The Real Power of Habit Stacking: Small Moves That Change Your Life
- kellbpreps
- Jun 22
- 6 min read
Let’s get real for a minute. If good intentions were enough, we’d all have flawless morning routines, balanced meals prepped for the week, perfectly scheduled workouts, and a well-organized life that practically runs itself. But the truth? Most of us are operating in survival mode more often than we’d like to admit.
Life is already full. Full of work, appointments, kids, spouses, friends, never-ending group chats, and mini emergencies hijacking your morning. So, when someone suggests adding yet another habit to your day—whether it’s journaling, stretching, meditating, or drinking enough water—it can feel completely unrealistic.
But what if you didn’t need more time? What if you could simply rearrange what you’re already doing, without overhauling your entire life? That’s where habit stacking makes all the difference.
What Is Habit Stacking?
At its most basic, habit stacking is the art of linking a new habit to something you’re already doing consistently. You aren’t reinventing the wheel; you’re attaching one small action onto a routine that’s already embedded in your day. This is called “anchoring.” Your brain loves cues and patterns—it craves predictability.
Think of your existing habits like hooks on the wall. Every day, without thinking, you hang your jacket on one of those hooks. Habit stacking is simply adding a small, new item onto the same hook. Over time, that small addition becomes just as automatic as the habit it’s attached to. You don’t have to muster up extra energy or willpower—you’re already standing at the hook.
The key the anchor the habit – something you do consistently. Coffee brewing; brushing your teeth; getting in the car; sitting down at your desk. These are built-in cues your brain already recognizes. When you attach something new to those cues, it’s easier for your brain to accept and adopt the new habit.
Why Habit Stacking Works
Most people assume that forming new habits is just a matter of discipline. It’s not a motivation problem; it’s a mechanics problem. Starting something from scratch requires the initial kick in the pants to begin—mental and emotional fuel that most days you’re flat out of. Habit stacking works because it bypasses that barrier.
Instead of starting from zero, you piggyback off something you’re already doing, and your brain recognizes the pattern much faster. Let’s break it down:
1. You eliminate the decision fatigue.
Every new behaviour starts with a question: “When should I do this? Do I feel like doing it? What if I skip today?” If you have to keep making this decision, you’re burning valuable energy before you even act. With stacking, the trigger is automatic. You don’t have to debate whether to do the new habit; you simply do it when the existing one happens.
2. Small habits feel doable
The smaller the habit, the less mental resistance you experience. Drinking a glass of water after your morning coffee feels easy, you’re already standing in the kitchen. The change isn’t in epic life overhauls, it’s in repetition, it’s about what you do on autopilot.
3. You build momentum through repetition
Each successful completion of the stacked habit gives your brain a dopamine hit. It’s a small reward, but it’s enough to reinforce the behaviour.
4. You start to see yourself differently
Behavior builds identity. Each successful stacked habit sends a quiet signal: “I’m someone who follows through.” That internal identity shift is far more powerful than any external motivation.
5. The system adapts to real life.
Habit stacking allows for flexibility. You’re not required to block off an hour every day for personal development. You’re just adding micro-adjustments to the flow you already have.
A Relatable Scenario: How This Actually Looks in Real Life
Let’s take ‘Sarah’. She’s a full-time working mom with two kids, a husband who travels for work, and a body that’s begging for strength training after years of neglect. Mornings are chaos: kids, lunches, emails, coffee, texts, and rushing out the door. You barely have time to brush your teeth, never mind set aside 45 minutes for a workout. Every Sunday, she tells herself this is the week she’s going to start working out. But by Wednesday, the chaos has swallowed her again.
Here’s where habit stacking steps in. Instead of trying to block off an unrealistic hour for the gym, Sarah looks at what she’s already doing consistently: brewing her morning coffee. That’s her anchor.
Now she decides: “While my coffee brews, I’ll do 10 countertop push-ups, 15 squats, and 30 seconds of planks.” It takes 3 minutes; coffee is still brewing. But now she’s done something for her body every single day—without needing extra time or complex scheduling.
That’s habit stacking. Simple. Smart. No fanfare. But if you repeat that every morning, you’ll feel stronger within weeks. And more importantly, you’ll believe you’re someone who can fit fitness into your life, even on the busiest days.
But What If the Stack Doesn’t Stick?
Here’s where most people get tripped up. They start stacking habits, they miss a day or two, and they instantly fall into the old all-or-nothing trap: “I blew it. This doesn’t work for me. I can’t stick to anything.”
Stop right there. Missing a day doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human. Building habits—stacked or otherwise—is never a perfectly linear process. You’re learning how to build scaffolding, not pouring concrete. The goal is consistency over perfection.
When a stack isn’t sticking, you don’t scrap the whole system. You adjust it. Ask yourself:
Is my anchor strong enough? If the anchor isn’t reliable, stacking onto it will always feel shaky.
Did I start too big? Habit stacking thrives on being ridiculously small at first. Ten push-ups may be too much on some days; one push-up may be perfect.
Is the timing right? Maybe mornings aren’t your window. Could this stack work better attached to your lunch break or evening routine?
Do I need more flexibility? Some days will look different. That’s where a “habit menu” can help.
The Backup Plan: Build a Habit Menu
A habit menu is exactly what it sounds like—a short list of micro habits you want to build. Instead of one rigid stack, you give yourself several options to pick from when your anchor habit occurs. You’re still reinforcing the behavior, but you allow flexibility depending on your mood, energy, or schedule.
Example: After I brush my teeth, I can choose to:
Do 10 bodyweight squats
Stretch my hamstrings for 60 seconds
Write one sentence in my gratitude journal
Do 30 seconds of deep breathing
On a great day, you might do all four. On a rough day, you might only manage one. Either way, you’re reinforcing the anchor and keeping the habit alive.
How PrepWise Coaching Fits into This
Now, let’s cut to the real reason you’re still reading: because you’ve tried building habits before; you’ve read the books, made the lists, and set the alarms. And yet, here you are, wondering why you keep slipping back into old patterns.
The truth is, understanding habit stacking is only half the equation. Implementing it, troubleshooting it, and adapting it to fit your unpredictable, real-life schedule—that’s where most people need actual help.
That’s where PrepWise coaching comes in. This isn’t about handing you another PDF checklist or a generic “21-Day Habit Challenge.” We do things differently:
We help you identify habit stacks that fit your real schedule (not a fantasy version of your life)
We adjust as life happens, because life always happens
We troubleshoot when things aren’t clicking
And most importantly, we provide actual accountability—so you’re not having the same frustrating conversation with yourself six months from now
Research backs this up: people are more committed when there’s public accountability, clear feedback, and a trusted system of support. That’s exactly what PrepWise coaching provides. We aren’t here to give you another generic habit tracker—you could Google that. We’re here to help you follow through.
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