If you’ve ever tried to start or improve a habit, you’ll know it can be hard. Fortunately, I can share a technique that will make it much, much easier.
It’s called habit stacking. You find something that you’re already able to do consistently, and then you stack the new thing you want to do alongside it.
I’ll jump into a real life example that’s worked brilliantly for me recently.
One of my foundational health habits is to drink three litres of water per day. I hit that goal most days. But, the big problem is that I often leave it towards the end of the day.
Now, you might ask, as long as I’m able to hit my goal – what does it matter when I drink my water?
When I leave a lot of my water consumption towards the end of the day, it makes me feel uncomfortable and bloated. But, more importantly, it means I’m up several times in the night having to take a pee. This really gets in the way of a good night’s sleep (my most important foundational health habit).
To do a better job of drinking my three litres of water earlier in the day, I’ve been trying to drink one litre of water within 30 minutes of waking up. That’s because I know that when I do that, it gives me early momentum. I usually then find it quite easy to hit my three litres by the late afternoon.
But, like with anything, it’s one thing to have a good intention. It’s another thing to actually do it consistently.
That’s exactly what I struggled with. I found it hard to consistently drink that first litre of water within 30 minutes of waking up – even though I knew it was good for me. I’d either forget, or I would be tempted to put it off. There’s just enough discomfort that I would find ways to avoid it. I was successful about 50% of the time.
I had a brainwave one morning. It happened whilst I was making my coffee. There’s one thing that I definitely don’t find uncomfortable, or try to avoid – in fact I look forward to each morning. And that’s having my coffee.
In that moment, I thought, why don’t I have a rule for myself? I’m not allowed to have a coffee, until I’ve drunk one litre of water? In fact, that’s a new rule for me – starting NOW.
I knew I had about five minutes until my coffee was ready. The only way I was going to be able to drink it, was if I first drank a litre of water. And that’s exactly what I did. I filled my water bottle, and gulped down a litre, just in time for my coffee to come to the boil. And as it would happen, I finished my 3 litres of water by 5PM that day.
That’s the new rule I have for myself now. I’m not allowed a coffee until I’ve first had my litre of water.
In fact, sometimes I now wake up and think ‘I know I should drink a litre of water and just get it out of the way – but I really don’t feel like it.’ To force myself, I just go and put some coffee on. That starts the clock. I now have a finite amount of time before my coffee is ready. It literally forces me to grab the water bottle and get it done. Because I know if I don’t, I’ll have a cup of freshly made coffee that I’m not able to drink! And for the last ten days or so, I’ve not skipped drinking one litre of water within 30 minutes of waking once.
OK, let’s back up for a minute.
I said, habit stacking works when you find something that you’re already able to do consistently, and then you stack the new thing you want to do alongside it.
In this example, making and drinking my coffee first thing in the morning was the thing that I was already able to do consitently. It was a very reliable routine for me.
The new thing I wanted to do was drink one litre of water within the first 30 minutes of waking up.
By stacking them together, I managed to crack it. I’ve gone from struggling to drink a litre of water in the first 30 minutes of the day, to now consistently being able to do it.
You’ll notice that the habit I stacked on top of (drinking coffee) was something I looked forward to. In fact, I think this is when it works best – when you take a habit that you find both EASY and PLEASURABLE. And then you put something that’s new and very manageable before it.
You don’t want to put something that’s unpleasurable and long winded before something that already works. If you do that, you might even put the existing habit in jeopardy. Also, by having the existing habit be something you look forward to, it acts as an incentive and a reward to do the new thing.
So, in summary:
- Identify the easiest version of the new habit or behaviour you want to do. Remember, you can always dial it up later, once you’ve won the battle of establishing it as a habit
- Identify a habit or behaviour that you already find easy, and are already consistent with. Preferably make it something you find pleasurable (that way it can act as an incentive and reward)
- Put the new habit in front of the existing habit.
I can guarantee, if you do this, you’ll find improving your habits, or creating new ones, much, much easier.
Give it a try and see how it works for you!
Get my ideas straight to your inbox. Sign up for my newsletter below: