How to Stack Your Way to a New Habit
Weekly Technique
Try this!
Now that you’re ready to turn a behavior into a habit, break it down into the smallest steps possible. (And we mean super small.) Once you’ve nailed doing that with the help of the list below, you’ll start habit stacking!
Let’s dive a little deeper...
When it comes to building habits, we’re more likely to create ones that stick when we break them down into smaller micro-habits. Let’s say you’re looking to take a nightly post-dinner walk. Start small at the beginning and then lean on habit stacking.
1. List the super small steps in the behavior you want to turn into a habit.
To take that walk, it might include: Putting your sneakers on and grabbing your headphones to listen to a podcast.
2. Find a cue for the first micro-action on your list
Your cue is getting up from dinner.
3. Practice that first micro-action every time you encounter the cue
Put on your sneakers as soon as you get up from dinner.
4. Once that first micro-action turns into a habit, try adding the next micro-action on your list...
Now that you’ve nailed getting dressed for your walk, next up is getting your headphones.
5. ...and keep adding the next micro-action until you’ve built that full habit!
Nice job! Now get a water bottle and keep working your way down the list of micro-actions.
Did you know?
Time can also be a micro-habit. Not ready for a 20-minute walk? Start with 5 minutes and then you can (habit) stack to the full 20 minutes!
