Habit Stacking
For anyone who wants to add a new habit but cannot find a single open hour in the week.
Habit stacking means attaching a new habit to something you already do every day. The formula is simple: “After I [current habit], I will [new habit].” Because the existing habit is already automatic, it becomes the reminder for the new one. Start with a tiny new habit, pick an anchor you do at the same time and place every day and stack one habit at a time.
For years I told myself I did not have time to write a book. When I finally committed, I did not find a free afternoon. I found the time hidden inside things I was already doing.
I wrote at the gym, on drives to my kids’ sporting events and while waiting for practices to start. I dictated notes while driving. I did not want to sacrifice time with my family or give up exercising, so I found a way to combine them.
None of those were new blocks of time. They were habits I already had, with something new attached.
The research term for this is an implementation intention. Psychologist Peter Gollwitzer and colleagues found that tying a new behavior to a specific cue, a when and where, makes people far more likely to follow through than simply intending to do it.
Our schedules usually reveal our priorities better than our intentions do.
How to build a habit stack in five steps
List what you already do every day
Brushing your teeth, making coffee, starting the car, sitting down at your desk, putting the kids to bed. These are habits that already happen without thinking.
Choose a tiny new habit
One push-up, one sentence in a journal, one minute of reading. The new habit should be so small it feels almost too easy.
Write the stack
“After I pour my morning coffee, I will write down my top priority for the day.” “After I start my car, I will play an audiobook.” Be specific about the anchor and the action.
Match the habit to the moment
The anchor should happen at a time and place where the new habit makes sense. Reading fits a commute on a train, not a drive. Stretching fits the end of a workout, not the start of a meeting.
Add one at a time
Once one stack feels automatic, add another. Stacking too many new habits at once usually means none of them stick.
They weren’t new blocks of time.
They were habits I already had.
Habit stacking examples
After I pour my coffee, I will review my calendar for two minutes. After I sit down at my desk, I will do my most important task before email. After I put on my workout shoes, I will text my accountability partner. After dinner, I will put my phone in another room for an hour. After I get in bed, I will read two pages.
Related reading: How to Build Good Habits, How to Find Time When You Are Busy and If-Then Planning.
Common questions
What is habit stacking?
Habit stacking is attaching a new habit to an existing daily habit using the formula “After I [current habit], I will [new habit],” so the old habit cues the new one.
Who created habit stacking?
The term was popularized by S.J. Scott and James Clear. It builds on research into implementation intentions by psychologist Peter Gollwitzer.
What are examples of habit stacking?
After I pour my coffee, I will write my top priority. After I start my car, I will play an audiobook. After I brush my teeth, I will do ten push-ups.
How many habits can I stack at once?
Start with one. Once it feels automatic, add another. Stacking several new habits at the same time makes it more likely none of them stick.
Attach a tiny new habit to something you already do every day, using the formula After I…, I will…
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