From Small Changes to Significant Results: Habit Stacking

This podcast delves into the concept of habit stacking, illustrating how attaching new habits to established routines can lead to lasting change. Listeners are guided through practical tips and personal anecdotes, emphasizing the importance of flexibility and personalization in habit formation.

• Introduction to the concept of habit stacking 
• Explanation of why habit stacking is effective 
• Real-life examples of writing, meditation, and journaling habits 
• Step-by-step guide on how to identify and stack habits 
• Emphasis on starting small and being flexible with stacks 
• Encouragement to personalize habit stacks for individual needs 
• Weekly challenge to implement habit stacking in daily routines

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Oh we could, we could fly. Welcome to this new season of the have a cup of johanni podcast. So I want to title this new season that I'm embarking on with I'm growing, so this is going to be the season of growth and that's what I'm going to share with you throughout the season. So I thank you for coming over here and sitting with me and I hope you enjoy Hola vacitos. And welcome back to another episode of have a Couple Johnny podcast. We're in season five y'all, and this entire month we've been exploring habits, and today I am bringing you one of my favorite habit-building tools, which is called habit stacking.

Speaker 1: 1:01

Habit stacking If you've ever struggled to build a new habit or make an existing one stick, this episode is for you. Vassito, I'll share personal stories, practical tips and help tailoring habits for your life to make all the difference. Are you ready? Difference? Are you ready? Of course you are. I mean, why else would we be here listening to one another? Let's dive in, all right.

Speaker 1: 1:39

So let's start with the basics, won't we? What exactly is habit stacking? So the concept comes from james clear book, atomic habits. I highly recommend it. It has gone down as one of my life-changing books and it's simple.

Speaker 1: 2:00

You take a habit you already do regularly, it's already ingrained in your psyche, and you attach a new habit to it. Think of it as building a chain. So, for example, if you already brush your teeth every morning which you should you can stack flossing right after Fun fact. I did that right after Fun fact. I did that, I think, two years ago. The dentist really caught on and he was like you don't really floss, do you? I was so offended, so I did. I stacked the habit of flossing in between brushing my teeth and a mouthwash. So there, there you go. Then See, I'm doing it. So when you do things like that, your brain starts to associate the two activities, making the new habit easier to remember and follow through on. So the key is to use an existing habit as an anchor. So why habit stacking works? So it works because it takes the guesswork out of building new routines. It's kind of like the shortcut way you know of doing it, because, instead of trying to create a habit from scratch, you're leveraging something you already do, and because your brain loves patterns. Stacking habits creates momentum and consistency without requiring a ton of extra effort and willpower, which for us human beings is a win-win and for me it's been a game changer. So let me show you I'm going to use some of my real life examples of how I've used habit stacking to profit my own life. To benefit my own life.

Speaker 1: 4:04

Okay, so my writing habit. Let's talk about that one first. I tailor my writing habit to whatever phase I'm in. When I'm drafting, I stack it with my daily time block and measure success by word count, but when I'm editing, I stack it with a completely different anchor, revealing scenes during my lunch break or at night when the house is quiet. So by attaching the habit to a consistent routine, I ensure it evolves with me and never gets left behind.

Speaker 1: 4:52

Another example I can give you is the meditation habit. If you have heard me talk about this, this is something that I strive to do, to be consistent with it. It's something that I've struggled with being consistent with. So I stack this one with my workout, and that's how it has been able to stick to the routine, because by stacking meditation to the end of my workout, it works perfectly. I am exhausted at the end of it and I'm already in a state where my mind can quiet down, whether it's for 10 minutes or for just five deep breaths I am able to get there, to get zen, and this habit stacking has helped me to stick with it.

Speaker 1: 6:05

But lastly, the last example that I'm going to give you is my journaling habit, and I am telling you, the journaling habit for me is kind of like seamless. It's that habit that doesn't even feel like a habit. It feels more like breathing, like I just got to do it. Now this is very powerful for me because it supports my writing habit. So you heard me talk about my writing habit and how I anchor it to different things depending on what phase of writing I'm in.

Speaker 1: 6:23

But the one thing, the one habit now that drives the writing habit, is my journaling habit, which I do seamlessly, without even thinking about it. As thoughts come and go, I am quick to grab my journaling app on my phone and write it down. If my phone is not available to me, because of whatever environment I'm in, I utilize my written notebook, my bullet journal, and I put it there. But this habit, the journaling habit, I use it to brainstorm, reflect and capture ideas for both fictional and non-fictional pieces. It is basically a water faucet of ideas and by stacking my journaling with my morning coffee or with my evening winding down routine at the end, for all those thoughts that I just can't let go of, it becomes the foundation for my creative process. So, if you see, here it's kind of like this cycle that I have the journaling habit feeds my writing habit, my writing habit is stacked to my time block habit, you see. So it's kind of like this kind of cycle in there that it just it's like a cog, you know that just keeps on turning.

