now or later?"
• Cue strength weakens: Time doesn't trigger automatic behavior
• Missed opportunities compound: "I forgot because there was no routine"

According to research on why consistency matters, timing variability is one of the top 3 reasons people fail to maintain habits.

Your Brain's Natural Rhythms

Your success rates vary by time of day because of circadian rhythms and energy patterns:

Morning (6-10 AM):

• Willpower: Highest (willpower depletes throughout the day)
• Decision fatigue: Lowest (fewer decisions made)
• Interruptions: Fewest (before the day's demands)
• Best for: Habits requiring discipline or effort

Midday (10 AM-2 PM):

• Energy: Peak cognitive performance window
• Alertness: High
• Interruptions: Moderate (work/meetings)
• Best for: Habits requiring focus or precision

Afternoon (2-6 PM):

• Willpower: Declining
• Energy: Natural post-lunch dip
• Interruptions: High (peak work hours)
• Best for: Automatic habits (already established)

Evening (6-10 PM):

• Willpower: Low
• Stress: Potentially high (end-of-day accumulation)
• Interruptions: Lower (post-work)
• Best for: Relaxing or already-automatic habits

Night (10 PM-2 AM):

• Willpower: Depleted
• Energy: Low
• Best for: Rarely optimal for new habits (unless night shift worker)

Your Best Times card reveals your personal energy patterns—which may differ from these general trends.

Key Features

1. Time Slot Breakdown

The card analyzes your check-ins across five periods:

• ☀️ Morning (6-10 AM): Early morning success rate
• 🌅 Midday (10 AM-2 PM): Late morning/early afternoon
• ☁️ Afternoon (2-6 PM): Afternoon window
• 🌙 Evening (6-10 PM): Evening period
• 🌃 Night (10 PM-2 AM): Late night/early morning

For each time slot, you see:

• Success rate percentage: How often you successfully check in during this time (e.g., "78%")
• Visual progress bar: 10-block representation (each block = 10%)
• Statistics: "12 out of 15 check-ins" (absolute numbers)
• Color coding: Green (70%+), Blue (40-70%), Gray (<40%)

Example display:

☀️ Morning (6-10 AM)
███████░░░ 78% (14/18 check-ins)

🌅 Midday (10 AM-2 PM)
█████░░░░░ 50% (5/10 check-ins)

🌙 Evening (6-10 PM)
██████████ 95% BEST (19/20 check-ins) ⭐

How to interpret:

• High check-ins + high success rate: This is your strong, established pattern
• High check-ins + low success rate: You're trying this time but it's not working
• Low check-ins + high success rate: Limited data, but promising
• Low check-ins + low success rate: Avoid this time

2. Best Time Highlighting

Your optimal slot gets special treatment:

• "BEST" badge: Clear visual marker
• Star icon (⭐): Additional emphasis
• Typically highest success rate: Usually 75%+

What "best" means: This is the time when you have both:

1. Sufficient data (at least 5 check-ins)
2. Highest success rate (most consistent)

Important note: "Best" doesn't mean "only." You can have multiple good times. But identifying your best time helps you prioritize and stack habits effectively.

3. Success Rate Visualization

The 10-block progress bars serve a specific purpose:

Design principle: Research on data visualization shows that humans process visual patterns faster than numbers. The bar format lets you instantly see:

• At a glance: How good each time slot is
• Comparative: Which times are better than others
• Trend: Are you improving in a particular slot?

Color psychology:

• Green (70%+): "Go" signal—this time works
• Blue (40-70%): "Caution" signal—moderate success
• Gray (<40%): "Stop" signal—this time doesn't work

This color system aligns with how tracking creates accountability—you get immediate feedback on what's working.

4. Habit Stacking Tips

The card provides personalized recommendations based on your best time:

Example morning tip: "☀️ Your best time is Morning! Try this: Stack your check-in with your morning coffee routine. Example: 'After I pour my coffee, I will check in on Cohorty.'"

Example evening tip: "🌙 Your best time is Evening! Try this: Pair your check-in with your dinner routine. Example: 'While I wait for dinner to cook, I will check in on Cohorty.'"

Why these tips work: They're implementing the principle of implementation intentions—creating an "If X, then Y" plan. Studies show this simple format increases success rates by 91%.

The tips also leverage habit stacking, where you attach a new behavior to an existing automatic one. This creates a built-in cue and reduces reliance on willpower.

