We’ve all been there: we decide we’re going to start a new habit (meditating, journaling, or drinking more water) and we rely on "Willpower" to make it happen. But willpower is a finite resource. It’s like a phone battery; it drains throughout the day. By the time you get home from a long day of work, your "willpower battery" is at 2%, and you reach for the remote instead of your running shoes. Today, we stop relying on willpower and start using Habit Stacking.
Habit Stacking (a concept popularized by James Clear) is the process of "hooking" a new, desired habit onto an existing, automatic one. Your brain already has incredibly strong neural pathways for things like brushing your teeth, making coffee, or checking the mail. By "stacking" your new goal onto these existing triggers, you take the "thinking" out of the equation. You aren't trying to remember to do something new; you are simply expanding a routine you already have.
In Your Guidebook on Page 34, use the Habit Stacking Formula worksheet. The formula is simple:
"After [Current Habit], I will [New Habit]."
Example: "After I pour my first cup of coffee (Current), I will write down my 3 "must-wins" for the day (New)."
Example: "After I close my laptop for the day (Current), I will do 5 minutes of stretching (New)."
Write down three "Stacks" that support the Lead Indicators you identified on Day 10.
BONUS | The 10-Minute Reset: Pick your easiest stack and do it right now. Or, set up the physical "cue" for it. If you're going to read after you get into bed, put the book on your pillow. If you're going to take vitamins after breakfast, put the bottle next to the cereal. Make the new habit impossible to ignore.
