Habit stacking is an activity in which task completion creates momentum. It starts with easy habits and scales to the difficult but key objectives. For example, as an athlete, I habit stacked my priority – improving as a basketball player. Upon waking, I immediately saw sunshine and drank a glass of water (easy) before meditating and training (difficult). This morning ritual created a positive feedback loop by achieving “small wins” first that motivated me to tackle my real objective – mindfulness and training.
Consider habit stacking like warming up before competition. We have to tune the system before jumping right in. Sure, we can start immediately, but this often results in below-average performances and reliance on willpower. By habit stacking, we prime the mind and body for action, creating leverage and opportunity to accomplish the “big wins” that require significant energy.
Challenge: Identify an important goal. Ideally, it regards that thing we struggle to find the energy for but know wholeheartedly it is good for us. Now, front load it with easy habits to create momentum. Find the time and execute this process.
