Day 14: Habit Stacking (Stolen from James Clear)

DISCLAIMER: THERE ISN'T ANYTHING MUCH WRITTEN IN THIS THAT YOU DON'T ALREADY KNOW. INSTEAD OF WASTING THE NEXT 15 MINS OF YOUR LIFE, JUST GO ON WITH IT. WELL IN CASE YOU WANT TO WASTE IT ANYWAY, DO NOT READ ANYTHING IN BRACKETS OR IN RED TEXT, THAT'S A BIT OUT OF CONTEXT USUALLY MY MIND OFF RAMPING. IT WILL SAVE YOU SOME TIME TO DO MORE IMPORTANT THINGS. (SOMETIMES IT'S GENUINE LINKS TO ARTICLES WITH MORE INFO SO READ AND CLICK IT).

Picture this: You're a robot. (No offense, but sometimes we humans can be a bit robotic in our routines). Every morning, your programming dictates: 1. Wake up. 1.2 Sit a bit on your bed thinking about almost nothing. 1.3 Check social media 2. Brush teeth. 2.2 Stop and stare endlessly in the mirror. 2.3 Check social media 3. Bath 3.2 Check social media. 4. Check social media. 5. Scroll endlessly through social media. 6. Realise you're late for work. 6.2 Check social media. 7. Make food and eat quickly. 8. Rush out the door, feeling frazzled and already behind.

Sound familiar? See people are creatures of habit. Some good, some… let's just say they could use a bit of a tune-up. But what if we could hack our habits? What if we could leverage the power of the famous James Clear theory called habit stacking to not only build good habits but also make them stick?

Habit stacking, is not really a cool hack or whatever. In fact we are doing it almost every time without even realising it. If we look at the picture above the routine has a consistent habit in between habits. Realised it? Yes, 8.2 Check social media. Habit stacking is the tendency of attaching new habits to existing ones. It's like building a habit skyscraper, where each new habit is another floor added to the existing structure. 

Let's go back to our robotic friend. Instead of mindlessly scrolling, what if we "stacked" a new habit onto their morning routine?

1. Wake up.
   1.2 Sit a bit on your bed thinking about almost nothing how your day will unfold.
   1.3 Journal a Check(list) of what you need to accomplish for social media the day. Unless of course if you are a 'social media influenza', then just check social media.

See how that works? By attaching the new habit of journaling to the already established habit of checking social media, we increase the likelihood of actually doing it. It's like, "Hey, while you're waiting for your your water to boil, why not meditate?" Genius, right? Meh...  

But well don't take my word for it, I'm still trying to learn it myself. This concept is beautifully illustrated in the book "Atomic Habits" by James Clear, where he emphasises the importance of creating an environment that supports positive habit formation. Clear brilliantly argues that we should focus on making good habits easy and bad habits hard. Habit stacking elegantly aligns with this principle by leveraging existing easy habits to make new, desirable habits more automatic. 

The beauty of habit stacking lies in its simplicity. It doesn't require superhuman willpower or radical life changes. It just needs you to be human, already a creature of habit (Unless of course you are already that robot). It's about leveraging existing behaviours to create a chain reaction of positive habits. It's like, "Okay, I'm already brushing my teeth, so why not floss while I'm at it?" Boom! Two habits stacked. I mean 'it works like Magic'. "And we are gonna call it The iPhone". 

Contrary to popular belief (wow look at me writing BIG english)

Now, here's where things get interesting. Many self-help gurus and motivational speakers tout the importance of willpower and sheer determination for habit change. This overemphasis on willpower can be misleading and even counterproductive. Willpower is a finite resource, and relying solely on it for long-term habit change is like trying to run a marathon on fumes. Habit stacking, on the other hand, leverages existing routines and automaticity, making it more sustainable and less reliant on sheer willpower. 

This resonates with the Stoic philosopher Epictetus who said, 

"Where possible, change yourself. Where it is not possible, change your opinion of what is happening."

By strategically stacking habits, we're essentially "changing ourselves" within the framework of our existing routines. We're not trying to fight against our natural tendencies (trust me, they are older, wiser, stronger and faster, they don't care if you are a robot, they will break you!), but rather, we're cleverly using them to our advantage.

How to Stack Your Habits:

1. Identify Your Anchor Habits: What are the habits you already do consistently? Brushing your teeth, showering, eating breakfast? These are your rock-solid foundations.
2. Choose Your Target Habit: What new habit do you want to cultivate? Exercise, reading, meditation? This is the floor you're about to add to your skyscraper.
3. Stack It On: Attach your target habit to an existing anchor habit. For example, "After I brush my teeth, I will meditate for 5 minutes." Or, "While I'm waiting for the kettle to boil for my coffee, I will do 10 push-ups."
4. Be Patient and Consistent: It takes time and repetition to build new habits. Don't get discouraged if you miss a day or two. (Just worry a little bit though, I mean it doesn't help but it's something). Simply get back on track and keep stacking. Consistency is key. Obviously.

Alright then recap...

Habit stacking is a powerful tool for personal growth and transformation. It's about building a life of intention, one small habit at a time. 

Here is a challenge to try out tomorrow to see if this works or not. 

Materials requried;
1. Toothbrush 
2. Colgate (if you are in South Africa)/ toothpaste
3. Phone 
4. Wifi / Data (not WhatsApp)
5. Access to this blog 

How to do the challenge

Put some colgate on your toothbrush. Hold the toothbrush with your right hand. Unlock your phone with your left hand and head over to my article for the day (only on weekdays). Start brushing your teeth with your right hand, while scrolling through the article with your left hand. Once you finish brushing stop scrolling. Done! 

I mean that won't help you with anything really but hey, This is what we do Now.

Sources:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear   
• Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (for the Stoic philosophy quote)