Habit stacking template builder
Attach a new habit to something you already do every day, then take the plan with you.
Your stack
Add a step and it appears here, chained to the one above it.
That is a long stack. Three steps is a routine you will still be doing next month. Consider starting with the first one and adding the rest once it sticks.
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Why the cue matters more than the willpower
Almost nobody fails at a two-minute habit because two minutes was too much. They fail because the moment passed without them noticing it was the moment. Deciding in advance exactly when and where a behaviour happens, rather than deciding again every day, is one of the better-evidenced techniques in behaviour change, and habit stacking is the plainest way to use it: your anchor is the alarm.
It also solves the context problem. The habit formation research found that the behaviours which became automatic fastest were the ones performed in a stable, repeating context, such as after breakfast. An anchor gives a new habit that stability on its first day instead of making it earn one.
Making a stack that survives
- Anchor to something with an end. “After I brush my teeth” has a clear finish. “After I check email” does not, so there is never an obvious moment to begin.
- Make the first step embarrassingly small. Two minutes. The purpose of step one is not the benefit, it is being the kind of person who does step one.
- Keep the stack short. Each step you add is another chance for the whole chain to stop. Two or three is plenty.
- Put it where you will see it. A stack you remember is a stack you are still doing from memory, which is the thing you were trying to avoid.
Questions
What is habit stacking?
Attaching something you want to start to something you already do, in the form “After I ⟨existing habit⟩, I will ⟨new habit⟩.” The existing habit is the reminder, so you are not relying on remembering or on motivation.
Why does it work?
It removes the hardest part, which is not the action but noticing that now is the moment for it. A cue that already happens at a fixed point in your day does that work for you. Researchers call it an implementation intention: deciding when and where in advance, rather than deciding again each day.
How many habits can I stack?
Fewer than you want to. Two or three is a routine you will still be doing next month; seven is a morning you will abandon on the first bad day. If you are unsure, build the stack you want and then start with only the first step.
What makes a good anchor?
It has to already happen, at roughly the same point every day, and it has to have a clear end. “After I brush my teeth” works. “After I check my email” does not, because email has no end and no fixed time.
What if I miss a day?
Nothing happens. The stack is not a chain that breaks. Do it again at the next anchor. If you find you keep missing the same step, the step is too big or the anchor is wrong, and both are fixable.