Page 67 - Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

nd yourself purchasing all of the accessories that go with it. It’s a chain

reaction of purchases.
Many human behaviors follow this cycle. You oen decide what to do
next based on what you have just nished doing. Going to the bathroom
leads to washing and dr ying your hands, which reminds you that you need

to put the dirty towels in the laundr y, so you add laundr y detergent to the
shopping list, and so on. No behavior happens in isolation. Each action
becomes a cue that triggers the next behavior.
Why is this important?

When it comes to building new habits, you can use the connectedness of
behavior to your advantage. One of the best ways to build a new habit is to
identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new
behavior on top. is is called habit stacking.

Habit stacking is a special form of an implementation intention. Rather
than pairing your new habit with a particular time and location, you pair it
with a current habit. is met hod, which was created by BJ Fogg as part of
his Tiny Habits program, can be used to design an obvious cue for nearly

any habit.*

e habit stacking formula is:
“Aer [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].”

For example:

Meditation. Aer I pour my cup of coffee each morning, I will meditate
for one minute.

Exercise. Aer I take off my work shoes, I will immediately change into
my workout clothes.
Gratitude. Aer I sit down to dinner, I will say one thing I’m gratef ul

for that happened today.
Marriage. Aer I get into bed at night, I will give my partner a kiss.
Safet y. Aer I put on my running shoes, I will text a friend or family
member where I am running and how long it will take.