Habit Stacking

97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less

By S.J. Scott
http://www.HabitBooks.com

Habit Stacking Copyright 2015 by Oldtown Publishing LLC

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Table of Contents
Your Free Book
Little Hinges Swing Big Doors
Habit Stacking: A Brief Introduction
Small Changes vs. Mini-Habits
8 Elements of a Habit Stacking Routine
Productivity (Small Changes #1 to #17)
Relationships (Small Changes #18 to #31)
Finances (Small Changes #32 to #44)
Organization (Small Changes #45 to #60)
Spirituality and Mental Well-being (Small Changes #61 to #75)
Health and Physical Fitness (Small Changes #76 to #85)
Leisure (Small Changes #86 to #97)
8 Steps for Building a Habit Stacking Routine
How to Choose a Trigger for Your Habit Stacking Routine
Two Examples of a Habit Stacking Routine
Habit Stacking Disruptions and Challenges: What to Do?
Conclusion
Would You Like to Know More?
Did You Like Habit Stacking?
More Books by S.J. Scott

Your Free Book

As a way of saying thanks for your purchase, Im offering a free report thats exclusive to my book
and blog readers.
In 77 Good Habits to Live a Better Life, youll discover a variety of routines that can help you in
many different areas of your life. You will learn how to make lasting changes to your work, success,
learning, health and sleep habits.
>>> Tap Here to Grab 77 Good Habits to Live a Better Life <<<
http://www.DevelopGoodHabits.com/free-hs

Little Hinges Swing Big Doors

You can learn a lot about life from a simple quote by W. Clement Stone: Big doors swing on little
hinges.
Put simply, many big outcomes happen because of small events. When you consistently apply this
principle to your life, youll find that small changes turn into big wins in your business and in your
relationships.
Many books (including a few of mine) emphasize making dramatic life changes (e.g., quit smoking,
exercise every day or write 30 minutes every day), but there are a lot of ways to make a difference in
your life by introducing small changes.
As an example, lets talk about fruit. We all know that eating bananas, apples or tangerines can
produce positive health benefits. These fruits are sweet, taste good and are a great snack for anyone
on the go. Yet fewer than 50 percent of American adults fulfill their recommended daily amount of
fruit.
Think about this for a second. It takes about two minutes to eat a piece of fruitplus, it can be carried
anywhere. Most people know that eating fruit is a healthy habit. But more than half of the population
cant take a few minutes out of their day to make it happen.
The point of this example isnt to lecture about the magical benefits of fruit. Instead, I wanted to
introduce the idea that we all know how to improve our lives, but we often fail to take action.
You can compound this with other small changes. Im confident that right now you could easily think
of a dozen ways to instantly improve your life. Odds are, these ideas will only take a few minutes
apiece to complete. The problem? You might feel like theres not enough time to do all of them.
The solution, I feel, is a concept that I call habit stacking.
As youve probably experienced, its not easy to add dozens of new habits to your day. But what you
might not realize is that its fairly easy to build a single new routine. The essence of habit stacking is
to take a series of small changes (like eating that piece of fruit) and build a ritual that you follow on a
daily basis.
Habit stacking works because you eliminate the stress of trying to change too many things at once.
Your goal is to simply focus on a single routine that only takes about 15 to 30 minutes to complete.
Within this routine is a series of actions (or small changes). All you have to do is to create a checklist
and follow it every single day. Thats the essence of habit stacking.
Who Am I?
My name is S.J. Scott. I run the blog Develop Good Habits.
The goal of my site is to show how continuous habit development can lead to a better life. Instead of
lecturing you, I provide simple strategies that can be easily added to any busy life. Its been my
experience that the best way to make a lasting change is to develop one quality habit at a time.

Even though Im a firm believer in making progressive life changes one at a time, I discovered that it
is possible to make multiple changes. All you have to do is add them to an intuitive checklist.
I first realized the benefit of habit stacking about a year ago. At the time, I was living over an hour
away from my girlfriend. Because shes a teacher and I need a dedicated office space for my work,
we only saw each other on the weekends.
Eventually, this time apart became a serious strain on our relationship. After a number of arguments, I
learned that our time apart wasnt the main issue. The problem stemmed from the fact that she felt like
I didnt think of her during most of the week. She went on to say that a simple, loving text message
would make her happy. Talk about an ah-ha moment.
This statement made me realize that, while the big things do matter, sometimes its the smallest of
actions that can make a difference in someones life. After truly hearing what my girlfriend was
telling me, I made the internal commitment to send her a nice text every single day, without fail.
Almost overnight, the quality of our relationship dramatically improved. We now live together, but
she still gets a nice, upbeat message on a daily basis.
My point here?
I was able to improve the quality of my relationship by adding a habit that took less than a minute to
complete.
Imagine filling your life with dozens of these habits. You could do this for any part of your life: work,
relationships, health, organizing and finances. All of this is possible when you follow a habit stacking
routine.
Isnt This Common Sense?
One of the challenges of writing a book like this is that some of the content will seem like common
sense. Odds are youll read certain sections and think to yourself, Duh, I already know that. I
know Im not the first person to tell you that eating a piece of fruit every day is a healthy habit, or that
saying I love you to someone important will improve your relationship.
The value of the habit stacking concept doesnt come from the individual habits. Most of us know
what we can do to improve our lives. What we dont know is how to add a series of small changes to
a simple-to-follow framework.
Its my goal to provide a catalog of quick habit ideas and show you a simple system for introducing
them into your life. You will learn all of these things in the following book: Habit Stacking: 97
Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less.
After reading this book, you will understand how habit stacking works, how it can benefit your life,
what small changes are right for you and how to get started today.
Finally, before we move on, its important to know that there are a lot of links and resources within
this book. So Ive compiled a special readers only page on my site where you can access these
links.
This doesnt require an email or anything like that, simply go here if you need to find a specific
website: http://www.developgoodhabits.com/stacking-links

Theres a lot to learn, so lets get to it.

Habit Stacking: A Brief Introduction

Everyone has their own personal habits. Some can be good, such as writing, exercising or eating that
piece of fruit. Others can be extremely damaging, such as smoking, losing your temper or cheating on
your spouse. Whats interesting is that its easy to notice the big habits and forget all about those
small things that we do on a daily basis.
As an example, you probably brush your teeth. This habit doesnt take that long, but not doing it every
day could have a disastrous impact on your long-term health. You could get gingivitis, periodontitis
or tooth decay. You could even lose some of your teeth. All of these outcomes are extremely painful
and expensive. Yet most people are able to prevent them simply by brushing their teeth on a
consistent basis.
Brushing your teeth isnt that hard to do. In fact, even the busiest, most overwhelmed people in the
world find five minutes of time to properly brush their teeth. Unfortunately, its hard to say the same
thing about other equally miniscule habits that could have a positive impact on our lives.
Think about this: How much would your life improve if you were able to add the following: decluttering your house, buying your wife flowers while grocery shopping, complimenting a stranger,
tracking your daily expenses or eating that darn piece of fruit?
We all have been inundated with reminders about how these activities are important, but seriously,
how often do you actually do them?
Probably not very often.
The most common excuse that we like to give for not taking action is time. Many people feel like
there are simply not enough hours in the day to get things done. However, if you go back to the teeth
brushing example, then you know that limited time is simply an excuse we give for activities we
feel arent immediately important. You have enough time to brush those pearly whites, so why arent
you able to add other quality habits?
I think the answer stems from something called cognitive load. The truth is we have a finite limit on
our short-term memories. Its been said that the average persons short-term memory can only retain
seven chunks of information. So the theory behind cognitive load is that since you can only retain a
small amount of information, you have to rely on long-term memory, habits and established processes
to do basically everything in life.
Think back to that small list of life changes. You know that de-cluttering your home and randomly
complimenting a stranger could be beneficial. But these activities are easy to forget because theyre
not part of an established, daily framework. Most people brush their teeth because this habit is
attached to a larger routine like a morning, evening or eating ritual. This habit doesnt strain your
cognitive load due to the fact that you do it on autopilot.
The purpose of habit stacking isnt to nag you about developing positive routines. Instead, its my
aim to show you how to create a simple routine (managed by a checklist) that you repeat on a daily
basis. With this strategy you dont have to worry about cognitive load because all you have to

remember is to follow the checklist. Even better, youll discover a few tools that will keep you
motivated and consistent. So even if youre completely stressed out, youll still find the time and
energy to complete these quick habits on a consistent basis.
Youll find that implementing small changes can have a significant impact on your life. Remember
little hinges swing on big doors. By completing dozens of small habits on a daily basis, youll be
able to make giant leaps forward in your business, strengthen your personal relationships, stay on top
of your finances, get organized and improve your health.
Before we get to the how to information on habit stacking, allow me to briefly clarify one point that
might have crossed your mind.

Small Changes vs. Mini-Habits

A few months back, Stephen Guise wrote an excellent book called Mini Habits: Small Habits,
Bigger Results. The core premise is to show how you can stick to a larger habit (like writing or
working out) by starting stupidly small and creating a very simple goal. The goal of a mini-habit is
to be consistent. In fact, consistency is much more important than what you accomplish with this daily
habit.
The example that Stephen gives is what he calls The One Pushup Challenge. In the past, he had
trouble sticking with a workout routine because he tried to cram a years worth of effort into the first
workout. This feast or famine approach led to de-motivation and burnout.
One day, Stephen decided to do the opposite, and set a goal of doing one pushup. Simple, right? With
that single pushup, he fulfilled his daily activity requirement. But next thing you know, he did 14
more. After that, he decided to do one pull-up. Same thing happenedone led to several more. Then
he did the same thing with sit-ups. By the time Stephen was done, he had completed a solid workout
simply by setting a goal of doing one pushup.
The core idea behind the mini-habits concept is that you can build a major habit by thinking small
enough to get started. Most people dont need motivation to do one pushup, so its easy to get started.
And once you get going, youll find its easy to keep at it.
You can apply the mini-habits concept to any major habit: exercise, productivity, health or
relationships. If an action has the capacity to grow and turn into a major routine, then it could be
labeled a mini-habit.
The difference between a mini-habit and the small changes Im about to discuss is level of
capacity.
Think back to the brushing your teeth, for example. Its an excellent small change that everyone should
do, but theres no way you could add reps to this routine. You either brush your teeth or you dont.
The same principle applies to the majority of the habits outlined in this book. Each is a single-serving
action. While you could expand on some of these habits, youll get the best results by only doing each
for a few minutes.
Now that you understand the core principle behind habit stacking, lets discuss the elements required
for a successful habit stacking routine.

8 Elements of a Habit Stacking Routine

Habit stacking. It sounds intriguing, doesnt it? Linking habits together is a way of getting more done
in less time, resulting in a positive change in your life. As you perform the stacked actions every day,
they become part of your daily routine.
At first glance, the nature of habit stacking can be a bit confusingso lets discuss each element of
this concept. Reviewing each element makes the concept easier to understand and will help you
develop your own habits, create a new routine and make small, positive changes in your life.
Element #1: Each Habit Takes Less Than Five Minutes to Complete
Each habit within your habit stacking routine takes less than five minutes to complete. This means that
each task is simple and doesnt require a major time commitment, making it easy to finish and move
on to the next habit.
Five minutes is 0.35 percent of your day. Just one-third of one percent of your day will help you
create a habit that results in long-term change and benefits. A great example of a quick one-minute
habit is collecting all your loose change and adding it to a change jar or sending a text message to a
friend that you havent connected with in a while.
Element #2: Its a Complete Habit
A complete habit is an action that cannot be built upon. For example, exercising is a habit that can be
built upon. Exercises change, increase or decrease, and develop over time. This is not the point of a
habit within habit stacking.
Each habit is a full action completed in a short amount of timelike making your bed. It is basically
the same action every day and doesnt vary much in the time it takes to complete.
Element #3: It Improves Your Life
Habit stacking is done with the purpose of improving your life in a positive way. The positive
changes that come along with habit stacking are reflected specifically in one of seven areas:
productivity, relationships, finances, organization, spirituality/mental well-being, health/physical
fitness and leisure.
Within this book are 97 small changes that will improve your life. For instance, finance habits help
you get smarter at spending, saving and budgeting. All of these things are broken down into specific,
actionable routines.
Element #4: Its Simple to Complete
Since each habit takes less than five minutes to complete, its natural that none of the habits are
complicated or rigorous. The simplicity of each habit allows you to complete it and move on to the
next habit, sticking to the routine and making a lot of positive changes quickly and efficiently.
Each habit takes only a few small steps to complete. One example is unsubscribing from a retail
email newsletter. You can do this by taking a few simple actions that take only a few seconds each.

Element #5: It Takes Less Than 30 Minutes

Your complete habit stacking routine should take up just 15 to 30 minutes when you string all of the
quick actions together. If youre new to habit stacking, start by focusing on habits that add up to
around 15 minutes of your day. This will help you avoid being overwhelmed and ensure you complete
all of your habits.
With a 15-minute routine, its possible for you to complete anywhere from three to thirty small
changes. Even if you add new habits, its important to keep your routine to less than 30 minutes. If you
create a routine lasting longer than 30 minutes, theres a chance it will take too much of your time,
making it difficult to complete every habit on your list.
Element #6: It Follows a Logical Process
Your habit stacking routine should flow like a well-oiled machine. You complete each action, moving
from room to room quickly and consistently. If you take breaks in between actions, you are wasting
both time and energy. This could prevent you from not completing the entire routine.
The whole process should be like a production line, with constant action until all the habits are
complete. Every time you complete the routine, it will get easier and become more habitual, resulting
in many positive life changes over the course of the next few weeks or months.
Element #7: It Follows a Checklist
Habit stacking isnt meant to be a guessing game, or to be improvised on a day-to-day basis. It should
be a set of actions done the same way, in the same order, each day. The best way to make sure this
happens is to have the habits written down in a checklist. That way, you always know which task
comes next and feel a sense of accomplishment as you get through each item on your list.
Checklists do much more than keep people organized; they also increase productivity. The Checklist
Manifesto by Atul Gawande is a great read about how checklists can improve personal productivity.
It offers great insight and inspiration for your own habit stacking checklist.
Element #8: It Fits Your Life
Its important to leverage your day when it comes to habit stacking. Take advantage of your location
and the time of day when it comes to your habits. Energy is usually at its peak during the first part of
your day, which means you should be completing habits that inspire or excite you about the day ahead.
A great example is sending an inspirational quote or story to a loved one. It takes energy to find such
a piece of content and decide who to send it to, but this habit is highly rewarding and will help you
kick off your day feeling great and ready to tackle all the following habits you have in your routine.
Well, there you have itall the important elements of habit stacking. You must take all these elements
into account when creating your habit stacking routine because they all work together to ignite
positive life changes.
Because all of the elements work together, you need to include them all in a productive and successful
habit stacking routine. The right structure of a habit stacking routine is the foundation for constructive,
valuable habits that result in positive changes.

Now that you understand how habit stacking works, lets go over the specific small changes you can
add to your routine. Ive classified them according to seven specific areas:
*1. Productivity
*2. Relationships
*3. Finances
*4. Organization
*5. Spirituality and Mental Well-being
*6. Health and Physical Fitness
*7. Leisure
Each section contains a number of specific actions you can add to your day. I guarantee you wont be
interested in all of these ideas. My advice is to read each section and identify the ones that sound
interesting.
After you review each section, Ill provide a simple eight-step process for turning these ideas into an
actionable habit-stacking routine that can improve your life.

Productivity (Small Changes #1 to #17)

Productivity is simply a measure of your work efficiency during any given day. While there are many
time-consuming habits that can help you get things done, it is possible to make small changes that will
positively impact your level of efficiency.
Ill agree that some of these actions might seem like common sense, but if you add them to a solid 15to 30-minute routine, youll see a dramatic improvement in both the quantity and the quality of your
efforts. So lets talk about how to add small changes to your productivity.
#1. Drink a Large Glass of Water
Even mild dehydration can cause headaches and fatigue, affect your concentration, impair short-term
memory and impede mental function. If you want to be at your most productive, its important for your
brain to be firing on all cylinders. Therefore, you should make sure you are sufficiently hydrated
before starting work.
Sidebar: Obviously you want to drink more than a single glass of water every day. The rule of thumb
is eight 8-ounce glasses per day (or a total of 64 ounces.) To be honest, this number could vary
according to your weight and level of physical activity. The key lesson here is to add the consumption
of water as a daily habit.
Action:

Fill a 16-ounce glass of water and drink it. Either warm or cold water is finethere are health
benefits to both, so pick whichever you prefer. If you find plain water unpalatable, try adding ice and
a squeeze of lemon.
Herbal tea (iced or hot) is an acceptable alternative if you really dont like drinking water, but dont
add any sugar. Avoid black tea and other caffeinated drinks.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#2. Schedule Your Day and Prioritize Your Tasks
Without at least a basic schedule, its frighteningly easy to get to the end of the day and realize youve
achieved nothing of importance. At the very least, you should make a list of the tasks you want to
accomplish during the day and decide where your priorities lie.
Actions:
Make a list of the tasks you want to complete by the end of the day. Try to be realistic, rather than
planning too much.
Rate each tasks importance as 1 (vital), 2 (important), 3 (important but not time-sensitive) or 4
(unimportant).

Assign an estimated time to complete each task. Be generous with your estimates.
Schedule each task for a specific time. Plan to do your most important tasks first. Dont forget to
schedule breaks. If you feel restricted by a tight schedule, you may prefer to split your tasks into
morning and afternoon sessions instead.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#3. Focus on Your Three Most Important Tasks
Another way to plan out your day is to focus on your Most Important Tasks (MITs). With a daily
schedule, its easy to try to do too much. Then, when you get to the end of the day and havent
completed everything, you feel like a failure. Picking your MITs each day gives you something to
focus on so you dont waste your day on tasks of low importance. If you manage to complete your
MITs, youll feel productiveeven if you do nothing else on your list.
Action:

If youve already prioritized your tasks, this step should be easy. From your days to-do list or
schedule, pick the three tasks that have the highest importance or must be done today. Dont work on
anything else until you have completed your MITs.
Time required:

1 minute.
.
#4. Turn Tasks into Manageable Steps
Sometimes a task can seem so overwhelming that you simply dont know where to get started. This
leads to procrastination and unnecessary stress. Taking an extra five minutes or so to write a list for
each project or task can make your workload seem more manageable and help with your productivity.
Action:

For each task on your schedule, consider how it can be broken down into smaller steps. As an
example, if one of your tasks is write a blog post, you could break it down like this:
*1. Write the title.
*2. Conduct research.
*3. Write headings and an outline.
*4. Write the post.
*5. Check spelling and grammar.
*6. Format the post for the Web.
*7. Source and resize images.
*8. Insert images.

*9. Upload and schedule post.

By breaking a task into specific steps, youll have a better understanding of what needs to be done
and how to schedule your day.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#5. Create Accountability by Telling Others
Planning out your work in meticulous detail will not do you much good if you never get around to
acting on your plan. When youre only accountable to yourself, youre much more likely to
procrastinate, delay working on tasks or simply never complete the items on your list.
If your tasks dont have accountability built into them (like a client deadline), creating accountability
by letting others know your intentions is a great way to discipline yourself into staying on task. You
wont want to embarrass yourself by admitting you didnt get any work done, so youre much more
likely to achieve your goals if you make them public.
Action:
Tell someone your productivity and work goals. You can do this by having a productivity partner that
you email or talk to regularly in order to keep each other accountable. Alternatively, you could write
about your goals on a forum, post an update on social media, create a public blog post or use an app
like Lift.do. All of these actions can keep you accountable to your goals.
Time required:
Five minutes.
.
#6. Reward Yourself for Task Completion
If you schedule your day to be all work and no play, youll soon burn out and feel demotivated. To
keep your energy up and motivation high, alternate your work tasks with small treats. These treats not
only act as a break to replenish depleted levels of concentration, but also work like a carrot on a stick
youll work faster and with more enthusiasm when you have something to look forward to at the
end of it.
Action:

For each task on your list, plan a suitable treat youll look forward to. These treats dont have to be
anything fancy as long as they feel like a treat to youa cup of coffee, a five-minute yoga session or
sitting down with a magazine is just fine. For the completion of bigger tasks, you may want to plan a
more substantial treat like meeting a friend for lunch or buying yourself something youve had your
eye on for a while.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.

#7. Remove Distractions Before Working

Humans are curious creatures, and most people find it almost impossible to ignore their email and
social media notifications until the end of their work sessions. If youre being interrupted every few
minutes by a ping or flashing browser tab, it will greatly reduce your productivity and concentration.
Additionally, these social activities are pleasurablethey give our brains a little hit of dopamine,
otherwise known as the happy hormone. In other words, social media can be addictive. A quick five
minutes on Facebook can easily turn into an hour, as many of us can attest to.
Rather than struggling against your brains natural inclination to procrastinate, save yourself a lot of
time and hassle by simply closing your email tab and banning social media during work time.
Actions:
If youre not tempted to access your email or distracting websites if theyre out of view, simply close
them when you start a new work session. If youre in need of a little willpower boost, there is a wide
selection of software available that will block your access to tempting websites and software when
you should be working. Use an app like StayFocusd or Cold Turkey to remove temptation at the start
of each work session.
Time required:

1 minute.
.
#8. Clear Your Desktop
Its difficult for your brain to stay focused and ordered when youre surrounded by chaos. Spending
five minutes clearing your work area at the start of each day will help to mentally prepare you for
being productive, like turning to a fresh new page of your notebook. A cluttered desk can also be
highly distracting, constantly reminding you of all the other things you need to do. Remove these
physical distractions and youre sure to see an improvement in your concentration levels.
Its not just your physical environment that needs organization. A cluttered computer not only works
to distract you but also means it will take longer for you to find the files you need. Get organized and
youll be instantly more productive.
Actions:
Clear all paperwork off your desk except what you will need that day. Put everything else into
physical folders, file boxes and drawersout of sight, out of mind.
Clear your computer desktop by deleting temporary files and downloads you dont need any more.
File everything else in the appropriate folders.
Time required:

Three to five minutes (it depends on how messy your desk has become).
.
#9. Play Music or White Noise to Improve Focus

Calming music, ambient nature sounds like rain or ocean waves, and simple background noise like a
fan or the babble of conversation in a coffee shop may help you to concentrate and stay focused on
your tasks.
Low-level background noise helps muffle any distracting sounds that could interrupt your work and
has been shown to improve creativity and focus for many people.
Actions:
Experiment with different types of noise and see what helps you to concentrate the most. You could
try a fan or air conditioner, nature sounds, or a website like Coffitivity that simulates the background
noise of a busy coffee shop. There are also several white noise apps for iPhone and Android that
offer a selection of different background noises.
The best music for concentration is usually classical, ambient or instrumental, without lyrics. Most
people find music with lyrics to be very distracting, but author Stephen King writes to a backing track
of heavy metalyou may be surprised what works for you! You can find productivity playlists
compiled by other users on YouTube and Spotify.
Once youve found your ideal work soundtrack, play it whenever youre ready to get down to work.
Time required:

One minute.
.
#10. Do the Hardest (or Most Unappealing) Task First
When you look at your list of tasks, its tempting to choose the smaller, easier tasks to do first. If you
have a big project that fills you with dread, youre much more likely to procrastinate and put it off
until later. However, if you get that task out of the way first, youll have the satisfaction of knowing
its crossed off your list and the rest of your tasks will feel like a breeze in comparison.
A study of elite musicians found that rather than practicing more than their peers, they were instead
engaging in more deliberate practice, focusing on their hardest tasks and being more productive
during their practice sessions. If you look at the hardest task on your list, youll probably find that it is
also the task that will give you the most benefit.
Action:

Look at your list of MITs and underline the one that you know youd put off indefinitely if you had the
chance. Get started on this task before you have a chance to think about it. Dont work on your other
tasks until its finished.
Time required:

One minute (to choose the hardest task).

.
#11. Commit to a Very Small Goal
Often, simply getting started is the hardest part of getting work done. Before we start a project, our
brains naturally fixate on the hardest parts and avoid this unpleasantness by inventing other things to

do (checking Facebook, reorganizing your paperwork, etc.). Once you can get over the hurdle of
starting, its likely that youll happily continue working well past the time limit youve set.
Committing to a ridiculously easy goal like writing for only five minutes reduces the difficulty of the
task in your mind and allows you to get over the hump of getting started. (This is why I love the
simplicity of Stephen Guises book, Mini Habits.)
Action:

Look at your hardest task and plan a small, easy first step to completing it that will take only a few
minutes. Pick a simple metric that you know (without a doubt) you can complete.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#12. Work in Small Blocks of Time
As previously discussed, our brains generally do not react favorably to the idea of large, difficult
tasks. However, we can trick ourselves into making these tasks more acceptable by breaking them
into small chunks. If you sit down and tell yourself youre going to work for three hours, your brain
will balk at the idea and procrastination is likely to follow. Instead, divide your work sessions into
smaller blocks of time, with breaks in between.
The Pomodoro technique is probably the most well-known version of this technique. It involves
working for twenty-five minutes and then taking a five-minute break. Twenty-five minutes doesnt
work for everyone, though, so its worth experimenting and seeing when your concentration starts to
wane.
Actions:
Set a timer for 25 minutes (or your ideal time for a block of work). You can use a physical kitchen
timer or stopwatch, or use an app. There are several Pomodoro timer apps available for Android and
iPhone, or you could try a website like e.ggtimer.com.
Time required:

Less than a minute to start the timer.

.
#13. Track Time for Different Activities
Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and felt like youve worked all day but have very little to
show for it? Most people overestimate the amount of time they spend doing actual work and spend a
surprisingly large amount of time doing mindless tasks.
By tracking your time, you become more aware of how youre spending it, and you can start to spot
patterns in your schedule that are reducing your productivity.
Actions:
There are time-tracking apps available, or you can simply write down the time that you start and stop
each activity.

RescueTime is a very helpful software application for tracking how you spend your time on the
computer. It runs in the background and sends you a report at the end of each week so youll know
exactly how much time you spend in different software applications and on different websites. This
can be eye opening to say the least.
Time required:
If you use an automatic app, you can set it and forget it. Writing down tasks will probably add up to
five minutes over the course of a day.
.
#14. Use the Two-Minute Rule
We often put off unpleasant tasks or things not directly related to our current projects, even if they
will take only a couple of minutes of our time. This leads to a backlog of tasks that will end up taking
much longer to deal with.
For example, its more efficient and less unpleasant to wash your plate straight after eating than to
have a sink full of dirty dishes to do at the end of the day.
Action:

If a task will take you two minutes or less to do, deal with it immediately and move on.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#15. Capture Every Idea
Very few people are able to keep their minds solely on the task at hand. Instead, its more likely that
your mind will wander and youll come up with all sorts of ideas and thoughts for other projects and
tasks, distracting you from your work.
Trying to ignore these thoughts is futile (have you ever tried not to think about something? Its
impossible!). So instead, capture them in a physical or electronic notepad. Once theyre out of your
head and down on paper (or a screen), your brain will forget about them so you can get back to work.
Actions:
Keep a notepad on your desk so youre always ready to jot down thoughts as they come to you while
youre working. Alternatively, use an electronic program like Evernote to make notes on your
computer or mobile device.
Time required:

Less than a minute per idea.

.
#16. Write a Done List
Most people are familiar with to-do lists, but these lists can easily make you feel overwhelmed and
demotivated if you try to plan too much. A done list has the opposite effect. By writing down

everything you achieve each day, youll feel motivated to continue.

Action:

Make a note of tasks as you complete them, or reflect at the end of the day and write down a list of
everything you achieved. You can do this on paper or in an app like iDoneThis.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#17. Review Your Goals
Everybody has goals. Whether they are big or small, we all have things that we want to accomplish.
Sadly, the daily hustle and bustle of life can make us get off track. You need to review your goals so
that you can create plans to reach those goals, put your day in perspective and know whats important
to accomplish.
You can set goals for the day or the year, but you cant just aimlessly wander around on a day-to-day
basis. Make sure you use every minute for what its worth and accomplish what you set out to do.
Actions:
Keep your goals in an easy-to-access place. This could be a binder or an app like Evernote. Once or
twice a day, pull out this list and review your goals. Take time to read each goal out loud and think
about the specific actions youre taking to achieve it.
Time required:

Five minutes.

Relationships (Small Changes #18 to #31)

Our relationships give meaning to our lives. Whether its a significant other, family member, child,
friend or potential dating partner, its important to spend time proactively working on these
relationships.
The truth is, its easy to allow your relationships to decay in the pursuit of other goals. We often feel
like theres not enough time to connect with others, but youll find its not hard to add a few
relationship-building activities to your daily routine.
#18. Return a Call or Text Message
Communication is the two-way street that leads to a healthy relationship. When someone has reached
out to you, its important to reciprocate and continue that communication by replying. Returning calls
and text messages in a timely manner builds trust and integrity within a relationship.
Action:

Check for missed calls first. Return calls in the order they were received. Apologize for missing the
call and inquire about what you can do for the other person. Then respond to any text messages that
have gone unanswered, again in the order received. Last, check any emails that are sitting unopened in
your inbox and respond accordingly.
Time required:

Five minutes (it could be more or less depending on the person).

.
#19. Text Something Encouraging
Sometimes, its about doing something for others that will make you feel better about yourself. Take a
moment to send that special someone a few words of encouragement. It doesnt have to be anything
big, but youll feel better about yourself afterwards.
Action:
Think of someone who might need a bit of encouragement during the day. He or she might be facing an
important project, test, athletic event or meeting. Simply write a short message wishing them luck and
letting them know youre thinking of them.
Time Required:
Two minutes.
.
#20. Make a Lunch or Dinner Date
Keeping a full social calendar by consistently making lunch or dinner dates is a great way to stay
social. Going out to dinner or lunch with someone is the best way to get to know them better, build

your relationship and try new things.

Action:
Call, text or email a friend, family member or co-worker to ask if they are available to meet for
dinner or lunch. Suggest a specific date, time and location for your date. If the person accepts your
invitation, add the date to your calendar so you dont forget about it and make other plans.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#21. Give a Compliment
Giving a genuine compliment makes others feel good and will also make you feel good about
yourself. Going out of your way to cheer someone else up is rewarding, and its a great way to start a
conversation or enhance a friendship or relationship.
Action:

Keep an eye out for something you genuinely like or enjoy, such as someones outfit or a recent
accomplishment. Then compliment the other person about it.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#22. Check Your Social Schedule
When making social plans, its important to allot the right amount of time for each event. Dont
double-book appointments or schedule too much or too little time for your appointments. Keeping
your social calendar balanced makes it easy to have a social life and helps you improve your integrity
and follow-through. Double-booking plans and not scheduling enough time for people has the
potential to damage valuable relationships.
Action:

Sit down and take a good look at your desk calendar as well as your email and phone calendars.
Check other places where you might have written down information about upcoming social plans.
Take some time to write down new plans, delete plans that have been canceled or update the date,
time or location of previously scheduled plans. If you find that you have two events or appointments
booked at the same time, reach out and ask if there is another day or time you can meet. Dont forget
to apologize for your scheduling mistake.
Time required:

Four minutes.
.
#23. Make a Connection on Facebook or LinkedIn

Making a new connection on Facebook or LinkedIn can help to grow your social network. People you
may know are joining LinkedIn and Facebook every day, just waiting for friendship requests and
professional connections. New connections can rekindle friendships from the past, strengthen new
ones or spark interesting conversations.
Action:

Log on to LinkedIn and/or Facebook. Both sites have a people you may know section. Look through
this section to see if there is anyone you know who hasnt already connected with you. If there is,
click on the Add Friend or Connect button.
Time required:

Three minutes.
.
#24. Talk to Like-Minded People on Social Media
Making connections is just one aspect of participating in social media. Another great reason to join
social media networks is to find like-minded people who are facing the same challenges you do.
Whether you are training for your first marathon or wondering how to prepare meals on a budget,
having the right people to support you can make a huge difference. Creating a social networking
account could change your life!
Action:
Find an online forum or Facebook group that matches your personal interests or habits. Then spend a
few minutes each morning interacting with people on this website. There are a number of reasons why
this is a necessary step to success. Here are some of the most important:
** Talking to other people about your goals holds you accountable for your actions.
** You can connect with like-minded people.
** Youll find new tips and strategies for success.
** Its easier to track your progress.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#25. Share Something Inspiring
Sharing quotes, stories and blog posts with other people shows you take the time to think about others.
A thoughtful story or quote can even strengthen your relationship with another person, making both of
you feel good about yourselves.
Action:

Keep an eye out on Google or Twitter for links to good quotes, articles or blog posts. You can send
the link to someone else via Twitter or email, or you can print the piece to mail or give to someone in

person.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#26. Meet Someone New
Introducing yourself to someone new is a great way to expand your social circle. You will never have
new friends or relationships if you dont step out of your comfort zone and open yourself up to the
potential of a new friendship. If you never introduce yourself to other people, youre more likely to
have an unfulfilling social life.
Action:

Introduce yourself to someone new in class, at the office or in the neighborhood. Give the person a
friendly handshake and ask what he or she does for a living. Share some information about your
occupation or favorite hobby. Before walking away, let the person know you enjoyed your
interaction.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#27. Research a Fun Activity
Making plans with others is easy when you know what you want to do. Think of the people in your
life and what they enjoy most. Then take the time to research something fun that you can share with
them.
Action:

Hop on Google, Facebook or Twitter and see whats going on in your town this week. Are there any
free activities that you and a friend could enjoy together? Maybe there is a fundraiser for a local
charity that you and your sister could go to this weekend.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#28. Do an Activity That Makes You Happy
Its hard to be happy in a relationship unless we are first happy with ourselves. Thats why its
important to take a few moments every day to do something we thoroughly enjoy, whether its a quick
five-minute meditation or maybe listening to your favorite song. When we are happy, we can make
others happy, improving our social lives and relationships immensely.
Action:

What small thing makes you smile the most? Spend five minutes doing it. It could be sipping coffee on

your front porch while watching the birds or writing in a journal about your day.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#29. Spend Time in Someone Elses Shoes
To better understand people and interact with them socially, it is important to spend some time
thinking about their lives and what they are going through. You will be able to better relate to people
when you think about things from their point of view.
Action:

If you have some conflict with a family member, co-worker or friend, think about how the other
person might be feeling. Try to think of something you can do to help out. By making an effort to
understand someone elses point of view, you will learn how to communicate effectively with other
people.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#30. Learn a New Joke
Being able to make someone else laugh is a great conversation starter. Having a joke to share is
always a great thing because people are entertained by jokes and laughing together can make your
relationship stronger.
Action:

Use Google to search for and find a joke that makes you laugh. If it makes you laugh, it will surely
make someone else laugh as well. Read it a few times so you can memorize it, or write it down for
later.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#31. Leave a Note
Leaving a note for a friend, family member or co-worker is a little action that goes a long way.
Finding a note is a surprise that can brighten someones day and show the other person that you went
out of your way to make him or her smile. This is a great way to strengthen relationships.
There are tons of ways to make someones day, and its even better if they dont have a clue about it.
Here are some examples you can use: leave a note on the pillow, pack your childs lunch and put a
sweet message in it or place a kind word of encouragement in a backpack or briefcase
Action:

Write a quick, uplifting message on a Post-it note or piece of paper. Leave your Have a great day!
or I love you note in a place that makes it easy for the recipient to find it.
Time required:

Two minutes.

Finances (Small Changes #32 to #44)

Improving your financial situation requires discipline and deliberate action. Really, when you think
about it, the money you keep largely depends on the choices you make on a daily basis. Fortunately,
making smart financial choices doesnt always require that much of your free time. In fact, there are a
number of small actions you can take every day to make improvements to your current situation.
#32. Transfer Funds
Its important to always know how much money you have and where it is. If you know how much
money you have, you can better decide how it needs to be saved or spent. Also, over-drafting and
bouncing checks are expensive habits you can easily avoid.
Action:

Take a look at each bank or credit union account you have. Write down how much money you have in
each account. Decide whether or not you need to transfer funds from one account to another to spend
or pay bills.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#33. Read a Personal Finance Article
You can never be over-educated, especially about finance. Its important to know about the economy
and personal finance in order to make the best financial decisions. Learning from others is a great
way to save more money and avoid costly mistakes.
Action: Use

Google, Yahoo! or Bing to find an article about personal finance. Whether it is an advice
column or a daily piece written by an expert, it is sure to provide you with insight into personal
finance as well as inspire you to make changes to your personal financial situation.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#34. Put Loose Change in a Jar
A quarter here and a nickel there doesnt seem like anything substantial, but when you collect all your
change and keep it in one place, youll see how quickly it adds up! Every time you add more change
to your change jar, you are essentially adding to a savings account that is growing over time.
Action:

Check your pockets, purse, kitchen table or any other place you might leave your spare change.
Collect it and put it all in a jar. Avoid the impulse to take change out of this jar by keeping a lid on it

and storing it inside a cabinet or drawer.

Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#35. Write Down Yesterdays Expenses
Tracking your expenses is the smartest way to manage your personal finances. Writing down
everything you buy as well as how much it costs will give you great insight into your spending habits.
Over time, you will notice trends in your spending and be able to easily decide where cuts can be
made to save money.
Action:

Use a checkbook or notebook to write down each expense from yesterday. Keeping your receipts
makes this way easier than trying to write them all down by memory. By day, write down each item
and cost, tax included. You can also write down whether you paid cash or with a check or credit
card.
Time required:

Three minutes.
.
#36. Count Your Cash
When you know how much cash you have, you can make better decisions when spending it. Its
important to know how much cash you have in case you have a bill that needs to be paid. You will
also need to know how much cash you have if you shop at a store that does not accept credit or debit
cards.
Not having enough cash for a purchase can cause you to use your credit card, which often results in
making a larger purchase than intended. Youll also have to pay interest on your purchase unless you
pay it off immediately.
Action:

Collect all the cash you have for the day from your pockets, purse, etc. Count it and put it all into your
wallet, or set some aside if you need it for a specific expense (e.g., lunch money, paying bills).
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#37. Unsubscribe from Junk Email and Catalogs
Receiving emails and print catalogs with discounts and promotions often leads to unnecessary
spending. Saving 20 percent on a purchase isnt saving any money at all if you have to spend $100 to
save $20. Getting rid of these communications can help you avoid impulse buys and save money.

