Instead of waiting for inspiration to strike, the next time you want to start a new habit – like waking up earlier, becoming a regular at the gym, or spending less money at Starbucks (guilty!) – ask yourself this simple question: What’s my game plan for starting [insert new habit here]?
By “game plan,” I mean a concrete plan of action that maps out exactly what you need to do to start a new habit prior to beginning.
I will have a lot more to say about this below. For now, just know that, by the end of this article, you’ll have all the tools you need to come up with your own game plan to ensure your habit-building strategy is a success.
The Best Way to Start a New Habit:
Habits are easier to build when they fit into the flow of your life.
Because of this, it’s key to tie your new habit to something you’re already doing every day.
By piggybacking on a habit you’ve already formed, you can take advantage of the natural momentum of what you’re already doing to trigger the next desired behavior, which, in this case, is the habit you’re trying to form.
Why Does Habit Stacking Work?
Contrary to popular belief, when you fail to develop a new habit, it’s rarely due to a lack of motivation or willpower.
What you lack is a concrete plan of action. Habit stacking solves this problem, as it provides you with clear direction on when and how to act on your new habit. When combined with the Two-Minute Rule (more on this later), it should take less than two minutes to start to form your new habit.
How to (Actually) Use the Habit Stacking Strategy
The simplest way to apply this strategy to your target habit is to fill in the blanks below:
- After I do [current habit], I will add [new habit] immediately after.
- After I do [current habit] at [specify a time when you’ll perform your habit], I will add [new habit] immediately after.
Habit stacking works for most people precisely because it provides us with a specific plan for when, where, and how to execute a new habit.
- After I do [current habit], I will focus on [habit I need to do].
Not only does this approach inspire action by removing practical barriers, it also reduces the need to ask yourself: “Should I or shouldn’t I do it?” “How will I do it?” “When will I do it?”
All you have to do is simply follow your plan.
Here are seven prime examples to illustrate how you can use the habit stacking strategy to start building realistic habits right now.
Example 1: Getting an early start to your day without hitting “snooze.”
Let’s say you want to wake up early tomorrow morning. To do this, you’ll need to get out of bed as soon as your alarm goes off, right?
Thanks to the habit stacking strategy, you can simply plug and chug.
After I do [current habit], I will add [new habit] right after.
To start working towards this new habit, your habit stack might look something like this:
After I [turn off my alarm] in the morning, I will [get out of bed].
After I turn off my alarm in the morning at (specify time), I will get out of bed (by doing what, exactly?).
Again, it’s all about linking your desired habit with something you’re already doing every day.
In this case, you likely already reach for your phone to silence it after your alarm goes off (this is the habit you already do). Now, all you need to do is add a simple behavior to it (this is the habit you’re trying to build) – i.e., I will immediately get out of bed.
Example 2: Making your bed every day before you leave the house
You’ve decided that, after you wake up, you want to build the habit of making your bed before you go to work.
Your habit stack might look like this:
After I do [current habit], I will add [new habit] afterwards.
After I [get out of bed], I will [gather my sheets and duvet, pull them towards my headboard, and smooth out any wrinkles] afterwards.
Or, more simply: After I get out of bed (when), I will pull up my sheets and covers to make my bed (how).
Example 3: Brushing your teeth before bed
Suppose that you want to build the habit of brushing your teeth each night before bed. Your habit stack might look like this:
After I do [current habit], I will add [new habit] right after.
After I [go to the bathroom before climbing into bed], I will [put toothpaste on my brush and brush my teeth].
After I flush the toilet and wash my hands (when), I will grab my toothpaste in preparation for brushing my teeth (how).
Example 4: Removing your contact lenses before climbing into bed
Full disclosure, I am so bad at doing this, but it’s very important to remember to take out your contact lenses at the end of each day.
Bearing that in mind, your habit stack might look something like this:
After I do [current habit], I will add [new habit] to it.
After I [brush my teeth], I will [remove my contact lenses].
After I brush my teeth (when), I will remove my contact lenses (how).
Example 5: Drink more water
Let’s say that you’ve come up with the goal to hydrate more each day.
Your habit stack might look something like this:
After I do [current habit], I will add [new habit] right after.
After I [finish exercising], I will [go to the sink or fountain, refill my water bottle, and drink two cups of water].
After I get off the treadmill at the gym (when), I will immediately refill my water bottle (how).
Example 6: Rinsing the sink after each use (using the Two-Minute Rule)
You want to build the habit of cleaning out the sink after you finish washing your dishes.
Your habit stack might look (more or less) like this:
After I do [current habit], I will add [new habit] right after.
After I [place all the dishes in the dishwasher], I will [spend less than two minutes spraying down my sink] to ensure it is clean for the next use.
After I place all the dirty dishes in the dishwasher (when), I will take two minutes to spray down the sink (how).
According to the Two-Minute Rule, when you first start to build a new habit it should take less than two minutes to complete. This ensures that the habit is relatively easy to do, and if a habit is easy to do you’ll be more likely to do it over time. Of course, that is the goal of anyone who tries to build good habits – to make them stick not for days or weeks but for years to come.
Example 7: Going to the gym after you get home from work (using the Two-Minute Rule)
Let’s say you’re already going to the gym 2 – 3 times per month but find it hard to make it there each week.
If this resonates with you, then your habit stack might look something like this:
After I do [current habit], I will add [new habit] right after.
After I [walk into my house after work], I will [immediately change into my workout gear]. (Again, this takes less than two minutes to do.)
After I get home from work (when), I will change into my workout clothes (how). The mere act of changing into your workout clothes will trigger your next desired behavior – which could be to grab your water bottle, earphones, or put on your tennis shoes, all of which takes less than two minutes to do.
Since you are ready to go and have no barriers or excuses to hold you back, the most likely thing you’ll do is head to the gym.
What do you think?
Now, I’d love to hear from you! How many of the habits in this article have you tried to build? Were you able to stick to them for more than a few days? Let me know what worked for you and what didn’t by commenting in the discussion thread below.
