There I was, staring at my brand-new Fitbit that I swore would transform me into one of those perky morning people who drink green smoothies and wake up at sunrise. Fast forward three weeks and guess where that expensive little gadget was? Collecting dust on my nightstand while I hit snooze for the third time. 😂

Sound familiar? Look, we’ve ALL been there. And here’s the thing—the problem is not your motivation. It’s your strategy, bestie!

What if I told you that the secret to finally making good habits stick isn’t about willpower or buying yet another planner you’ll forget about in two weeks? It’s about something way simpler and actually works: habit stacking.

This little trick has made a huge difference in my productivity and I feel happier knowing I’m practicing more good habits!

What is Habit Stacking?

Habit stacking is when you take something you already do without thinking (like brushing your teeth) and piggyback a new habit right on top of it.

So instead of trying to remember to do this new thing randomly during your crazy day, you’re basically telling your brain, “Hey, whenever I do X, I’m gonna do Y right after.”

James Clear talks about this in “Atomic Habits” – he didn’t invent it, but he made it super popular. It’s based on this psychology thing called “implementation intentions” which is just a fancy way of saying you’re deciding exactly when and where you’ll do something.

The formula is stupidly simple:

“After I [thing I already do], I will [new thing I want to start doing].”

What Is the Stacking Technique?

OK so here’s how you actually do this in real life:

First, think about something you do EVERY single day without fail. Like, maybe you always check your phone first thing when you wake up (I see you, fellow screen addict!), or you always make coffee, or whatever.

Then pick something small you’ve been wanting to add to your routine. Don’t go crazy here – we’ll talk about starting tiny in a sec.

Now just put them together with that formula I mentioned: “After I [already do this], I will [new tiny thing].”

For example:

• “After I brush my teeth, I’ll wash my face” (you may already be doing this habit stack!)
• “After I turn off my alarm at night, I’ll write down 3 things I’m grateful for” (even if one of them is just “wine” some day lol)
• “After I lock my front door in the morning, I’ll take three deep breaths” (instead of immediately stressing about being late AGAIN)

What Is the 2-Minute Rule?

Honestly, this is where most of us mess up – we try to do WAY too much at once! We’re all like “I’m going to meditate for 30 minutes every day starting tomorrow” and then we do it once and never again.

James Clear has this brilliant 2-minute rule that basically says any new habit should take less than two minutes when you’re first starting. TWO MINUTES. That’s it!

It sounds ridiculously easy, but that’s exactly the point! You’re making it so easy to start that you can’t come up with an excuse not to do it. It’s only 2 minutes after all!

So instead of:

• “Read for an hour each night” → try “Read just one page”
• “Do a 30-minute yoga routine” → try “Roll out my yoga mat and do one downward dog”
• “Walk 10k step every day” → try “Walk for 2 minutes after every meal”

Once you’ve got the habit of just STARTING, you can build up from there. But you gotta nail that starting part first, ya know?

What Are the 3 R’s of Habit Formation Theory?

OK so let’s get a tiny bit nerdy for a sec. There’s some legit science behind why habit stacking works so well! According to the experts, every single habit follows the same brain loop—James Clear calls these the “3 R’s”:

Reminder (or Cue): This is the trigger that gets the whole thing started. In habit stacking, your existing habit is basically yelling “HEY! DO THE NEW THING NOW!” at your brain.

Routine: This is just you actually doing the habit—like the squats or the gratitude list or whatever.

Reward: This is the benefit (feeling good and productive) you gain from doing the habit, which helps your brain figure out if this particular loop is worth remembering for the future.

I like to add a fourth R—Repetition. Because let’s be real, consistency is EVERYTHING. Do it enough times, and bam, it’s second nature.

When I finally understood this whole loop thing, it clicked why my previous attempts at building habits crashed and burned. I was missing clear cues and rewards! No wonder my “I’ll just remember to drink more water” plan never worked. My poor brain had no idea when it was supposed to remind me about that!

What is the 1% Rule?

Habit stacking works best when paired with the 1% improvement philosophy. Don’t try to overhaul your life overnight – just focus on getting 1% better each day. These tiny improvements add up dramatically over time.

This changed how I approach my health goals. Instead of promising to drink a gallon of water every day (which I’d do for maybe 2 days and quit), I started with a minimal habit stack: “Before I eat dinner, I’ll drink one glass of water”

One glass of water before dinner was wayyy more manageable for me allowing me to stay consistent. One glass of water before dinner became 2 glasses of water then 3 and now I’m drinking way more water than before! I’m still working my way up to 8 cups of water but it’s still better than the 0 glasses I was drinking before I started habit stacking!

Examples of Habit Stacking

Want Ideas? I Got You.

Morning Stacks:

• After I shut off my alarm, drink the water on my nightstand.
• After I brush my teeth, do a quick stretch.
• After I press start on the coffee machine, write down 3 priorities for the day.

Workday Stacks:

• After I sit down at my desk, clear off any clutter.
• After every Zoom meeting, stretch like you just woke up from a nap.
• After I check emails, tackle my top task for 25 mins (hello, focus).

Nighttime Stacks:

• After I plug in my phone, read 10 pages.
• After I put on PJs, do 2 mins of deep breathing.
• After I get into bed, think of 3 things I’m grateful for.

Wellness Stacks:

• After I finish making my bed, I’ll say my morning prayers.
• After I light a candle in the evening, I’ll do 5 minutes of deep breathing or meditation.
• After I finish dinner, I’ll make a cup of herbal tea.
• After I clean up the kitchen, I’ll prep a healthy snack or smoothie for tomorrow.

FAQs About Habit Stacking

What is habit stacking in simple terms?
Habit stacking is linking a new habit you want to build to an existing habit you already do automatically, creating a natural cue for your new behavior.

How long does habit stacking take to become effective?
While the average habit takes about 66 days to form, habit stacking can speed up this process by using existing neural pathways. Some simple habit stacks may feel automatic within 2-4 weeks.

What is the difference between habit stacking and regular habit formation?
Regular habit formation often relies on time-based cues (like “I’ll meditate at 7am”), while habit stacking uses existing behaviors as triggers, making the new habit much more likely to stick.

What is habit stacking versus bundling?
Habit stacking links sequential habits (do X, then Y), while habit bundling combines activities (do X while doing Y), like listening to podcasts only while exercising.

What is the best time of day for habit stacking?
The most effective time is whenever your trigger habit occurs consistently. Morning routines work well for many people because they tend to be more consistent and willpower is typically higher.

Wrapping Up: What Is Habit Stacking & Why It’ll Change Your Life

Habit stacking isn’t some magical overnight fix (if someone’s selling you that, they’re lying!). It’s more like a little hack to actually living the life you keep saying you want to live.

The beauty of habit stacking is that it meets you exactly where you are. No need for massive willpower or complete lifestyle overhauls. Just take what you’re already doing and build on it, one tiny habit at a time.

Remember the formula that makes habit stacking work so well: “After I [current habit], I will [new habit].”

Here’s your homework: Pick ONE existing habit you do without fail every day. Now choose ONE tiny new habit you want to build. Write down your stack using the formula and put it somewhere you’ll see it.

Drop a comment below and share what habits you’ll stack!!