Action:

Look through your inbox and unsubscribe from one retail email list. By law, there must be an
unsubscribe button at the bottom of every email, but it might take a minute to find it. All you have to
do is click the button and confirm. You should also look around your house for catalogs you no longer
wish to receive. Call or email each company to have your name removed from their mailing lists.
Use services like Catalog Choice and UnRoll.me to streamline the entire process.
Time required:

Five minutes to eliminate a few unwanted subscriptions.

.
#38. Find Coupons for Necessities
There are some products that you are going to need no matter what they cost, so dont pay more than
you have to for each item. Using coupons for necessities such as dish soap and napkins can save you a
lot of money.
Action:

Look through your daily newspaper or browse the Web for coupons for necessary items like toilet
paper, garbage bags or paper towels. Cut the coupons (or print them from the Internet), then put them
in your wallet so you have them next time you buy these necessities.
Time required:

Three minutes.
.
#39. Pack a Meal, Coffee or Snack
Making your lunch at home and bringing it to work or making coffee at home instead of buying it at the
drive-through is not only healthier for you, but cheaper as well. Going out for lunch or coffee each
day quickly adds up, costing you hundreds of dollars, when you can make lunch and coffee for a
fraction of that cost at home.
Action:

Check your kitchen for what you could bring as a snack or for lunch. Place it with your purse or car
keys so you dont forget it when you leave. Or, make coffee at home and use a travel mug to take it
with you.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#40. Find Something Free to Do
Its possible to get out of the house and enjoy yourself without spending any money, but many people
often overlook this tactic. Dinner and a movie can end up costing a couple more than $100, which is

money that could be better spent on groceries or paying off credit card bills. Enjoying free activities
in your area allows you to use your extra income for more important things that can greatly benefit
your personal finances.
Action:

Check your local paper or search local websites for listings of free activities you can enjoy. Look for
nearby parks, free concerts and movies, and special community events. Choose one you would like to
do and write it down in your calendar so you dont forget about it.
Time required:

Three minutes.
.
#41. Set a Daily Spending Limit
Its important to set a spending limit each day when you are trying to improve your financial situation.
Spending limits allow you to save money and avoid overspending on impulse purchases.
Action:

Decide how much money you will realistically need to spend today. If you have payments due for
bills, take that into account. Choose an amount that doesnt allow for impulse buys or excessive
spending.
Time required:

One minute.
.
#42. Plan Your Daily Errands
Planning your errands for the day is just like planning your budget for the dayit keeps you on track
and in control. Plan your errands to avoid the places where you tend to overspend and visit the places
you need to go in the most logical order. This planning will save you time, gas and money.
Action:

Write a list of errands you need to complete. Then re-write the list in the order you will complete
each task. Make sure you stick to the list so you dont go somewhere you didnt intend to go and
spend money you didnt plan on spending.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#43. Turn off Lights and Appliances
This is one of the easiest ways to save money. Turning off the lights and appliances in your home,
office or apartment can save you a significant amount of money when it comes to your monthly
electric bill. Its important to save money this way because it is simple, saves you money and helps

the environment.
Action:

Take one lap around your home, office or apartment. Turn off all the lights and appliances that are not
being used.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#44. Do Comparison Shopping Online
Comparison shopping is one way to make sure you dont overpay for anything you need to buy. The
bigger and more expensive the purchase, the more important it is to comparison shop. This will help
you save money and make a better-educated purchasing decision.
Action:

Choose an item you want or need to buy. Look for the item on at least three different retail websites.
Check the features, details, availability and price of the item to see which website has the best deal.
Time required:

Five minutes.

Organization (Small Changes #45 to #60)

Never underestimate the benefits of being organized. To be honest, Im naturally a bit of a slob, but I
found that completing a few daily de-cluttering actions helps me stay organized and better focused on
the important things. Plus, its nice to know where my shoes are before my regular runs.
You dont really need to go overboard with organization. All thats required is 15 to 30 minutes per
day to create a living/working environment thats free from clutter. Here are a number of habits to
help you started.
#45. Fix Your Broken Windows
You may not have any broken windows, but you probably have a number of small things that add to
your stress levels if you dont address them early on. Some common broken windows include:
** Dishes in the sink
** Cluttered mail
** Unsorted laundry
** Messy kitchen
** Trash that needs to be taken out
Action:
When you do this action depends on how you want to feel afterward. If you want to start your day
with an organized mind, make this one of the first items on your to-do list. Do this at the end of the
day if you want to go to bed feeling a sense of accomplishment.
Think of the parts of your home that make you feel stressed or full of anxiety. Most of these can be
fixed in a matter of minutes, yet we allow ourselves to ignore them and let them sit in the back of our
minds all day. Take care of your broken windows and youll see a dramatic decrease in your stress
level. Check out this link for more broken window ideas.
Time Required:

Five minutes.
.
#46. Make the Bed
Starting off your day by making the bed sets a great tone for the whole day. This is an important habit
because a nicely made bed instantly makes a bedroom look more organized. Plus, its also rewarding
and relaxing to get into a clean bed at night instead of struggling to find blankets and pillows and get
them in order when youre tired.
Action:

Remove the sheets, comforter and pillows from your bed. If there are any loose items lying around,
put them away. Put your sheets and comforter back on the bed, making sure each piece lies flat on the
surface of the mattress. Finally, put your pillows back where they belong.
Time required:
Two minutes.
.
#47. Clear off a Countertop (or the Top of Your Dresser)
A clean countertop or dresser top means less clutter and less stress. Its important to clear off these
spaces because we all have a tendency to throw clothes, magazines and other items on top of them
and forget to put them away.
Action:
Pick one countertop or dresser top in your home. If an item doesnt belong there, return it to where it
does belong. If any item there is trash, throw it in the garbage. If the item can be recycled, add it to
your recycling bin. Repeat these steps until the surface is completely cleared.
Time required:
Five minutes.
.
#48. Put Away Three Things
Putting away a few things per day is a great way to keep your home or office clutter-free and avoid
becoming overwhelmed by weekly or monthly cleaning tasks. One of the best ways to stay organized
is to make sure every item in your home or office has a designated place and that it is returned to that
place each time you are finished with it.
Action:
Find three things that are out of place and return them to where they belong. If you have not designated
a place for these items, store them somewhere out of the way until you make a decision.
Time required:
Three minutes.
.
#49. Find Something to Sell (or Give Away)
This is a great way to save or even make money. Selling an item brings in more money for you to use
to pay bills or buy groceries. Trading an item eliminates the need to pay for something, saving you
money and helping you get rid of things you dont need. Giving items away will free up space in your
home and help you feel good about helping others. The less cluttered your house is, the more likely
you are to want to keep it that way and avoid buying anything that would cause more clutter.
Action:

Designate a box or bin for items you wish to sell, trade or give away. Each day, find one thing that fits
into one of these three categories and put it in the box. Keep an eye out for opportunities to sell, trade
and give throughout the day.
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#50. File Receipts, Mail or Bills
Filing loose paperwork such as receipts, mail and bills helps stop paper clutter while also improving
your personal organization. Filing these items each day keeps them off of countertops and other
surfaces. It also makes it easy to find important documents if you need to access them in the future.
Action:
Collect any loose receipts, mail and bills. Sort through them and decide what needs to be kept and
what needs to be recycled. After that, file the documents you want to keep by sender or date received.
Shred or recycle the documents you no longer need.
Time required:
Four minutes.
.
#51. Throw Something Away
Clutter often comes from items that we no longer use but refuse to throw away. Some items would be
better off in the garbage than on your desk or countertop. Items that are broken, torn or extremely
worn are just taking up valuable space that could be used for something new or cleared off to create
free space.
Action:
Find an item that is no longer useful to you. Items that are broken and irreparable or all worn out can
be thrown right into the garbage or recycling can. A good rule of thumb is that if you havent used the
item in the last six months, then you probably wont use it in the next six months.
Time required:
Two minutes.
.
#52. Organize Digital Clutter
Clutter doesnt only exist in your home or officeit also exists on your computer. Digital clutter can
be just as distracting and frustrating as traditional clutter. Thats why its important to recognize and
address this issue as well.
Action:

Log on to your computer. Move desktops icons, organize documents in folders or move one file that
you no longer need to the recycling bin. Dont forget to empty the recycling bin to fully complete this
action.
Time required:
Five minutes.
.
#53. Check for Expired Food or Coupons
Expired food and coupons are no longer valuable to you and are just taking up space. Getting rid of
these items frees up space and prevents you from using something thats expired. This will save you
some frustration if its an expired coupon or even sickness if its an expired food item.
Action:
Check your fridge, pantry and cabinets for expired food. Any food that is past the expiration date
should be thrown away. Then, check your purse, folder or binders for expired coupons. If it has not
been six months since they expired, send the coupons to military families overseas. Visit
http://www.ocpnet.org/ to learn how to package your expired coupons and send them to a military
base. If the coupons are more than six months past their expiration dates, throw them away.
Time required:
Four minutes.
.
#54. Clean One Thing
When your home or workspace is clean, you are less likely to add clutter to it. Cleaning one item at a
time is an efficient and easy way to slowly but surely clean your entire home or office. Its important
to make a habit out of cleaning things because it helps you stay organized and improves your overall
cleanliness.
Action:
Choose one item in your home or office to clean. It could be a drawer, piece of furniture or even litter
box. Grab the cleaning supplies you need to accomplish the job and get to it!
Time required:
Five minutes.
.
#55. Collect Dirty Laundry
Dirty laundry thrown about the house can make it look more disorganized than it really is. Its
important to collect dirty laundry so it is all in one place for when you decide to throw a load into the
washer. You are way more likely to throw a load of clothes into the washer when it is all collected

and waiting in a basket than when it is all over the house.

Action:
Take one lap around the house collecting any loose or dirty clothing. Put it all in a hamper or basket
and place it next to your washing machine.
Time required:
Three minutes.
.
#56. Check for Items to Replace or Replenish
To help you stay organized, its important to know which household items need to be replaced.
Because seriously, is there a worse situation than realizingtoo latethat you need toilet paper?
Action:
Check all of your homes necessities: toilet paper, paper towels, diapers, garbage bags and light
bulbs, just to name a few. Make sure there is enough to get you through until your next scheduled
shopping day. If there is not, write it on your list of things to buy while you are out of the house that
day.
Time required:
Four minutes.
.
#57. Wipe off One Surface
Dust and dirt are clutter too. Wiping off one surface at a time gets rids of this clutter and makes every
surface look better. You are also less likely to add clutter to a clean surface.
Action:
Choose a dresser top, desktop or tabletop to clean. Wipe the surface using your choice of all-purpose
cleaner and a rag or paper towel. Make sure you wipe the edges of the surface so residual dust or dirt
isnt left behind.
Time required:
Two minutes.
.
#58. Sign up for One Paperless Initiative
The less paper that comes to your home or office, the less clutter youll have, which means you wont
have as many things to organize. And as an added bonus, less paper helps the environment greatly.
Action:

Compile a list of companies that send you bills or statements on a monthly basis. Call or visit each
companys website to request paperless communication.
Time required:
Three minutes.
.
#59. Add to the Recycling Bin
The more things there are in your recycling bin, the less clutter there is in your home or office.
Continually adding to your recycling bin gets paper out of your way and helps the environment.
Recycling is important because it can help you reduce the amount of paper clutter in your life, stay
organized and contribute less garbage to landfills.
Action:
Find papers in your home or office that you no longer need. Add them to your recycling bin. Things
that can also go into your recycling bin include broken-down boxes, empty soup or vegetable cans,
and plastic trays.
Time required:
Two minutes.
.
#60. Practice a Getting in the Door Routine
Disorganization often happens because we dont have a system for where to put things when walking
through the door. A great way to keep a house free from clutter is to create a designated spot where
you put specific objects the moment you get home.
Action:
Think of everything you take with you to work, the gym and other activities. Then designate a specific
spot where you put every object thats taken out of the house. This includes items such as your car
keys, wallet, purse, laptop, briefcase, shoes, books, coins, cell phone and gym clothes. Simply take a
few minutes to put these items in their designated spot.
Time required:
Five minutes.

Spirituality and Mental Well-being (Small

Changes #61 to #75)
Some people are very religious, while others like to focus on their overall mental health. Regardless
of what you believe, you can develop a number of habits that can make you feel energized and in
touch with the world around you. The following are a few small changes you can add to a habit
stacking routine.
#61. Speak Words of Affirmation
If you start your day right, it can do wonders for your general attitude as the day goes by. Start the day
by speaking words of affirmation in the mirror each morning to boost your confidence and leave you
feeling empowered. Just a few good thoughts can change the entire course of your day for the better.
Ill admit that some people find this habit to be a bit hokey. However, if youre having problems with
confidence, then this could be a simple solution for feeling happier about the upcoming day.
Action:

Make eye contact with the mirror as soon as you wake up in the morning. Repeat mantras or positive
sentences out loud.
For example:
I am in control of my life.
People love and adore me.
I can make a change in this world.
I am a generous person.
I will accomplish my goals today.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.

