11: Habit Stacking
"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems." - James Clear, Atomic Habits
You’re Reading Adam Ming’s Daily Blog, This month I’m writing a series about taking time for your creative practice. Each post, includes an invitation to spend ten minutes developing your creative practice.
I’m doing this in October to complement any Drawing challenge you might be doing. I will be doing the classic inktober.
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If you missed day 10’s invitation, it’s at the bottom of yesterday’s newsletter
Your 10-Minute invitation
Pick a habit you want to build, i.e draw for 10 minutes daily, think of an existing habit you have, stack your new habit to your existing habit.
Day 11: The Art of Habit Stacking
Imagine waking up tomorrow with a superpower: the ability to effortlessly build new habits. That's the promise of habit stacking.
This year the day’s get so busy that I struggle to find time to read, I would even schedule reading time into my calendar but claim it back with some deadline.
In the end the thing that got me reading again was habit stacking. I would ‘stack’ my reading time after I drop my kid for her activities. Even a five to ten minute session here and there is progress. I’m even rereading Atomic Habits which is the inspiration for a number of the posts about habit formation.
We all have habits deeply ingrained in our daily routines. Habit stacking leverages these existing behaviors to introduce new ones. It's like finding a secret doorway in a familiar room.
The formula is simple: "After [current habit], I will [new habit]."
This isn't just a neat trick; it's brain science. Our neurons love to fire together, creating highways of behavior. Habit stacking is like adding a new exit to an existing highway.
The first time I tried habit stacking was going for a run right after I put my baby to bed. I had the mantra ‘don’t think’. Once I put her to bed, just go!
But why does this matter for your creative practice?
Because creativity thrives on consistency, not sporadic bursts of inspiration. By stacking a small creative act onto an existing habit, you're building a daily bridge to your artistic self.
Here's how to start:
1. Identify a consistent daily habit
2. Choose a tiny creative action
3. Link them using the formula
For example: "After I brush my teeth, I will write one sentence."
At work I employ the simple habit stack of when I enter the studio, draw for 10 minutes.
But beware the temptation to stack too much too soon. Start small. Remember, we're not looking for a creative breakthrough every day. We're building a path of tiny stepping stones leading to your artistic goals.
In Short
Habit stacking involves linking a new habit to an existing one in your daily routine.
Formula: "After [current habit], I will [new habit]."
Benefits: Utilizes the connectedness of behavior to make new habits more automatic.
Example stack: "After I pour my morning coffee, I will write one creative sentence."
Tips: Choose a stable existing habit, keep the new habit small, and be consistent with the order.
I’m going to do the rest of Inktober in my bullet journal. My bullet journal quickly becomes a place for sketching by drawing a frame. When I read today’s prompt I thought I would do it at the coffee shop where I had my breakfast, but the conversations was too good so I had to do it from memory when I got home.