Habit Stacking
Build new habits on top of existing ones
You want to meditate daily. But when? You want to read more. But where does it fit? New habits fail from lack of triggers. Habit stacking solves this.
New behaviors anchor to existing patterns, making them automatic.
Habit stacking leverages an insight: you already have dozens of automatic daily habits. Instead of trying to remember a new habit, link it to an existing one. After I pour coffee, I will meditate for 2 minutes. The existing habit becomes a trigger.
The Mental Model
-
Identify a Current Habit
Choose something you do daily without thinking. -
Choose a New Habit
Pick something small and specific. -
Create the Stack
After I current habit, I will new habit. -
Start Tiny
Make it impossible to fail. 2 minutes, not 20.
A Worked Example
Lisa wants to stretch more. She tries: After I finish morning coffee, I will do a 3-minute stretch. Day 1: She makes coffee, remembers, stretches. Week 2: The stretch feels incomplete without coffee. It's automatic. Six months later, she has stretched 180+ times.
When to Apply
- You struggle to remember new habits
- You want consistency without motivation
- You have strong existing routines
When Not to Apply
- Your existing habits are unstable
- The new habit requires different context
- Stacking too many at once
Try This Once
Pick one current habit you do daily. Stack one tiny new habit onto it for 7 days.