#62. Compile a Gratitude List

Our actions are derived from our thoughts, so it is only natural to act on the things you think. Writing
down the things you are grateful for or what makes you happy is known to be highly beneficial. Your
list will serve as a visual affirmation of the positive things in your life, leading to positive thoughts
and actions.
Action:

Practice this habit by keeping a gratitude journal next to your bed. Every day, write down three things
you are grateful for or three things that make you happy.

Here are some examples:

Im grateful that Im healthy.
Im happy that I could spend time with my friend.
Im lucky to have paid off my credit card.
Time required:

Three minutes.
.
#63. Listen to Your Favorite Song
Its amazing what listening to your favorite songs can do for your mind and body. Not only will the
upbeat music stimulate the release of happy hormones, but the recollection of happy times will
influence your mood. Without realizing it, you will be dancing around and singing along, which will
leave you feeling happy and ready to take on the day.
Action:

Download or purchase a few of your favorite songs that always put you in a good mood. If you have a
good Internet connection, you could also stream these songs from online radio stations or iTunes
radio. As soon as you wake up, start playing these songs while performing some of your other daily
habits or chores.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#64. Get in Touch with Nature
Nature as a whole has tremendous healing and calming effects on the body and mind. As an added
bonus, sunlight also gives you some much-needed Vitamin D. Getting up a bit earlier each morning to
get in touch with nature would be advised if you want to give a boost to your general well-being.
Action:

If you dont have enough time to go for a morning walk, have your tea or breakfast outside if possible.
You could prepare your teapot the night before so all you have to do in the morning is boil water. You
dont have to be a tea lover to get some fresh air, either. If you have an herb garden, this would be the
perfect time to water your plants or take your dog outside for a quick sniff around. Take in the sounds,
smells and sights around you.
Time required:

Five minutes. This is one of those actions where you could add time and turn it into an exercise
routine, but you can still get a lot of mental benefits by taking a quick walk around the block.
.
#65. Drink a Calming Beverage (Like Tea)

Having a warm cup of tea could boost your feelings of positivity and improve your general mindset.
A cup of green tea has a detoxing effect on the body and helps to keep your body hydrated, which is
also crucial to your wellness. Taking a break to enjoy a beverage will give you the chance to plan
your day ahead and reflect on things you want to do differently.
Action:

Boil the water right after you wake up and then prepare a cup of tea or coffee to your liking. Enjoy!
Time required:

Two minutes.
.
#66. Perform Stretches Every Morning
After a long nights sleep your body will benefit greatly from performing stretches each morning.
Stretching your muscles leads to improved blood circulation, less muscle tension, better coordination
and an increase in energy levels. All of these things will give you a positive start to the day.
Action:

If you shower in the morning, perform your stretches afterward. Your muscles will be warm and
flexible after a hot shower. Start by performing basic stretches such as touching your toes and
stretching to each side with your arms extended over your head. Stretching comes naturally; your body
will alert you as to which areas need attention. Dont rush the process and make sure that you enter
and exit these stretches in a natural manner.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#67. Practice Mantra Chanting
Even though this might seem a bit too controversial for some, mantra just refers to chanting or
voicing your positive thoughts aloud. Repeating certain positive phrases and words of
encouragement will lead to a feeling of empowerment.
All sounds have an effect on the human body and psyche, so if you condition your mind and body to
become accustomed to positive sounds and noises, you will relate those words and sentences to a
feeling of calm. When practiced properly, mantra chanting will lead to reduced stress, anxiety and
depression levels.
Action:

Even though it might feel silly at first, the core of mantra chanting lies in actually chanting these
words and quotes aloud. Find a list of quotes or mantras that invoke the feelings you want to
experience. See them as affirmative sentences that will influence your life, attitude and actions. Write
each mantra on a small piece of paper and put all of the papers in a box. Start each day by drawing a
mantra from the box and reading the words aloud.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#68. Take Time to Play
Remember as a kid how you would wake up in the mood to play and think up ways to stay creative
and active? This doesnt have to change just because youve matured. Playing will lower stress
levels and most likely lead to laughter.
If you have children of your own, playing with them early in the morning will stimulate your brain and
get you moving. It will also give your kids the attention they need. If you have a pet, play with it
outside to get your blood flowing and create positive vibes.
Action:

Create a morning routine of play with your kids, friends or pets. If you dont have someone with you,
you can even play games on your tablet or cell phone. Some of these games can be rather addictive,
so make sure you set a time limit. Playing games is also a good way to kill time while riding public
transportation. Alternatively, you can play hide and seek with your kids or chase your dog around the
house.
Time required:

Five minutes (or more if you have time).

.
#69. Practice Simple Grooming
Taking time out of your morning routine to do a bit of grooming can really add to your general wellbeing. If you are feeling groomed and well-dressed for your work day, you will feel more respected
and have more confidence. Pampering has internal as well as external benefits because taking the time
to take care of yourself helps boost your self-image.
Action:

Before you leave for work, make sure your appearance is impeccable. Your last-minute pampering
routine could include spraying perfume on your body, using scented lotion, plucking eyebrows that
seem out of place or applying makeup. Men should groom their facial hair or apply cologne if
desired.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#70. Look at Pictures
We all know that visual stimulation can have a direct effect on how we perceive things. Everyone has
different emotions when they view photos or images. You can revisit these emotions every time you
view the same picture.
Feed your mind with positive feelings by looking at images that leave you feeling grateful, in love,

happy, inspired and excited. Looking at photographs of friends, family members and loved ones will
take you back to those happy moments in time and allow you to relive the love and warmth portrayed
in the images.
Action:

Relive happy times by viewing images of your past that left you with a sense of happiness. Do this by
browsing through the saved images on your phone, paging through a photo album or looking at
portraits in your home.
Alternatively, you can find these feelings of inspiration and happiness by viewing images on blogs
and social media pages that interest you. Pinterest is full of visual stimulationjust find images
related to your favorite topics.
Time required:

Three minutes.
.
#71. Flex Your Muscles
Even though this might sound silly to some, flexing your muscles in the mirror can benefit your overall
attitude. Of course, not everyone is in shape, but seeing your muscles in the mirror will serve as a
reminder of your physical strength. This reminder will even help you improve your emotional
strength.
As animalistic as the flex may seem, if you recognize those muscles and your physical ability, you
will feel like you are in control. This feeling of being in control of your life and being able to protect
yourself will benefit your well-being.
Action:

Stand in front of the mirror while contracting your main muscles one by one. Turn and view these
shapes and lines from different angles. If you lead an active lifestyle, you might see an improvement
in your muscle density. If you werent as active previously, this might be a good wake-up call. Being
aware of your muscles will also lead to better posture during the day.
.
#72. Keep a Journal
We should all take some time out to gather our thoughts and reflect on what is happening in our lives.
Keeping a journal keeps us in touch with our thoughts and emotions, which can determine our actions.
If you are having a bad day, you will be able to pin down the influences and reasons behind it by
taking a look at your journal entries.
This is another way of feeling in control of what is happening in your life. Making sense of your
thoughts and struggles will help you analyze your situation and accept the things you cannot change.
Action:

Find a diary or journal with a place to enter the date. Start or end your day by writing about your
thoughts, mood and whatever is happening in your life. You could even include a list of foods you ate

to show you which emotions and events lead to emotional eating (more on this later). If you arent a
big writer, you can just write the entry in bullet formas long as its clear what you are referring
to in each bullet point.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#73. Serve Others
If you are living with housemates or family members, add the habit of serving to the list. Helping
others does wonders for our well-being, and even more so when they show their appreciation.
Serving others will also take the focus away from whatever negative thoughts are trying to change
your mood. Counter these negative influences by doing something positive to boost your morale and
add happiness to the lives of others.
Action:

Serving others can be as basic as allowing the person next to you to enter a room first. At home, you
can practice this habit by offering to make everyone coffee in the morning, fetching the mail or
newspaper, and even driving a friend to class or work.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#74. Practice Spirituality
When practicing any form of spirituality, the body is centered and focused on what is good, pure and
just in this world. Prayer and meditation both have the mind and body focused on a single task, which
allows you to feel in balance with yourself, nature and a higher power. Find something that helps you
create peace of mind while having these moments of silence.
Action:

Find a quiet spot where you wont be interrupted, and make sure you are in a comfortable position
when practicing your spirituality. If you arent religious, you dont have to pray, but you can light
some candles and just sit in the stillness and try to focus on your breathing. Afterward, you will feel
relaxed, calm and even tranquil.
Time required:

Five minutes.
.
#75. Read an Inspirational Passage
Inspiration can come from the most interesting places, and we all have a few stories or passages that
we hold close to our hearts. They can be religious or just enlightening, but they still carry a lot of
weight.

Action:

Find a few websites (or books) that include a variety of inspirational sayings. (This page has a
collection of great passages.) Read a single passage that provides a bit of motivation to face the day
ahead of you. Dont just rely on the regular quotes, though. Be sure to look around and see if you can
find some new ones that move you and encourage you in new ways.
Time required:

Three minutes.

Health and Physical Fitness (Small Changes #76 to

#85)
Unfortunately, theres not a lot you can do to improve your physical fitness in only five minutes.
Usually youll need to dedicate at least 30 minutes per day to this activity.
What you can do with a habit stacking routine is to add a few small changes that support your overall
health and physical fitness goals. That way, when you do exercise or sit down to eat, youll achieve
maximum results with each activity. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.
#76. Weigh Yourself Every Day
I know this isnt something you want to hear, but weighing yourself on a regular basis can help you
establish clear health and fitness goals. Also, its important to know that your weight will fluctuate on
a daily basis, so you dont have to be bummed if your weight goes up for a day or two. Finally, be
sure you weigh yourself at the same time for the most accurate results. (Here is an article that shows
you why you should weigh yourself every morning.)
Action:
This one is simple. Buy a scale and keep it in a prominent locationlike your bathroom. Pick a
specific time to weigh yourself, and then write down your weight in a journal that you maintain on a
daily basis.
Time required:
Less than a minute.
.
#77. Maintain a Food Journal
This is another task you probably dont want to do, but it is important for losing weight and keeping it
off. Maintaining a food journal helps you see exactly what youre putting into your body and how
much youre eating. Youd be surprised at just how much you consume in a given day.
Food journals are effective because they make you responsible for what you eat, give you a physical
representation of your daily habits, encourage you to avoid little snacks and help you meet your
health goals. At first, this habit might lead to negative thoughts, but youll soon be able to take pride
in recording what you eat.
Action:
Download a tool (like MyFitnessPal) that provides an accurate measurement of the food youre
eating. Get in the habit of writing down what you eat right after your meals and snacks and then
recording all of this information in your food journal during a habit stacking routine. If you have
trouble remembering your food intake, then do this habit twice a dayonce in the morning and once
in the evening.

Time Required:
Four minutes.
.
#78. Jump Rope

Starting your day with exercise is an immediate mood booster. It might not be easy to get up and
exercise at first, but as it becomes part of your routine, your body will be anticipating the movement
each morning.
Jumping rope is ideal when you dont have time to go to the gym in the morning. A quick session of
jumping has many benefits. Its a full-body workout, it helps with blood circulation, it has less impact
on your joints than jogging, its inexpensive and you can do it anywhere.
Action:

As you wake up and listen to some of your favorite songs, grab your jump rope and start jumping on
the spot. Try your best not to stop in between jumps; this is something that will come naturally if you
master the exercise. Continue jumping until the song is over, and then jump into the shower to freshen
up before you start the day.
Time required:

Four minutes.
.
#79. Take Daily Vitamins
Daily vitamins are a must for anyone, and youll feel better about your day if you take them on a
consistent basis. Vitamins are essential because they strengthen the immune system, increase alertness
and help your body get essential nutrients.
Action:
This habit works best in conjunction with keeping a food journal. Spend a week writing down your
food intake and identifying what important nutrients youre missing. Some online nutrition tools (e.g.
FitDay) will even help you determine if you are getting the recommended daily amount of each
vitamin. If you arent getting the right amounts of necessary vitamins, shop for a vitamin supplement to
match your age and nutritional needs. (For more on this, check out this WebMD article on how to find
the right vitamin.)
Time required:
Less than a minute.
.
#80. Meditate
Meditation is about maintaining focus on one thing (such as your breathing or the sounds of the ocean)
and blocking out any other distractions. Meditation has been proven to have numerous benefits,

including reduced stress, improved creativity, better focus and improved memory.
Some people meditate for hours on end while others just take a few minutes out of their mornings. I
suggest you start by meditating for a few minutes so it fits into your morning routine. If you enjoy it,
you can increase the length of your meditation sessions. This is one of those rare small changes that
can increase in duration, but you can still get amazing benefits by only doing it for a few minutes each
day.
Action:
Find a quiet place thats free from distractions. Set a timer for five minutes, which will prevent your
mind from wondering if time is up. Start by taking a deep breath and releasing the tension from your
diaphragm. Stretch your muscles so you stay comfortable while you focus inward. Focus on clearing
your mind and thinking about the present moment. Its natural to experience frustration the first few
times you meditate. If this happens to you, focus on your breathing and let your feelings of frustration
dissipate. Focus on your body parts so you know when the meditation starts to take hold.
Time required:
Five minutes.
.
#81. Make an Antioxidant Smoothie
If you need a quick pick-me-up, try making an antioxidant smoothie. These tasty drinks contain
essential vitamins and minerals, so drink one in the morning to get energized for the day ahead.
Action:
There are a lot of smoothie recipes on the Internet, so you might want to do a Google search to find
one or two that match your personal preferences. If youd like to jump right in and get started, heres
my personal favorite:
** 1 cup of frozen berry mix (usually containing strawberries, cherries, pomegranate, raspberries and
blueberries)
** 4 ounces of plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
** 1 cup of almond milk
** 2 tablespoons of milled flax
** 2 ice cubes
Just blend all of the ingredients together until they are smooth. Make it as thick or runny as you want
by adding or subtracting ice cubes. It tastes great and will satisfy even the pickiest person in your
family. If you are in a hurry, put your smoothie in a travel cup so you can drink it on your way to work
or school.
Time Required:
Five minutes.