Speaker 1: 7:54

You see, now you're like, okay. Okay, I hear you, I hear your example, but how do I start? Okay, so let's talk about that, it's easier than you think. Okay, I would say the first thing to do will be to identify an existing habit. What is something that you already do every day? James Clear says it on his book, and I think he talks about auditing your day. I need to reread it. That's a good book to reread, by the way.

Speaker 1: 8:28

So it's like brushing your teeth, making coffee or commuting to work. What is it that you already do seamlessly, like? For me, I journal seamlessly, brush my teeth without even thinking. Coffee is another thing that I don't have to think about too much. Now, choose a new habit to stack right Once you audit your day and you know the things that you automatically do, that are like part of your routine.

Speaker 1: 8:59

Now choose a new habit to stack and pick a habit you want to build, like drinking more water. Do you want to stack that to coffee? Maybe drink two cups of water, or one cup of water before the coffee? Or do you want to do practicing gratitude Right After you brush your teeth? You want to jot down three things that you're grateful for. Or stretching Do you want to do a minute of stretching once you see your car, before you get in for the commuting? So once you choose which new habit to stack, you pair them together. Attach the new habit to the existing one. For example, right after I brush my teeth, I'll floss. That's something that I stack.

Speaker 1: 9:50

While I wait for my coffee to brew, I can jot down the three things I'm grateful for. Or I can do five deep breaths, you see, and start small. You heard me say this Start small and manageable so that way it can be sustainable. Vacitos, okay, don't go in there aiming for perfection or these like magnificent things. Aim for progress, because the beauty of habit stacking is that it's manageable. You can customize it.

Speaker 1: 10:28

It's not about copying somebody else's routine because my routine may not be for you, my routine may not work for you. It's about creating one that works for you. For example, maybe you stack a gratitude practice into your commute it's very doable by thinking of three things that you're grateful for while you're driving and saying them out loud. Or you stack a few minutes of stretching after putting on your workout clothes, even if you're not heading to the gym. The key is to find those pairs right that fit into your life seamlessly. But don't get into like a pith fee when it doesn't work out perfectly, because sometimes it just doesn't. Sometimes new habits don't stick and it could be because the pairing doesn't feel natural or it doesn't have a flow to it, and that's okay.

Speaker 1: 11:34

It's about trial and error. Okay, maybe what's a weird example? Like, maybe stretching before you get into your car for your commute? Is not it because you wear a suit or you wear, like these fishy clothes to work right and they're too tight on you so you can't really stretch? Well, you know now we know that's not a habit. Stack that is going to work for you.

Speaker 1: 12:03

Maybe the one that works for you is to do gratitude. Say three things that you're grateful for during your commute, to say three things that you're grateful for during your commute, because the whole stretching before the commute is not going to work. So that's why it's good not to get too caught up or too rigid into what you come off with the first time around, but to be flexible. Remember that's part of the process is to be flexible, so that way you're not too afraid to tweak your stack until it feels right for you, until it's working for you, because the lesson is Spacitos. Here's the lesson is that it needs to last, the routine needs to last, and for the routine to last, it needs to be sustainable to you. By attaching new habits to existing one, you create a flow that feels natural and achievable to you. As you're figuring it out, you're going to find those matches that are not good for you, and that is okay. Revamp them, go back to the drawing board and do it again, because when you tailor those habits to your goals and lifestyle, they become more than just tasks. They become anchors for growth and consistency.

Speaker 1: 13:29

So here is your challenge for the week. That's it. Go, pick one habit you want to build and stack it into an existing habit. Let's just make one pair. That's it. Start small, keep it simple and watch how this technique transform your routine or how it messes up your routine. It may just do that, we don't know, but we're going to watch and reflect and, if you try it and let me know, I'd love to hear how it works for you, what you did, what worked, what didn't work and how y'all went about it. Share your habit. Stacks with me on social media or in the comments and, as always, thank you for sipping on this conversation with me. Until next time, keep growing, keep stacking and keep showing up for yourselves. Besitos. Talk to you later. Bye. Thank you so much for listening. I want to hear from you, leave me a comment, do a rating if you can on the podcast, share it with somebody you love, but, most importantly, come back. See you next time. Bye.