Habit Stacking: How to Build Good Habits and Create Momentum in Life
Sep 22, 2024
By Will Moore
Every one of us has habits and routines. Small things that we do every day, week, or month on autopilot. Some of these things have a positive impact (your success habits), and others… not so much (your failure habits).
If you’re like most people, when you think about your life, I’ll bet there are a few habits you’d like to change. Maybe you want to exercise more, eat healthier, get organized, or save money.
You’ve probably tried to do these things in the past, but they never seem to stick. You work on that new routine for a few weeks or even months, but then “life happens,” and you fall off track, back into your old patterns.
Well, that’s no surprise because your habits have dug in deep - formed over many years from your experiences and major influencers. The first time you acted in the past, let’s say – going straight to the refrigerator for a cold beer when you arrive home from a hard day in the office – a pathway was formed in your brain connecting those two things.
Every time you performed that action since then, that neural pathway got a little stronger. Eventually, it becomes so strong that you do it automatically – with no conscious thought – and it’s almost impossible to break.
How long does it take to change a habit? There is a longing in our hearts for an easy answer and a simple action plan to this question. However, the truth is there is no simple answer, and breaking a bad habit takes hard work.
But it’s not all doom and gloom – there’s good news, too. You have the power to change anything in your life. And that includes creating any new, healthy habits that you want. Moreover, there’s even a powerful way to build new habits by taking advantage of old ones.
One of the most effective ways to do that is by using a technique called habit stacking. It’s an awesome way to trick your little dog brain into doing the things that you want to do by leveraging the things that you’re already doing on autopilot.
So, now you may be asking yourself:
What is Habit Stacking?
Habit stacking is a powerful technique to help you build new, positive habits by leveraging the routines you already have. Instead of trying to form a new habit from scratch, you simply stack your new habit on top of an existing one that you already do on autopilot. This method makes it easier to incorporate new habits into your daily routine because you're piggybacking on something that's already ingrained in your behavior.
Habit Stacking Examples
After brushing your teeth(cue), drink a glass of water(new behavior).
When you get home from work(existing routine), immediately change into workout clothes(new habit).
After making your morning coffee(existing routine), write down three things you're grateful for(new habit).
These examples combine an existing routine (the cue) with a new habit you want to build. This makes it easier to remember and stick to the new habit.
How Does Habit Stacking Work?
The basic idea behind habit stacking is simple: instead of trying to form a new habit from scratch, you stack your new habit on top of an existing habit that you already do on autopilot.
According to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, the basic habit stacking formula is:
After/Before [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW One HABIT]
For example, let's say you want to start drinking more water. A habit stack for this could be: "After I brush my teeth in the morning, I will drink one liter water." By connecting your new habit to existing small habits, you increase the chances that you'll actually stick with it. And as you start to form new habits, you create momentum that can help you make even more positive changes in your life. In simple words, linking habits can do wonders for you.
Habit Stacking Ideas:
Because it doesn’t stop with two habits, after all, two isn’t much of a stack, is it? Let’s say you’re even more ambitious, and as well as drinking more water, you also want to start meditating, some new morning routine, become more efficient, and finally start writing that novel. Your new morning routine super-stack, along with current habits might look like this:
→"After I brush my teeth in the morning, I will drink a liter of water."
→ "After I drink a glass of water now, I will meditate for 10 minutes."
→ "After I meditate for 10 minutes, I will plan out my daily schedule."
→ "After I plan out my daily schedule, I will work on my novel for an hour."
There are endless possibilities for how you can use habit stacking. You can use it to form health-related habits like exercising or eating more vegetables. You can use it to develop better work habits or break some old habit, like taking regular breaks, developing your skills, or working on your side hustle for an hour each day. You can even use it to improve your relationships by making time for regular check-ins with loved ones or sending a handwritten note each week.
No matter what, habit stacking is a powerful tool to help you accomplish your goals.
Read an interesting article on How can managing your personal life help with reaching your goals.
How To Create a Habit Stack for Your Personal or Professional Life?
