Habit Stacking | How to Win Your New Years Goals

Bethany Graver • December 13, 2023

How to Turn Resolutions Into Habits That Last All Year

In our fast-paced lives, establishing and maintaining healthy habits can be a challenge. We often find ourselves overwhelmed by the sheer number of tasks we need to accomplish in a day. The good news is, there IS a simple yet powerful technique that can help us overcome this hurdle - habit stacking. By leveraging the power of habit stacking, we can effortlessly incorporate new behaviors into our daily routines and make positive changes that stick.


What is Habit Stacking?

Habit stacking is a strategy that involves attaching new habits to existing ones, creating a chain reaction of positive actions. It's like building blocks for your routine - each new habit becomes an extension of an existing one, making it easier to remember and execute.


The beauty of habit stacking lies in its simplicity. Instead of relying solely on willpower or motivation to adopt new behaviors, you piggyback them onto activities you already do without much thought. This method helps eliminate decision fatigue and makes it easier for your brain to automate these actions over time.


So...How Does It Work, Exactly?

To implement habit stacking effectively, follow these simple steps:


1. Identify an Existing Habit: Start by selecting an established behavior that you perform consistently throughout your day—for example, brushing your teeth after waking up or making coffee every morning.


2. Choose Your New Habit: Next, decide on the new behavior you want to incorporate into your routine—such as reading for 15 minutes, taking vitamins or supplements, or doing five minutes of stretching exercises. If you're struggling to choose which healthy habit to add into your existing routine, we can help! Book a call with one of our coaches, and we'll help you discover the best next steps to take.

3. Create the Stack: Now comes the fun part! Attach the new habit directly after completing the existing one—brushing teeth followed by reading or making coffee followed by stretching exercises, etc.


4. Repeat and Reinforce: Consistency is key when it comes to forming habits. Commit yourself to repeating this stack every day until it becomes second nature—a seamless part of your daily routine.

And further insure your success by setting a reminder on your phone, or writing a note to yourself on your bathroom mirror.


With patience and persistence, you'll be amazed at how much progress you can make in achieving your goals through this simple yet effective strategy. Come Springtime, you'll not only have a new habit in place, you'll also have boosted self-confidence that comes from following through on the goal you set for yourself.

A win to start the year!

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