E236: Habit Stacking: Maximizing Your Time and Energy

I like to joke that if you tell me your habits, I will tell you your future. Kind of like a modern day fortune-teller hahaha but seriously, where you are a year from now is a reflection of the choices you choose to make right now.

Just like where you are in life today, is a reflection of the choices you made one year ago! Share with me in the comments of this video, or DM me on instagram @vallavignelife to let me know what dream future you want to build and we can reverse engineer this with tiny habits.

Welcome back, I am so happy you’re here. Thank you for choosing this show to spend your time with. Whether you’re listening while working out or going for a walk, or maybe you’re watching the video version of this podcast, I am so very grateful for you and your time.

I’ve been hosting and producing this podcast for over four years and there have been a lot of variations of the show over this time. One of the things I’m super proud of through creating this project is the consistency and momentum that we’ve been able to build with the show. I could not have done this without you and your support for the podcast.

If you’ve ever written a review, or shared an episode, if you’ve taken the time to DM or email me about how the show has impacted you, if you have been a long time listener, or a new listener, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Your support has been overwhelming and has not gone unnoticed. I read every single review, every thoughtful email, and comment on our youtube or instagram and I appreciate you.

Today on the podcast we’re going to talk about consistency and momentum with your healthy habits and how you can maximize your time and energy.

[01:55] Habit Stacking 101

One of the best ways to build a new behaviour or routine into your life is by habit stacking, also known as habit sequencing.

This is a systematic approach to creating healthy habits, routines, and rituals in your daily life. This system uses existing moments of your day as triggers for your new behaviour. For the purpose of today’s episode, I will refer to Habit Sequencing and Habit Stacking interchangeably.

To better understand this system, I’d like to share two formulas with you. The first is the HABIT STACKING FORMULA

After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

The second formula is the TEMPTATION BUNDLING FORMULA

After [HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT].

Let’s break these formulas down:

Current Habit = a existing part of your routine

New Habit = the behaviour you want to add in

Habit I Need = could be your new habit, or a healthy habit you'd like to start doing

Habit I Want = maybe something in your existing routine, or maybe something you're trying to eventually break, or a type of reward.

Let’s check out some examples using the Habit Stacking Formula

After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

After I turn off my morning alarm, I will begin my morning ritual and check in with myself.

After I do my skincare routine, I will lay out my yoga mat for my evening yoga practice.

Here are some examples of the Temptation Bundling Formula

After [HABIT I NEED], I will [HABIT I WANT].

After I complete my morning meditation, I will check my socials.

After I finish my workout at the gym, I will have an espresso.

After I make myself breakfast, I will feed my dog.

Now you try! Use either of the formulas with your specific habit. It doesn't have to be perfect at this moment. This practice is for better understanding where your new habits can actually fit into your daily life.

When we’re talking about and looking at our formulas, what we’re actually doing in this practice is creating triggers for our new habits.

[04:09] Anchors, Prompts, & Cues… OH MY!

We experience HUNDREDS of triggers, prompts, anchors, and cues everyday.

For the purpose of our podcast: triggers = prompts = anchors = cues

Cues are the invisible drivers of our lives, and we barely notice them. Most of the time we just act! The light turns green, and we go. Our phone dings, and we check the message. When the tummy grumbles, we search for something to eat. It can be a natural prompt, or a designed one, but it does the same thing. It says, "do this behaviour now."

This fact is a strong part of my WHY because it's so easy to live life on autopilot. We go through the motions of a life designed FOR us, but not always BY us. And even when life is designed BY us, it's usually in response to stress, fear, scarcity, and survival. This is a life by default.

I teach women like you how to design a life of meaning and purpose. a life that offers freedom to choose, and opens up abundance and possibility.

We design a life you're passionate about, a life rooted in FEELING! And we do this through the tool of healthy habits.

[05:37] Types of Prompts

When we’re designing a meaningful life, we can better understand prompts, and the different types of prompts.

If you remember from last week’s podcast episode, we talked about this a little bit too.

The first are person prompts. These prompts rely on something inside of you to do the behaviour. The most natural person prompt is our bodily urges: hungry, tired, thirsty, need to go to the bathroom, etc.

Next are environment prompts. This is anything in your environment that triggers you to take action. Examples: alarms, sticky notes, rearrange your space to support your habit, app notifications, etc.

And finally, action prompts. The most important prompt because this is a behaviour you already do that can remind you to do your new habit. Something in your existing routine that cues you into action.

Our habit stacking/habit sequencing works with action triggers. That’s because our behaviours happen in sequences, one after the other.

When building your new habit, you will design the sequence for it. Your current/existing habits are the anchors for your new habit. The first step is to identify what your current anchors are.

Ask yourself: Where can this new habit naturally fit into my day?

[07:00] Helpful Tips

When you’re building your habit stacking formula, it’s important to BE SPECIFIC: put your current routines under a microscope, what is SPECIFIC about your anchor/prompt? EX. "after I eat breakfast" becomes "after I start the dishwasher"

The truth is, we cannot run away from habits, but we CAN design them to support our health, wealth, and happiness. The most important part is to START! Anchor into your feeling word, and investigate where in your current routines can you build in your new habit?

[07:44] Transform Your Habits Course

Need support with building your habits and routines? I’d love to help you each step of the way. You can now enroll in the self-paced course Transform Your Habits. I designed this course with you and mind so that you could empower and elevate your life with healthy habits that ACTUALLY matter.

In this course, you can experience the power of creating positive change in your daily routines and lifestyle.

Your transformation is possible through tiny actions!

Head over to www.valerielavignelife.com/challenge to enroll today!

Podcast Host

Valerie LaVigne

Valerie is the creator and founder of Valerie LaVigne Life and the Women's Empowerment Show. She helps busy and empowered women create healthy habits so that they can become the best version of themselves and transform their lives. Learn more about Valerie here!