OK, so let’s dig a little deeper into how you would create a habit stack.
The key to successful habit stacking is to start with a small, manageable, positive change that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. Once you've made that change, you can add on additional changes, gradually building up to your desired goal. I am a strong believer in the idea that small, consistent changes lead to big results.
For example, let's say you want to start a morning routine that includes exercising first thing. When you’re getting ready for bed at night, you could begin by putting your workout clothes next to your bed so they're the first thing you see when you wake up. That would be your habit trigger.
Then, your habit would be to put on those clothes and go for a short walk or run. As you build up momentum, you could add other habits to your stack, such as going to the gym or lifting weights. The important thing is to start small and focus on one change at a time, much like adopting keystone habits that have a ripple effect on other areas of your life. By doing so, you'll be more likely to stick with it and achieve your long-term goals with this effective strategy.
What are the Triggers for Habit Stacking?
So, as you saw in that last example, a trigger is really the first step in creating a habit stack. The trigger can be anything that cues you to start the stack, such as an alarm, a certain time of day, or a specific location. For example, if your trigger is an alarm in the morning just like any other average adult, your stack might include habits such as making your bed, taking a shower, and eating a healthy breakfast.
Once you've identified your trigger, the next step is to choose the habits that you want to include in your stack. When selecting habits, it's important to choose ones that are realistic and achievable.
Habit Stacking Exercise
To get started, try this simple exercise:
Choose one existing habit(trigger) you perform daily (e.g., brushing your teeth).
Identify a small, positive habit you want to add (e.g., drinking a glass of water).
Use the habit stacking formula: "After I [current habit], I will [new habit]."
Repeat this stack every day for a week.
For example, "After I brush my teeth in the morning, I will drink a glass of water." This exercise will help you experience the benefits of habit stacking firsthand and motivate you to build more stacks.
By following these simple steps, you can easily create a habit stack to help you achieve your personal or professional goals.
Learn More: Life Changing Habits List
How Can Habit Stacking be Used to Achieve Success in the 5 Areas of Life?
I want to quote James Clear again here; "Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your life. But as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity." In other words, our daily habits shape our lives more than we realize.
There are 5 core areas of life that contribute to mental health and your overall happiness: Mindset, Career & Finance, Relationships, Physical Health, and Emotional Health. To achieve balance in each of these areas, it's important to stack your habits in favor of success.
There are endless ways to use habit stacking to achieve goals in different areas of life. Some things will be the same for many people, but others will be very specific to you. You need to identify the areas that are most important for you. In fact, here’s a quiz you can take to evaluate your own 5 cores.
That being said, here are a few examples of success habit stacks in the 5 cores of life:
Mindset
“After I get up in the morning, I will repeat my affirmations 10 times in the mirror”
“Before I turn on the TV, I will pick up a self-help book and read for 30 minutes”
“When I feel restless & unproductive, I will take a walk in the woods.”
Career & Finance
“After I receive my salary, I will automatically save 10%.”
“Before I make a purchase, I will ask myself if I really need it.”
“After I arrive at work, I will lock my phone in my desk drawer.”
Relationships
“Before I go to sleep at night, I will kiss my partner.”
“After I greet my friends, I will give them a compliment.”
“After I pick up my phone, I will send a message to someone I care about.”
Physical Health
“When I brush teeth, I will floss directly afterwards.”
“When I walk the dog in the evening, I will add an extra 2 miles.”
“Before I eat lunch, I will do 50 push ups.”
Emotional Health
“When I wake up in the morning, I will write down 5 things I’m grateful for.”
“When I feel angry with my co-worker, I will breathe and count to 5 before I respond.”
“Before I eat breakfast, I will meditate for 10 minutes.”
So hopefully, you can see how habit stacking can be used to develop success habits in all areas of your life. Not only does habit stacking works up habits in this way make it more likely that you'll stick to your new habit, but it also means that you're slowly building up a repertoire of good habits that will set you up for success over the long term.