.
#82. Eat Other Nutritious Foods
Of course, you cant just live off of smoothies for the rest of your life. There are plenty of other foods
that you can have for breakfast that are really beneficial to your performance. Simply prepare (or
pack) something healthy to give you a positive lift for the rest of the day.
Action:
What you prepare to eat will depend on your personal preferences, but here are a few suggestions to
help you get started: a small bowl of berries, a breakfast bar (not the kind loaded with sugar), granola
or nuts on yogurt, or an egg on a high-fiber English muffin.
All of these options are very healthy for you, and its easy to mix and match them to your liking. Dont
eat the same thing every day, because your body can get used to it. It pays to try new things.
Time required:
One to five minutes (depends on the food being prepared).
.
#83. Have a Mint
Mints do more than just freshen your breath. The reason you want to add mint to your intake is
because it increases mental alertness, acts a natural stimulant and helps prevent memory loss.
Mint can be used in a number of different ways, and how you choose to use it will change what it
does. It can be ingested (when directed) or applied to the skin for other benefits.
Action:
You can suck on an Altoid, chew some strong mint-flavored gum, brush your teeth with mint
toothpaste or dab some peppermint essential oil under your nostrils if you wantthe choice is up to
you. Each requires a simple action that takes almost no extra time.
Time Required:
Less than a minute.
.
#84. Brush Your Tongue
Yes, you read that right. In addition to practicing daily brushing and flossing, its equally important to
occasionally brush your tongue. This is an important habit because the back of your tongue regularly
collects bacteria and is often the cause of bad breath.
Action:
After cleaning your teeth, brush your tongue in a back-to-front motion. The trick here is to do this
without triggering your natural gag reflex. Do it gently the first few times until this area becomes less
sensitive.

Time Required:
Two minutes.
.
#85. Microwave Your Sponge
Technically, this habit could be part of an organizing routine, but its an activity that can have a direct
impact on the health of you and your family. A number of studies have shown that a kitchen sponge is
the most germ-laden item in your home. Its what you use to clean counters that have come into
contact with raw meat, old food and various spills. As a result, its a veritable breeding ground for
dangerous, disease-carrying bacteria. The simplest solution is to regularly pop your sponge in the
microwave.
Action:
This is an easy habit that can be added to an evening routine. At the end of the day, wet your sponge
and then put it in the microwave for a total of 30 seconds. Remove it (use gloves because it might be
hot) and youll have eradicated most of the germ-carrying bacteria.
Time Required:
One minute.

Leisure (Small Changes #86 to #97)

Developing new habits doesnt always have to revolve around self-improvement. Instead, you can
make small changes that connect to your interests and personal passions. In this section, we'll talk
about how to add fun activities to your life.
#86. Get Outside
Spending even a few minutes outside whenever you get the chance can do wonders for your physical
and mental health. There is increasing evidence to show that spending more time in nature can reduce
stress, combat depression, improve sleep and generally have a positive effect on wellbeing.
A study published by the Environmental Science & Technology journal demonstrated that just five
minutes of exercise in a green environment led to mental and physical health improvements.
Action:
Go outside and get some fresh air whenever you can. Instead of spending your breaks making coffee
or watching videos, spend five minutes outside walking, gardening or simply looking around and
taking some deep breaths. Even if you live in the city, getting a few minutes of exposure to natural
light will increase your vitamin D level and improve your overall health.
Time Required:
Five minutes.
.
#87. Read a Few Pages of a Nonfiction Book
Reading is a simple task that can provide you with multiple benefits. Regular reading gives your brain
a workout, improving concentration and slowing down age-related mental decline. Its also a great
stress reliever and can help to lower blood pressure and ease depression. Nonfiction books have the
added bonus of increasing your general knowledge, improving your analytical thinking skills and
giving you the opportunity to learn something new in just a few minutes a day.
Action:
If youre not already a regular reader, build five minutes of reading time into your day. The evening is
often a good time for reading because this habit can help you wind down and sleep at the end of the
day. Choose high-quality nonfiction books that are easy to read. The bestseller lists at Amazon are a
good place to start.
Time required:
Five minutes.
.
#88. Write Down 3 Things You're Thankful For

Most people have heard the advice, count your blessings," but few of us actually put this into
practice. By getting into the habit of writing down just three things youre thankful for in a gratitude
journal every day, youll change your outlook on life, become happier, improve your relationships
with others and reduce your stress levels.
Action:
Designate one notepad or journal as your gratitude journal. Take a few minutes at the start or end of
every day to list three things youre thankful for. You might think youll quickly run out of ideas, but
most people find the more they think about it, the more they have to be thankful for. Your three things
can be as big or as small as you wish. The actual list doesnt matter; its the process of creating it that
gives you so many benefits.
Time Required:
Five minutes.
.
#89. Read a Summary of The Days World News
An understanding of whats going on in the world around you will impact many areas of your life. If
youre not well-informed on global events, you may as well be living in a bubble. With knowledge
comes power, which is why countries with oppressive regimes often censor their citizens' access to
news. Reading the news gives you all the benefits of reading (see habit #87) with the bonus of getting
up-to-date, relevant information. Youll never again worry about having nothing to talk about.
Action:
Subscribe to a daily newspaper (either a physical newspaper or an electronic one delivered to your
email or e-reader), or check a news website every day. You dont have to read every article, but
skim the headlines and read the news that is of interest to you. Remember that even the most wellrespected news institutions are often biased in some way, making it important to form your own
opinions instead of adopting those of others.
Time required:
Five minutes.
.
#90. Learn a New Word
Expanding your vocabulary, either in your first or a second language, comes with a wide range of
benefits. Youll improve your ability to communicate, give your brain a mini workout and improve
your confidence in social situations. Learning a new language can seem like a huge task, but when you
commit to learning just one new word a day, youll be surprised how quickly you start to pick it up.
Action:
Either get a dictionary in the language of your choice and choose new words at random, or subscribe
to one of the word a day mailing lists that are available on language-learning websites. If youre

trying to learn a new language, its worth sourcing a list of the most commonly used words and
learning them in order of how often they're used so youll quickly improve your ability to
communicate.
Time required:
Two minutes.
.
#91. Perform a Random Act of Kindness
Many people spend the majority of their lives focused on their own wants and needs, but a selfish
outlook rarely leads to true happiness. Helping others in small ways is a great mood booster, and if
you regularly perform random acts of kindness, your general level of happiness is likely to improve
over time as a result.
Action:
Look for small acts of kindness you can perform during your day that will make someone else smile.
This could be putting some money in a parking meter if you notice its about to expire, giving up your
seat for an elderly person or pregnant woman on the bus or train, or donating something you no longer
use to charity.
Time required:
One to five minutes.
.
#92. Read a Wikipedia Article
Most children have a surprisingly wide range of general knowledge because they are curious about
the world around them and eager to learn more. As we grow older and learning becomes a chore
rather than a fun activity, we tend to focus on only a few specialized subjects and dont attempt to
broaden our horizons. By reading one Wikipedia article per day, you can expand your general
knowledge, spark new ideas and hobbies, and become a more interesting person.
Action:
Wikipedia offers a daily featured article on the main page as well as a random article feature. Either
of these are a great opportunity to read about something you wouldnt have bothered researching
under normal circumstances.
Time required:
One to five minutes depending on the length of article and your reading speed.
.
#93. Watch a Short TED Talk or Inspiring Video
Other people can inspire us, offer fresh ideas and new viewpoints, and educate us in a way that goes
beyond books and courses. TED gives access to inspiring lectures from the most visionary leaders of

our time, and the Web is full of engaging and inspiring short videos on sites like YouTube and
Upworthy. Watching a really good video will not only give you a little boost of happiness for the rest
of the day, it will also impact your entire life philosophy.
Action:
Access TED talks on the Web at TED.com or via the TED app, where talks are sorted into several
different categories. Choose a talk thats less than 10 minutes long. There are several sites like
Upworthy that aggregate inspiring videos; just be careful to limit your viewing time as you can easily
spend several hours on sites like this.
Time required:
One to five minutes.
.
#94. Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Only by pushing yourself can you reach greater heights. Doing something that makes you feel a little
uncomfortable can do wonders for your confidence and help open you up to new opportunities that
you never realized existed.
Action:
There are several small ways to start breaking out of your comfort zone:
Mix up your routine. Take a different route to work or watch a documentary instead of your usual
soap opera.
Try something newa new food, a new genre of music or a new type of exercise.
Do something that scares youcold-call prospective clients, sign up for a class or talk to a stranger.
Time required:
One to five minutes.
.
#95. Listen to an Upbeat Song
Music can affect your mood in a surprisingly effective way. Just listening to an upbeat song for a few
minutes can make you feel happier, help you manage stress, increase your productivity and even
improve your physical health.
Action:
Put on your favorite feel-good track, or check out a shared playlist of positive and upbeat songs on a
social music site such as Mood Booster by Spotify. Blast it loud and sing along!
Time required:
Four minutes.

.
#96. Spend a Few Minutes Cuddling Your Significant Other/Child/Pet
Physical touch is hugely important to our wellbeing. Cuddling releases oxytocin, the happy
hormone, which can help reduce stress and even boost your immune system. Physical touch can also
make the bonding process easier and improve communication between couples or parents and
children. Cuddling doesnt have to be limited to romantic partnersyoull get the same effect from
hugging a friend, a child or even your favorite furry animal.
Action:
Find someone (or something!) to cuddle and get those happy hormones flowing!
Time Required:
One to five minutes. The more, the better! But even one minute will benefit you.
.
#97. Do a Quick Doodle or Sketch
Most children love to draw, but as adults we get too caught up in trying to make our drawings good,
brand ourselves as not creative and never pick up a pencil again. A small creative act such as
doing a quick five-minute doodle or sketch is like playtime for the brain. Its not only therapeutic,
helping to reduce stress and inspiring creativity, but can also improve your productivity and
concentration.
Action:
Get yourself a sketch book and a selection of pens and pencils. Take a few minutes each day to draw
whatever you like. It could be a quick still-life sketch of objects in your kitchen, your cat or a simple
abstract doodle. The object is not to improve your artistic skills, so dont worry about how good
your drawing is.
Time Required:
Five minutes.
.
Putting All 97 Habits Together
Youve just read 97 small changes that can be added to a habit stacking routine. As you can see,
theres a lot that can be accomplished in a short amount of time. Obviously, you cant do everything in
a single day. Instead, its important to build a routine that focuses on the areas that are most important
to you.
Now its time to turn information into action. In the next section, youll learn how to pick from this
massive list of ideas and build a habit stacking routine that gives you the biggest life benefit in the
shortest amount of time.
Lets get to it.

