21 Days of Habit Stacking: A Simpler Way to Stick to Good Habits

The Atomic Habits book by James Clear is one of my favorite books because it focuses on the small habits that can change our lifestyle and help us stick to good habits. In this book, James Clear introduced a powerful idea — adopting a new habit with the help of an existing one.

This technique creates a small chain reaction where one good habit is linked to another. This is called Habit Stacking. I personally tried this method for 21 days and saw positive changes in my life.

What is Habit Stacking?

In Atomic Habits, James Clear describes the first law of habit building — Make it Obvious. In Chapter 5, he introduces the concept of Habit Stacking as:

“One of the best ways to build a new habit is to identify a current habit you already do each day and then stack your new behavior on top.”

After [Current Habit], I will [New Habit]

Examples:

• Study: After I take a cup of tea in the morning, I will study for 20 minutes.
• Yoga: After I go to the toilet in the morning, I will do yoga for 20 minutes.

Our brain loves patterns. For example, taking tea in the morning is a pattern that my mind automatically follows. When my doctor advised me to eat something before tea for better metabolism, I used the habit stacking formula to change that routine — and it worked!

My 21-Day Habit Stacking Experiment

While reading the book, I decided to try habit stacking. I already had a habit of going to the toilet after waking up. But I also had a bad habit — taking my phone and spending over 1 hour in the bathroom every morning.

So, I redesigned my routine like this:

“When I go to the toilet in the morning, I will not carry my phone.”

This small change took effort. Many times, I forgot and had to return to keep my phone outside. But within a few days, I adjusted. Now, I go without my phone and use this quiet time to mentally blueprint my day.

Later, I applied the same method again:

“After I reach the library, I will read a self-improvement book for the first 1 hour.”

Simple, right? And surprisingly effective!

My Words on This Formula

In short, habit stacking really worked for me. I’m now using it for bigger goals and will soon update this post with new results. Yes, in the beginning, it can feel tricky, but once you start, it becomes a powerful tool for change.

10 Habit Stacking Ideas for Beginners

• After brushing my teeth, I will drink a glass of water.
• After lunch, I will take a 5-minute walk.
• After sitting at my desk, I will write my top 3 tasks for the day.
• After dinner, I will plan the next day.
• After waking up, I will stretch for 5 minutes.
• After taking off my shoes, I will do 10 squats.
• After checking my email, I will meditate for 2 minutes.
• After finishing work, I will write one sentence in my journal.
• After making my bed, I will open the window for fresh air.
• After reading a chapter, I will note one takeaway.

Habit Stacking Templates

Conclusion

At the end, I strongly suggest you try the habit stacking method in your life. Start small, choose one existing habit, and link it with a new one. Slowly, your life will start changing with these small daily improvements. This is the central message of Atomic Habits — tiny changes bring big results.