Of course, the concept of habit stacking can also be used to keep existing habits or break bad habits. For example, if you want to quit smoking, you could stack a new habit, like increasing physical fitness, instead of giving up cigarettes. Every time you have the urge to smoke, do 20 pushups or situps instead. Over time, the good habit will replace the bad one – you'll be able to kick nicotine out of your life for good and have that six-pack to boot.
Whatever habits you want to bring into your life, the key is to find a trigger that you already have built into your day-to-day routine and build your new behavior from there.
Habit Stacking Worksheet:
To help you apply the concept of habit stacking across your core areas of life, we've created a Free Habit Stacking Worksheet. This practical tool guides you through the process of identifying existing habits, choosing new habits to stack, and creating personalized habit stacks for each core area.
3 Tips for Sticking to Your Habit Stack and Creating Lasting Change
If you're trying to stick to a new habit, you must be realistic and patient with yourself. Change doesn't happen overnight, and there will inevitably be setbacks along the way. However, by following these tips, you can increase your chances of success.
1. Start small:
Trying to overhaul your entire life at once is bound to be overwhelming and discouraging. Instead, focus on the tiny habits method by making one small change at a time. For example, if you're trying to eat healthier, or getting back on track with diet, start by adding one new fruit or vegetable to your diet each day.
2. Make it easy:
The easier it is for you to stick to your habit, the more likely you are to succeed. If you're trying to exercise more, for instance, choose an activity that you enjoy and that fits easily into your schedule. Likewise, if you're trying to eat better, stocking your fridge with healthy snacks will make it more likely that you'll reach for those instead of unhealthy junk food.
3. Be consistent:
The key to lasting change is consistency. Rather than going all-out for a few days and then giving up altogether, stick to your habit most days of the week. Over time, this will become second nature.
Read More: How Long to Break an Addiction
Summing up:
So, to sum it all up, habit stacking is a powerful way and with some mental effort it can be used to create momentum in your personal and professional life. When you establish a series of strong habits that work together to support your goals, you can achieve more with less effort. The best part is that habit stacking works, it is easy to do, and it’s versatile enough to be used in any area of your life.
Ready to Form Powerful Habits with Habit Stacking?
Curious about how habit stacking can make forming new habits easier and more effective? Start small, build big, and see lasting change with our Weekly Habit Tracker App.
Here’s why you should sign up:
Seamless Habit Formation: The app effortlessly helps you stack new habits onto your existing routines, making it simple to create lasting changes without disrupting your day.
Engaging and Rewarding: Gamify your habit journey with challenges, rewards, and progress tracking that keep you motivated to stick with your new habits.
Customized Success: Design your habit stacks to fit your unique goals and lifestyle, ensuring that each habit you form is a step closer to the life you want to lead.
Sign up now for the free version of the Habit Tracker app and join Moore Momentum's mission to make personal growth so simple, fun, and rewarding that your momentum becomes unstoppable in your core areas of life.
Habit Stacking FAQs
How many habits can you build at once?
Most experts recommend focusing on 1-3 habits at a time. Trying to build too many habits simultaneously can be overwhelming and reduce your chances of success. Start small and gradually add more habits as the initial ones become ingrained.
Is habit stacking effective?
Yes, habit stacking is considered highly effective. This technique involves linking a new habit to an existing one, making it easier to remember and implement. By anchoring a new behavior to an established routine, you increase the likelihood of consistently performing the new habit.
What is the psychology behind habit stacking?
Habit stacking leverages several psychological principles:
Associative learning: By pairing a new habit with an existing one, you create a mental association that helps trigger the new behavior.
Contextual cues: Using an established habit as a cue provides a consistent context for the new habit, making it easier to remember and perform.
Cognitive load reduction: Linking habits reduces the mental effort required to remember and initiate the new behavior.
Momentum: Successfully completing one habit creates positive momentum, making it more likely you'll follow through with the linked habit.
Neuroplasticity: Repeatedly performing linked behaviors strengthens neural pathways, making the habit stack more automatic over time.