Today we’re going to talk about stacking habits (inspired by Atomic Habits by James Clear).
Beginning a new habit can be frustrating because we don’t see immediate progress. Let’s be honest – we LOVE to see the fruit of our labor right away. I’m going to teach you a little trick to starting a new habit AND keeping it. Let’s dive in.
My girlfriend and I make popcorn almost every night. I’m not talking about microwave popcorn. I’m talking pot on the stove, adding oil and kernels, you get it. Habits are a lot like popcorn. You put a lot of heat into it, but nothing really happens… at first, that is. As time goes on, the heat pays off. You start to hear the kernels POPPING and you start to see the progress of your endeavors by consistently applying yourself. Making popcorn is a habit we already possess and so it’s really easy to stack a habit on it.
I want you to think about a habit you’ve developed and do consistently.
This can be a quote-end-quote good habit or bad habit. The only condition is that it’s really easy for you to do it consistently. Got it? Great!
Now, take a new habit that can happen WHILE the other habit is happening. For us, we have to wait for the popcorn, so we’ve started adding the habit of affirmations and practicing our horse stances (don’t even get me started on the benefits of that)! These little habits go a long way in improving our day-to-day lives. I mean, who doesn’t love a good dose of affirmation?
What is a new habit you’d like to pick up?
Maybe you’d like to start adding 15 minute walks into your day, but always seem to forget or want to watch Netflix instead (very tempting, we know). Consider adding a podcast to your walk or making calls to friends you want to stay connected with. This increase in productivity makes that 15-minute walk feel worth it and it’s great for your health.
I’d love to hear from you! What do you think of the stacking technique? What are some habits you’ve stacked or would like to start?