5. Data Requirements Notice

Minimum data needed: At least 5-7 check-ins for meaningful patterns

Why this matters: With only 2-3 check-ins, your "best time" might be random luck. The card won't show recommendations until you have sufficient data.

Accuracy improves with time:

• After 1 week (7+ check-ins): Basic patterns emerge
• After 2 weeks (14+ check-ins): Patterns stabilize
• After 4 weeks (28+ check-ins): Highly reliable data

This aligns with research on how long it takes to form a habit—you need repeated trials to identify true patterns versus anomalies.

How to Use Your Best Times

Step 1: Finding Your Optimal Time

Initial discovery (Week 1-2):

1. Check in at various times: Let your natural behavior reveal patterns
2. Don't force a time: See when you naturally remember
3. Review after 7-10 check-ins: Look for emerging patterns
4. Identify your best time: Note the slot with highest success rate

Common discovery: Many people are surprised by their best time. You might think you're a morning person, but your data shows evening is your 95% success zone.

Trust the data: Your actual behavior is more reliable than your self-perception.

Step 2: Using Success Rates to Optimize

Interpreting your rates:

85%+ (Excellent) 🟢:

• What it means: This time is nearly automatic for you
• Action: Make this your primary check-in time
• Set reminder: Place phone reminder at this exact time
• Protect it: Avoid scheduling conflicts in this window

70-84% (Very Good) 🟢:

• What it means: Reliable but not quite automatic
• Action: Good backup time if primary isn't available
• Improve it: Add a habit stack to strengthen

50-69% (Good) 🔵:

• What it means: Hit or miss—context dependent
• Action: Investigate why some days work and others don't
• Refine it: Is there a more specific trigger you can use?

30-49% (Moderate) 🔵:

• What it means: More often miss than hit
• Action: Consider abandoning this time
• Try instead: Shift to adjacent time slot (e.g., if 2-6 PM doesn't work, try 6-10 PM)

<30% (Low) ⚪:

• What it means: This time doesn't work for you
• Action: Stop trying to force it
• Accept reality: Your energy/schedule doesn't support this time

Important principle: As discussed in self-compassion in habit building, forcing a time that doesn't work creates frustration. Work with your natural rhythms, not against them.

Step 3: Implementing Habit Stacking

The habit stacking formula:

"After/While [EXISTING HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT]."

Using Your Best Times tips:

If morning is best:

• "After I brush my teeth, I will check in on Cohorty."
• "While my coffee brews, I will check in on Cohorty."
• "After I get dressed, I will check in on Cohorty."

If evening is best:

• "After I arrive home from work, I will check in on Cohorty."
• "While dinner cooks, I will check in on Cohorty."
• "After I feed the dog, I will check in on Cohorty."

Critical requirements for stacking:

1. Existing habit must be automatic: You already do it without thinking
2. Physical proximity: Stack in the same location (e.g., both in kitchen)
3. Immediate succession: "After" should mean within 1-2 minutes

Read more: 20 habit stacking examples that actually work

Step 4: Testing and Refining

If changing times (e.g., from afternoon to morning):

Give it 2 weeks: Don't judge success after 2-3 days Why: Your brain needs time to rewire. The first 3-7 days feel effortful (requires willpower). Days 8-14 start feeling easier as new neural pathways form.

Track the transition:

• Days 1-7: Success rate will likely be lower (learning phase)
• Days 8-14: Should start improving (consolidation)
• Days 15+: New pattern should stabilize

If after 2 weeks your success rate is still <50%, the new time probably doesn't fit your life. Return to your original best time.

Step 5: Maintaining Consistency

Once you've found your best time:

Set one recurring reminder: Not multiple reminders, just one at your optimal time Why: Multiple reminders create decision fatigue ("Should I do it now or wait for the next reminder?")

Defend your time: Treat your check-in time as a non-negotiable appointment How: Block that 2-minute window on your calendar if needed

Track consistency: Use the This Week's Performance card to monitor timing consistency

Expect 85%+ success: If you're at your true best time with a good habit stack, you should achieve 85%+ success rate within 4 weeks.

Understanding Success Rates in Depth

How They're Calculated

Formula:

Success Rate = (Successful check-ins in time slot / Total check-ins in time slot) × 100

Example calculation:

• Morning slot: 14 successful check-ins out of 18 attempts
• Success rate: 14/18 = 77.8% (rounds to 78%)

What counts as "successful":

• You checked in during that time slot
• The check-in was recorded (not skipped/missed)

What doesn't count:

• Days you didn't check in at all (not included in denominator)
• Check-ins outside this time slot (counted in other slots)

The 85% Threshold Explained

Why 85% is the target: Research on habit formation shows that:

• 100% consistency is unrealistic long-term (creates burnout)
• 85% consistency is the minimum for reaching automaticity
• 70-84% consistency builds habits, but more slowly
• Below 70% rarely leads to automaticity

This aligns with the Never Miss Twice rule: one miss is fine (keeps you at 85%+), two consecutive misses drop you below the threshold.

Success Rate Benchmarks

Based on our analysis of 1,000+ challenges:

By time slot (general patterns):

• Morning (6-10 AM): Average 72% (highest overall)
• Evening (6-10 PM): Average 68% (second highest)
• Midday (10 AM-2 PM): Average 58% (work interruptions)
• Afternoon (2-6 PM): Average 54% (energy dip)
• Night (10 PM-2 AM): Average 41% (willpower depletion)

Your individual rates may differ based on:

• Your chronotype (morning lark vs. night owl)
• Your work schedule (9-5 vs. shift work vs. flexible)
• Your household dynamics (kids, pets, partner schedules)
• Your energy patterns

The goal isn't to match the average—it's to find your 85%+ zone.

Tips for Maximum Effectiveness

1. Use Your Best Time Consistently

Set one reminder at your best time Why: As discussed in implementation intentions, specificity increases success. "Sometime in the morning" is vague. "7:15 AM while coffee brews" is specific.

Protect your time: If evening is best, don't schedule evening meetings during your check-in window.

2. Follow Habit Stacking Tips Precisely

Don't modify the formula: The card suggests specific stacks based on your data Why: The algorithm identifies not just your best time but the likely context (e.g., morning coffee, evening dinner prep)

Make it physical: Write down your habit stack and post it where you'll see it Example: "After I pour my coffee → Check in on Cohorty" (sticky note on coffee maker)

3. Experiment Carefully

If you want to try a different time:

• Commit for 2 weeks: Don't give up after 3 days
• Track results: Note your success rate
• Compare: Is new time better than old best time?
• Decide: Keep new time only if it reaches 80%+ success

Why 2 weeks: As explained in the habit formation timeline, days 10-17 are when habit formation is most fragile. You need to push through this period to assess true fit.

4. Review Regularly (But Not Obsessively)

Monthly review recommended:

• Check if your best time has shifted (life changes)
• Note if success rates are improving (habit strengthening)
• Identify if a new time slot is emerging

Don't review daily: Short-term fluctuations are normal and meaningless

5. Be Consistent, Not Perfect

Target 85%+ in your best time slot, not 100% Why: Perfectionism kills habits. As discussed in self-compassion, aiming for "good enough" is more sustainable than "perfect."

Missing your best time occasionally is fine, just don't miss twice in a row (Never Miss Twice rule).

Common Patterns and Personas

The Morning Warrior (40% of users)

Pattern:

• Highest success: Morning (6-10 AM), typically 75-90%
• Declining throughout day
• Evening success: 40-60%

Why this works:

• High willpower in morning (no depletion yet)
• Fewer interruptions
• Can build on morning routine

Best habit stack:

• "After I brush my teeth, I check in"
• "While coffee brews, I check in"

Risk: Travel/schedule changes disrupt morning routine

The Evening Checker (35% of users)

Pattern:

• Highest success: Evening (6-10 PM), typically 70-85%
• Morning success: 40-55%
• Consistent evening availability

Why this works:

• Post-work wind-down time
• Established evening routine
• Can pair with dinner/family time

Best habit stack:

• "While dinner cooks, I check in"
• "After I arrive home, I check in"

Risk: Evening plans (dinners out, events) create conflicts

The Midday Anchor (15% of users)

Pattern:

• Highest success: Midday (10 AM-2 PM), typically 65-80%
• Lunch break is consistent
• Work schedule is predictable

Why this works:

• Lunch is a natural transition point
• Can pair with consistent work break
• Provides mental break from work

Best habit stack:

• "After I order lunch, I check in"
• "While waiting for lunch to heat, I check in"

Risk: Lunch meetings or inconsistent breaks

The Flexible Performer (10% of users)

Pattern:

• Multiple time slots with 60-75% success
• No single dominant "best" time
• Success across morning, midday, and evening

Why this works:

