Habit Stacking: Crush Your Goals Without the Excuses

heart, water, stone heart-558528.jpg

Summary: Learn how to be a baddie and change your daily routines with habit stacking, a simple yet powerful method that leverages existing habits to seamlessly incorporate new behaviors. Couldn’t be easier!

Are you tired of setting New Year’s resolutions that fizzle out faster than a diet soda? Do you find yourself stuck in a cycle of complaining about your life while doing absolutely zilch to change it? Well, that ends today because we’re about to dive into the world of habit stacking – the lazy person’s secret weapon for actually getting their shit together.

The “Aha!” Moment

There I was, drowning in a sea of unfolded laundry and unfulfilled dreams, when I stumbled upon James Clear’s1 “Atomic Habits.” (Okay, I didn’t actually stumble upon it – I was just cleaning while listening to the audiobook, but that doesn’t sound as dramatic, does it?)

Suddenly, it hit me like a ton of bricks (or like that pile of clean laundry I’d been folding): I’d been doing a half-assed version of habit stacking all along without even knowing it had a fancy name. Mind. Blown.

The Mindset Makeover

Now, before we dive into the core of habit stacking, let’s talk about that amazing operating system between your ears. You know, your brain? Yeah, that one.

If you’re constantly telling yourself, “I could never do that,” or “That’s too hard,” guess what? You’re right! Congratulations, you’ve just talked yourself out of success before even trying. Gold star for self-sabotage!

But the interesting part is: You can reprogram that noggin of yours. It’s like updating your phone’s operating system but for your brain. At first, it might feel as fake as your aunt’s “candid” Instagram posts, but stick with it. Your beliefs will eventually catch up to your actions.

Habit Hero – The Accountability Journal

So, what the heck is Habit Stacking?

Imagine your daily routine is like a really boring Hulu series. You’ve got your regular episodes: brewing coffee, brushing your teeth, and scrolling through social media until your thumb cramps. These are your existing habits, the ones your brain can do on autopilot.

Habit stacking is like sneaking a new, kickass character into your show without anyone noticing. You’re not creating a whole new series; you’re just spicing up the existing one.

For example, after I brew my coffee (old habit), I’ll do two minutes of stretching (new habit). After I brush my teeth (old habit), I’ll moisturize my face and neck (new habit). After I complain about my job (old habit), I’ll say “f” it and start my own business (new habit). That last one is a joke—well, sort of.

See what we did there? We’re piggy-backing new habits onto old ones. It’s like getting a free ride on the habit highway! The cool part is research2 shows this strategy is effective because it taps into our brain’s natural momentum.

The Four Laws of Not Sucking at Life

James Clear, in his infinite wisdom, gave us four laws to make habits stick. Let’s break them down:

  1. Make It Obvious: Put your running shoes by the door. Set an alarm. Tattoo “DO THE THING” on your forehead. Whatever works.
  2. Make It Attractive: Pair your new habit with something you actually like. Listen to your favorite true crime podcast while meal prepping.
  3. Make It Easy: Start so small it’s laughable. Want to read more? Start with one page a day. Want to exercise? Do one set of five squats. Yes, ONE SET.
  4. Make It Satisfying: Reward yourself, you magnificent beast! Did you moisturize? Have a dance party in your bathroom. Did you meal prep? Treat yourself to a fancy coffee.

How to Start Habit Stacking (Without Losing Your Mind)

  1. Identify your existing habits: What do you do on autopilot? Brushing teeth? Checking X (fka Twitter)? Questioning your life choices?
  2. Choose your new habits: What tiny, ridiculously easy new habit do you want to add? Emphasis on TINY and EASY.
  3. Pair new habits with existing ones: “After I [existing habit], I will [new habit].”
  4. Create a visual cue: sticky notes, phone alerts, skywriting—whatever it takes to remind you.
  5. Stay consistent: Do it every day, even when you don’t want to. Especially when you don’t want to. Eventually, you will want to.

The Compound Effect (or Why Your Tiny Habits Are Actually a Big Deal)

Here’s the mind-blowing part: These tiny habits? They’re like compound interest for your life. That one set of squats? In a year, that’s 365 sets you wouldn’t have done otherwise. That one page of reading? That’s a whole book in a year.

So, next time you think, “Ugh, what’s the point of doing just one set?” remember this: You’re not just doing one squat. You’re building a life-changing habit, one pathetically small action at a time. And your booty will look amazing!

The Bottom Line

Habit stacking isn’t about overhauling your entire life overnight. It’s about being a sneaky little habit ninja, slipping new behaviors into your day so smoothly that your brain doesn’t even notice.

So, what are you waiting for? What tiny habit can you add to your existing routine right now? Remember, no habit is too small—unless it’s “blink once a day.” That’s probably too small. Aim a little higher, champ.

Now go forth and stack those habits! Your future, slightly-less-disaster-prone self can’t wait.

Unlock a world of exclusive freebies, just like the one below, when you join our newsletter! Stay in the loop with empowering content, special offers, and more!

Sources

  1. https://jamesclear.com/about ↩︎
  2. Arlinghaus KR, Johnston CA. The Importance of Creating Habits and Routine. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2018 Dec 29;13(2):142-144. doi: 10.1177/1559827618818044. PMID: 30800018; PMCID: PMC6378489. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6378489/ ↩︎

Related Posts