8 Steps for Building a Habit Stacking Routine

The key to habit stacking is to stick to the routine instead of the individual habits. You want to
automatically flow from one action right into the next action without thinking about each individual
component. Thats why its important to develop the habit of following the routine.
When youre able to perform the habits without breaks or hesitation, thats when you know youve
built a powerful habit stacking ritual. It is with this new routine that your life will begin to change.
Each day that you flawlessly complete your new habit stacking routine is another day that youre
improving multiple areas of your life.
It may seem overwhelming to have to pick individual habits and then focus on completing the entire
routine, but dont worry. In this section, well discuss an eight-step process for building a habit
stacking routine that doesnt overwhelm you. By the time youre done, youll know which habits work
best for you and how to incorporate them into an actionable routine.
Step 1: Pick a Time and Location
All habit stacking routines revolve around a specific location, time of day or combination of both.
Here are a few examples of times and locations that you could choose to build a routine around, and
some ideas for getting started.
** In the morning at home
At home in the morning is a great time and place to accomplish habit stacking and start off your day
with an empowered and productive mindset. Think about what you would like to accomplish before
you even leave the house, and how it can be added to your routine.
For example, a habit could be making your bed followed by collecting dirty laundry and then packing
your lunch for the day. These tasks keep your home organized, prepare you for the day and set up your
house so it is clean and relaxing when you come home.
** The first part of the workday at the office
You just got to the officewhat could you get done right off the bat? If you are most motivated in the
beginning of the workday, this is a great time and place for a habit stacking routine.
Three habits you can do from your desk are writing down your most important tasks for the day,
organizing loose documents and cleaning off your desktop. This routine will help you organize your
day and put you in a productive state of mind.
** The end of the workday at the office
The end of the workday is actually a great time for a habit stacking routine because it is a good way to
finish out your day on a positive note. Youve been busy at work all day, so having an end-of-the-day
routine sets you up to leave and gives you one last feeling of accomplishment.
An example of a habit that you could add to the end of your workday is identifying the most important

projects for the next day. When you arrive in the morning, youll know exactly where to get started.
** In the evening at home
Right in between getting home from work and settling down for the evening is also a good time for
habit stacking. This time works well because it gives you the opportunity to complete habits that will
end your day and prepare you for the next day. Habits such as preparing tomorrows lunch and
organizing the mail fit right into this time at home.
** At the gym while youre working out
Yes, its trueyou can even practice habit stacking at the gym! In fact, creating a routine for your
workout will help you complete the most important exercises in the shortest amount of time. Flowing
from one exercise to another makes for a better workout and improves your results.
For instance, you could add habits such as stretching, practicing mediation, drinking a healthy
smoothie and weighing yourself. All of these could be done in the 10 to 15 minutes after youve
finished exercising or lifting weights.
** During travel or on the road
Even if youre on the road, you can still have a habit stacking routine. Believe it or not, a lot can be
accomplished in the car or on your daily commute if you take a train or bus.
Have Bluetooth in your car? Call a friend or family member you havent talked to in a while for a
quick five-minute conversation. Have a 30-minute commute home on the train? Thats a great time to
write your to-do list for the next day or respond to unanswered text messages you received throughout
the day.
Taking advantage of this time is a great way to get a lot done in a short amount of time that would
otherwise be wasted.
** On your lunch break
Your lunch break provides you with the perfect amount of time to accomplish a routine. Because you
are already in a productive mood at work, the routine should just come naturally. Instead of wasting
30 minutes or an hour of your lunch break sitting in your break room, you can change your life.
There are many habits

that you could do during this time of the day. Some ideas include introducing
yourself to someone new, checking your bank account balances or doing a quick five-minute
mediation routine to refocus on the rest of the day.
Step 2: Build One Routine at a Time
There are varying opinions about how long it takes to build a new habit. Some people say a week,
others say 21 days and a few say as long as three months. It really isnt important how long it takes
you to build a new habit. Whats important is to focus on adding one habit routine at a time.
Its impossible to add multiple routines all at once. The process is too complicated and your
willpower will revolt because youre asking it to do too much. In other words, you wont be able to
succeed in the long term.

Lets take a quick look at ego depletion to help support this step. Ego depletion is a persons
diminished capacity to regulate thoughts, feelings and actions. In other words, our willpower works
like a muscle and it weakens throughout the day, since its used constantly. We all have a limit to our
willpower, and once weve reached the limit, it becomes very difficult to focus.
The reason you should focus on one routine at a time is because it reduces the amount of depletion on
your willpower. My advice is to focus on a new routine for a month before making any changes or
additions.
Step 3: Start with Small Wins
There are a lot of habits in this book (97 actions, to be exact). When it comes to your habits, start with
the ones that are easiest to do. When you start with the easiest habit, like taking a vitamin, you will
feel a sense of accomplishment that will make starting and completing the next habit easier.
My advice is to take a look at the seven different categories of small changes. Find the ones that are
the shortest and easiest to accomplish (one to three minutes). Focus on these for the first few weeks
until youve developed the habit of completing a habit stacking routine. Then, once youve
accomplished this, feel free to swap out habits or add small changes that directly relate to your
personal goals.
Step 4: Create a Logical Checklist
We have already touched on the topic of a checklist. Your checklist should consist of your habits and
the actions required to accomplish each habit. All the habits should work together and flow into each
other seamlessly.
Its also important that your checklist of habits reflects moving from one room to another to keep the
progress flowing. Your checklist can be printed, written down or even stored in an app. Evernote or
Remember the Milk are great apps for this.
Step 5: Have a Reason Why
Its easy to quit a new habit, and it happens for many reasons. Some people quit a new habit because
of a negative outcome or painful experience. Others quit because the habit is too difficult or they are
criticized by others. Its easy to quit habits like making the bed or giving yourself a daily budget.
However, its important to find a way to stick to this new routine if you want to see a long-term,
positive life change.
The best way to make sure you dont quit a habit stacking routine is to have a reason why behind each
individual action. This reason should be genuine and important to you. Some people adopt habit
stacking to help them live longer lives, others to spend more time with their families. There are tons
of reasons to habit stack, so find whats most important to you so you always know why youre
completing your habit stacking routine.
Step 6: Be Accountable
Its always easier to do nothing than it is to take action. As an example, which is easier: exercising or
sitting on the couch? Sitting on the couch, of coursebut thats not going to improve your life at all.
People often fail at completing their habit stacking routines because its just easier for them to not do
them. Thats why its important for you to be held publicly accountable.

There are a variety of ways for you to do this, including posting your progress on social media
accounts, telling friends and family members about your habit stacking or using an alarm on your
phone to trigger you to start your routine each day.
Whats worked for me in the past is the Lift app, which is a great tool for maintaining and sticking to
new habits. Its like having a coach in your pocket, for better and worse. Youll be held accountable
for your habit stacking routine by adding it as a habit and checking in every single day when its been
completed. Trust methe simple act of knowing that you have to update people on your progress is
motivation enough to stick to a habit stacking routine.
Step 7: Create Small, Enjoyable Rewards
Completing your habit stacking routine is an accomplishment and it should be rewarded as such.
Rewards, as long as they are small and have a positive long-term impact, can be great motivators in
getting through your routine each day. Treat yourself to a movie, date night or small healthy treat for
getting through your routine every day for a week or month.
Step 8: Focus on Repetition
Repetition is key for the first 30 days of habit stacking. Its imperative that you stick to your routine,
even if for some reason you have to skip one or two individual habits. Repetition of the routine builds
muscle memory to the point where you follow the routine, each day, without fail.
Now, its not the end of the world if you miss the occasional day. This happens to everyone. But you
must never, ever miss two days in a row of completing your routine. And if you do miss a day, its
more important than ever to make sure you complete at least part of your routine the next day.
The better developed and more powerful your habit stacking routine, the more you stand to benefit
from it. Habit stacking is a way to get a lot done and make positive changes in your life. If there are
any positive changes youve wanted to make, this is a great way to get it done. A good routine is
compact, connected and beneficial in your life.
However, even the best routines can and will be interrupted. It should come as no surprise to you
when a routine gets thrown off because of something that life throws at you. Luckily, you will know
how to handle it. Its important to know how to handle the common pitfalls of a habit stacking routine
because knowledge is power. The more you know about all the elements of habit stacking, the more
successful you will be.
Now there is one last step to building a successful habit stacking routine. In addition to picking a
time and location, you also want to create a specific trigger that will act as a reminder to complete
the habit stacking routine. In the next section, well talk about how this works.

How to Choose a Trigger for Your Habit Stacking

Routine
The most important part of a habit stacking routine is getting started. Thats why its important to
attach it to trigger, which is an action or event that generates the beginning of your routine. Think of
it like the green light at the start of a car race.
Habit triggers are often discussed in a negative context. More often than not, we hear triggers
discussed when for bad behaviors like how drinking alcohol often triggers someone to smoke a
cigarette. However, just as triggers can create a negative habit loop, they can also create good
behavior. Like how waking up in the morning might trigger you to brush your teeth.
After building a habit stacking routine, you should choose a trigger to help with its successful
completion.
Heres how to do this.
Choose a Habit Trigger
Just as you built your routine piece by piece, you want to look at the characteristics of a trigger so you
can choose one that will help you take action. For instance, when choosing a trigger keep these
conditions in mind:
1. An event or action can be used as a trigger. For example, waking up in the morning or
eating lunch.
2. It should be easy. If a trigger takes work, you are less likely to do it, which means your
habit stacking routine is less likely to succeed.
3. It should be automatic like a timer going off or a certain time of day.
4. New habits are not the best triggers. A trigger should be something youre used to doing
every day.
After choosing a trigger, commit to following a habit stacking routine right after this event happens.
The more you do this, the easier and more instantaneous it will become. Feel free to write yourself
notes or post reminders until you can make the transition on your own.
Dont worry if you forget or struggle to make the trigger to habit connection at first. Often it takes
people many weekseven monthsbefore they automatically move from trigger to habits.
Create the Trigger-Habit Connection
So youve chosen your habit stacking routine and a specific trigger.
Now what?

Creating a bond between a trigger and a habit will help start your habit stacking routine every day.
The key to making it stick is repetition. When you identify the trigger and follow it every day, it
becomes a priority. My advice is to pick a time/location and do everything you can to follow this new
routine.
For example, lets say you pick your alarm clock as a trigger. This means you should set aside 30
minutes (or less) to complete a habit routine that includes: taking a vitamin, walking the dog and
collecting all your dirty laundry and placing it next to the washing machine. You will repeat this
every day until you do it without even thinking. Each time your alarm goes off, you are ready to being
the stacking routine.
Now like any new action or habit, it will take time to get used to this routine. You might miss a day
or two, perhaps you will be forced to eliminate a few small habits. The key to sticking with it is to
make sure youre doing something every single day.
Also, dont start a habit stacking routine before the alarm goes off, or ten minutes after. To build the
right connection, you need to start your routine as soon as your alarm is ringing. Starting too early or
too late can cause a weak connection, resulting in missed routines and less than impressive results.
Set Yourself Up for Success
With your habit stacking routine and trigger chosen, dont let anything stand in your way. Before you
begin, make sure youre properly prepared for what lies ahead. Depending on your habits and goals,
think about the time and equipment thats needed and make sure theyre ready to go.
If your focus is productivity, then you need to consider a few things before getting started:
An earlier bedtime providing for more free time in the morning.
Buying and setting up any required filing system
Finding the right apps or software to manage your time
Writing down important tasks in order of priority
Planning for your reward
We all have faced the occasional obstacle or challenge. The trick is to identify them ahead of time
and take a proactive approach for overcoming them.
Reward Positive Results
Positive reinforcement, which is discussed throughout the book, even applies to habit triggers. Its
important to recognize and celebrate when triggers work and when habit stacking routines are
completed.

The goal of a good habit is to instill a healthier, beneficial routine that will make your life better.
Since habits need to be constantly and consistently repeated, rewarding yourself is important as it
encourages you day after day. Each time you successfully move from a trigger to the completion of a
habit stacking routine, you can reward yourselfeven with something small.
Self-praise is a great reward for habit completionespecially for those of you that have fitness goals

and cant reward yourself with candy. Looking in the mirror and telling yourself, good job, or you
made progress today, is often enough to push you to continue in your success. Giving yourself credit
helps you to enjoy your routine and stay motivated.
Moments of relaxation can also be a great reward. Each day that you are triggered and
consequentially finish your routine, give yourself ten minutes to relax. Sit outside and enjoy the
weather, or relax in your favorite chair with a cup of tea.
No matter what your routine is focused on, be sure to implement a trigger for your habits. Do this
often enough and the routine will become sticky enough where you wont need to consciously think
about taking action. Instead youll do everything on autopilot.

Two Examples of a Habit Stacking Routine

Up to this point, youve read a number of suggestions and ideas. However, you might be unclear on what a habit stacking routine actually
looks like. And, if youre like me, you probably learn best by seeing specific examples. Thats why this section is designed to show

you how to put information into action.

Ive included two types of routines. The first is a general morning routine where I incorporate
habits that improve my life in a variety of ways. The second focuses on one specific area
(productivity). I use it to determine where I need to allocate my limited time and energy.
Finally, I urge you to pay close attention to the reason why I do each individual action. Generally
speaking, if you dont have a good idea why you do something, then you probably wont do it.
Example 1: General Morning Habit Stacking Routine
Total Time: Less than 10 minutes.
*1. Get out of bed and make it. (Reason: I work from home, so having an orderly environment helps
me stay productive.)
*2. Walk into my bathroom and weigh myself. (Reason: I run marathons and need to maintain a
specific weight to have a good performance. Having a daily weigh-in keeps me focused on my running
goals.)