• Flexible schedule (freelance, entrepreneur)
• High intrinsic motivation (doesn't need structure)
• Multiple existing routines to stack with

Best approach: Pick one "anchor" time to aim for consistency, but allow flexibility

Read more: Building habits with flexibility

Advanced: When Your Best Time Changes

Life Changes That Shift Optimal Times

New job: Work schedule changes

• Old best: Morning (before work)
• New best: Evening (after work)

New baby: Sleep schedule disrupted

• Old best: Morning (structured routine)
• New best: Whenever baby naps (flexible)

Seasonal shifts: Daylight and energy change

• Winter: Later best time (dark mornings)
• Summer: Earlier best time (light mornings)

How to handle transitions:

1. Notice the shift: Success rates drop in old best time
2. Experiment: Try adjacent time slots
3. Give it 2 weeks: Let new pattern stabilize
4. Update your reminder: Align with new best time

Read: How stress affects habits for managing transitions

When to Ignore Your Best Time

Rare circumstances when you should override the data:

1. Habit-specific timing requirements:

• Exercise: Might need to be morning (gym availability)
• Meditation: Might need to be evening (calming effect)

2. Social coordination:

• Accountability partner check-ins: Must align schedules

3. External constraints:

• Medication timing: Must be specific time

In these cases: Accept that your success rate might be lower (60-70% instead of 85%+), but the timing constraint overrides optimization.

Why Timing Matters: The Research

Consistent Timing Increases Success by 40%

Study: University of Bath, 2018 Finding: Participants who performed habits at the same time daily reached automaticity 40% faster than those with variable timing.

Mechanism: Time-based cues create temporal anchors—your brain associates the time itself with the behavior.

Habit Stacking Makes Habits 3x More Likely to Stick

Research: Stanford Behavior Design Lab (BJ Fogg) Finding: Habits stacked onto existing automatic behaviors are 3x more likely to become automatic themselves.

Why: You're leveraging an existing neural pathway. As explained in BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits method, this reduces the "activation energy" needed.

Optimal Timing Reduces Missed Check-ins by 50%

Data source: Cohorty's analysis of 1,000+ challenges Finding: Users who align their check-in reminder with their data-identified "best time" miss 50% fewer check-ins than those using arbitrary times.

Implication: Listening to your actual behavior patterns works better than forcing a "should" time (e.g., "I should be a morning person").

Advanced: Combining With Other Dashboard Cards

Pair With "This Week's Performance"

Cross-reference timing score:

• If your timing score is 4-5 stars, you're checking in at your best time consistently
• If timing score is 1-2 stars, you're ignoring your best time data

Action: Use Your Best Times to improve timing consistency

Pair With "Habit Formation Journey"

Track whether best time shifts by phase:

• Initiation (days 1-22): Best time might be when you have most willpower
• Consolidation (days 23-44): Best time might shift to when you have most routine
• Mastery (days 45-66): Best time becomes automatic regardless of willpower

Insight: Your "best time" might evolve as the habit forms

Pair With "Who's With You Today"

Notice team timing patterns:

• Is your team more active at certain times?
• Does checking in when others check in increase your success?

Social timing effect: Some people are motivated by synchronous check-ins (checking in "with" others)

Getting Started

To access Your Best Times:

1. Upgrade to Premium (if you haven't already)
2. Navigate to the Insights Dashboard (tap the graph icon)
3. Find the "Your Best Times" card
4. Check in 5-10 times at various times to generate data
5. Review your patterns after 1-2 weeks

Your First Two Weeks: What to Expect

Days 1-3: Insufficient data—card may not show recommendations yet

Days 4-7: Early patterns emerging—tentative "best time" appears

Days 8-14: Patterns stabilizing—success rates become meaningful

Days 15+: Reliable data—confidently act on your best time

Making Your Best Time Automatic

Week 1-2: Set reminder at your best time Week 3-4: Add habit stack ("After X, I check in") Week 5-6: Habit stack should feel natural Week 7-8: Check-in becomes automatic at this time

This timeline aligns with the 66-day habit formation process.

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Ready to find your best times? Upgrade to Premium and unlock the full Insights Dashboard with Your Best Times and 7 other powerful analytics tools.

Master the science: Read our guide on implementation intentions to understand why timing specificity matters.

Build your stack: Explore 20 habit stacking examples to create your perfect check-in routine.

Understand the timeline: Learn about the complete habit formation process to see where timing fits in the bigger picture.