*3. Wash my face with hot water and a facial cleanser. (Reason: Studies have shown that washing
your face helps you feel awake and energized in the morning.)
*4. Walk into the kitchen and pour a 16-ounce glass of ice-cold water with lemon. (Reason: Lemon is
another way to feel awakeplus, I instantly get two of the eight servings of water that I need every
day.)
*5. Take daily vitamins. (Reason: Most diets are nutrient-deficient. Following a regular vitamin
regimen introduces what Im missing in my diet.)
*6. Make a power smoothie. I mix up different recipes, but I like to make ones that include proteins,
potassium and antioxidants. (Reason: This simple shake is another way to create energy for the rest of
the day.)
*7. Text my girlfriend with a loving message. (Reason: The key to a successful relationship is to do
the little things on a daily basis.)
*8. Update my mobile phone app with the habits Im currently developing. (Reason: Tracking habits
on a daily basis is the best way to make a permanent change.) For tracking purposes, I like the Lift
app, which can be found here.
.
Example 2: Productivity Habit Stacking Routine
Total Time: 10 to 15 minutes.
*1. Review my quarterly goals. (Reason: Reviewing three-month goals on a daily basis helps me stay

focused on my most important projects.)

*2. Research the top 100 free and paid books in the Kindle market. (Reason: From a business
perspective, its important to keep track of whats currently selling in my market.)
*3. Identify my three most important tasks. (Reason: While I have a lengthy project list of everything
that needs to be done during the week, I like to focus on accomplishing a few major wins for each
day.)
*4. Map out the action steps and specific milestones for each project. (Reason: I need to be precise
with the most important tasks. Instead of writing down a vague statement such as work on next
book, I write down the specific results Id like to achieve.)
*5. Clear my desktop. (Reason: I like to start working with an organized desktop. Ultimately, this
helps me stay focused on specific tasks and not get distracted.)
*6. Start on the most unpleasant task. (Reason: As weve discussed, when you focus on the hardest
task first, the rest of the day doesnt seem that hard. For me, that initial task always involves some
form of writing.)
*7. Set my Pomodoro for the first task. (Reason: I prefer to work in small blocks of time.
Specifically, I write in 25- to 50-minute blocks, using a modified version of the Pomodoro
Technique. This is yet another way I can stay focused on the task at hand.)
.
How to Find Your Habit Stacking Routine
As you can see, there are two types of routines. One provides a mixed assortment of the different
areas of your life. The other focuses on improving a specific long-term outcome. Whats right for
you? It all depends on your specific situation.
My suggestion is to take a close look at your life and find the one area that needs the most
improvement.
Do you have trouble getting into a groove in the morning? Then an energizing morning routine is the
answer.
Are you struggling to get things done at work? Then perhaps a productivity routine will help.
Do you often waste time at night before going to sleep? Then youd get the biggest benefit from
establishing an evening ritual.
As weve discussed before, habit stacking works best by developing the habit of following a single
routine for a few weeks. Once youre comfortable with a routine, you can add a second routine to
your day. Rinse and repeat until youre completing dozens of small changes every day, without taking
up too much of your spare time.
Now, Ill admit that this is a utopian viewpoint of habit stacking. As much as Id like to think
everything will go perfectly for you, Im also a realist. I know there will be times when you encounter
challengeseven disruptionsto your routine. Thats why its important to plan for these situations
and know what to do when they occur. So lets talk about that in the next section.

Habit Stacking Disruptions and Challenges: What

to Do?
Habits usually start out reasonably well. Youre excited about this new routine and eager to start
making changes. You create your routine and see immediate, positive benefits. However, in life
something always comes up and gets in the way. The key is to have a plan in place for when you have
to stop your habit stacking routine for one reason or another. Possible reasons include vacations,
illnesses and emergencies.
People often quit their routines not because of laziness, but because an outside event derails their
efforts for a few days. The few days that go by without completing the routine quickly turn into a few
weeks and then they dont know how to get started again.
Fortunately, there are a few ways you can prevent this if it happens to you.
Strategy 1: Have an If-Then Plan
Disruptions to your routine will happenthats just a fact. It is okay to accept these disruptions
without getting discouraged because they are to be expected. Always be prepared to forgive yourself
for the disruption and move on. You might have to stop your routine for a bit, but instead of getting
down on yourself for not following through, turn those feelings into motivation to complete you
routine the next day.
A great example of a disruption is going on vacation. This can hinder your habit stacking routine
because you are no longer in the location or time frame of your normal routine. Having an if-then
plan, allows you to rebound from this disruption and continue your habit stacking success.
An if-then plan, also known as implementation intention, is based on finding triggers that cause you
to not finish your routine. Your job is to create a plan for when those triggers occur.
For example, lets say one of your habits is to check your bank account each day online, but today the
Internet isnt working. Do you have an if-then plan? If you cannot check your bank accounts online,
then you will call the bank and ask for the account balance.
Strategy 2: Know Your Triggers
Of course, to create an if-then plan, you need to know your triggers. Understand your bad triggers,
which are the distractions and bad habits that make you slip up and negatively impact your habit
stacking routine. Keeping track of your negative habits will help you develop your routine. Perhaps
you want to live a healthier lifestyle but you habitually eat fast food. Track when this happens and
what is triggering it.
For instance, do you skip meals during the day and then binge on fast food? Maybe you only eat fast
food when you are in a bad mood. These are the triggers that are important to recognize so you can
create an if-then plan to kick them to the curb and continue making positive changes. If I pack my

lunch and healthy snacks, then I wont be hungry on my way home and tempted to go to a fast food
restaurant.
If-then plans can battle bad habits and reinforce good habits, but what if you cant prevent yourself
from quitting your habit stacking routine all together?
Lets take a look at the bigger picture here: not just missing one or two habits, but skipping the routine
as a whole. You need to know how to get back in the swing of things if this ever happens to you.
Heres how.
Strategy 3: Reduce Overall Expectations
Theres a fine line between the pressure you need to complete your routine and putting too much
pressure on yourself. Too much pressure can actually cause a negative reaction, which is exactly what
you dont want.
Instead of taking on too much and trying to complete more than is realistic, focus on the minimum, but
make sure you focus on the habits that are most important. When building your habit stacking routine,
always keep this in mind. Its easy to try and overcompensate when an emergency comes up; Ive had
this happen to me. However, when you fill your plate and its too full, it is much more likely to tip
over.
Strategy 4: Start Small (Again)
Starting over can be discouraging, but it is imperative when it comes to a habit stacking routine. If you
need to start over, start small. Focus on a few small habits first to get back into your routine. The
more you perform these small habits, the better you will get at starting and completing them.
Look for small wins and concentrate on sticking to your routine instead of focusing on the length of the
routine. Then, when you have a firm grasp on your routine, you can add more habits to it. Dont forget
to never miss more than one day of your routine, though.
Keep at It!
Lets face itwe all have those moments when we start a habit only to quit a few days later. This is a
natural part of a society that is overstressed and overloaded with information. You might find yourself
starting and stopping a habit stacking routine a few times. The real secret to making it stick isnt the
individual habitsits focusing on turning the routine into an instinctive habit.
If you find that youre struggling with developing this routine, then I recommend following Stephen
Guisess mini-habit example. Think of the easiest, stupidly small habits that take almost no effort.
Then focus on doing a few of these every single day. Include tasks like brushing your teeth, taking
vitamins, texting a loving message to your significant other or reading an inspirational article.
This whole routine takes less than five minutes to complete, so you shouldnt have a problem
following it every single day. Then, when it becomes a daily ritual, you can add more complex or
challenging changes to your life.
No matter what happens, keep at it. The most important takeaway from this book is to focus on the
routine, not the individual habits. This is true even when you get busy and overwhelmed by life. It

doesnt matter if you complete a habit stacking routine comprised of three actions that each last one
minute. The important thing is to do it on a consistent, daily basis.

Conclusion
Our time together is almost complete.
At this point, you understand what it takes to build a powerful habit stacking routine. Plus, you now
have 97 small changes that can be instantly incorporated into your daily routine.
Allow me to paraphrase the quote from the introduction: Little hinges swing big doors.
Ill be the first to admit that many of the changes that I discussed in this book are not revolutionary
ideas. You probably already know about the importance of eating healthy foods, being kind to others
and scheduling your day. Odds are youve heard these suggestions a million times before.
But what you might not have thought of is taking these small changes and putting them into a single
habit that you follow every day. Add enough of these little hinges and they will open up a powerful
door in your life.
As always, I urge you to take action. Weve covered a lot of ground in this book, so let me provide a
simple action plan to help you get started:
*I. Review the principles of habit stacking. Learn what it is and how to identify the small changes
that will have the biggest impact on your life. Go over the 8 Elements of Habit Stacking Routine
section for more clarification.
*II. Understand the difference between habit stacking and mini-habits. Whereas a mini-habit can
build into a larger positive habit (like exercising), a small change is self-contained and generally
cant be expanded upon.
*III. Pick one location and time of day for your new habit stacking routine. Identify the one area
that youd most like to change. Make the commitment to follow a new routine for at least 10 minutes
each day during this time.
*IV. Select three to seven small changes. In this book, we covered 97 habits. Find the ones that are
the easiest to complete and then add them to your list.
*V. Create a checklist. Think of a logical process flow for each habit. The trick here is to put them
in an order that guides you from place to place to complete each one. Use the two examples that I
have provided to see how this is done. Print out this list or put it into apps like Evernote/Remember
the Milk so it is nearby when youre completing the routine.
*VI. Identify a habit trigger. This should a specific time, location or event that happens
automatically (like an alarm clock). Arrange your day so you automatically begin the habit stacking
routine when this event occurs.
*VII. Create if-then plans for potential disruptions. Think of any potential challenges or
disruptions to your routine, then have a plan of action for what youll do when they happen. The more
challenges you can foresee, the less likely your habit stacking routine will be derailed.
There you have ita simple six-step plan for turning what youve just learned into a workable

strategy. Habit stacking can become your secret weapon to getting more out of your daily routine.
Now is the time to make small changes and start swinging those big doors in your life.
I wish you the best of luck.
Steve S.J. Scott
http://www.HabitBooks.com
P.S. I would love to hear from you! While its *easy* to connect over Facebook, Twitter or other
social media sites, often its better to have one-on-one conversations with readers like you.
So I encourage you to reach out over email and say hi!
Simply write here:
sjscott@developgoodhabits.com
To get started, I would love to hear about the one thing youll dothis weekto turn this information
into action.
P.P.S. As a final reminder, if you want to access any link in this book, Ive created a simple web
page where you can find every resource that has been mentioned. Just go here to see the full list:
http://www.developgoodhabits.com/stacking-links

Would You Like to Know More?

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One way to get instant notifications for these deals is to subscribe to my email list. By joining not
only will you receive updates on the latest offer, youll also get a free copy of the Bad Habits No
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Did You Like Habit Stacking?

Before you go, Id like to say thank you for purchasing my guide.
I know you could have picked from dozens of books on habit development, but you took a chance with
my system.
So a big thanks for downloading this book and reading all the way to the end.
Now Id like ask for a *small* favor. Could you please take a minute or two and leave a review
for this book on Amazon.
This feedback will help me continue to write the kind of Kindle books that help you get results. And if
you loved it, then please let me know :-)

More Books by S.J. Scott

Level Up Your Day: How to Maximize the 6 Essential Areas of Your Daily Routine
The Daily Entrepreneur: 33 Success Habits for Small Business Owners, Freelancers and Aspiring 9-to-5 Escape Artists
Master Evernote: The Unofficial Guide to Organizing Your Life with Evernote (Plus 75 Ideas for Getting Started)
Bad Habits No More: 25 Steps to Break ANY Bad Habit
To-Do List Makeover: A Simple Guide to Getting the Important Things Done
23 Anti-Procrastination Habits: How to Stop Being Lazy and Get Results in Your Life
S.M.A.R.T. Goals Made Simple: 10 Steps to Master Your Personal and Career Goals
115 Productivity Apps to Maximize Your Time: Apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire and PC/iOS Desktop Computers
Writing Habit Mastery: How to Write 2,000 Words a Day and Forever Cure Writer's Block
Declutter Your Inbox: 9 Proven Steps to Eliminate Email Overload
Wake Up Successful: How to Increase Your Energy and Achieve Any Goal with a Morning Routine
10,000 Steps Blueprint: The Daily Walking Habit for Healthy Weight Loss and Lifelong Fitness
70 Healthy Habits: How to Eat Better, Feel Great, Get More Energy and Live a Healthy Lifestyle
Resolutions That Stick! How 12 Habits Can Transform Your New Year