Our routines become us, so they say. The little things in life amount to a lot. When it comes to our habits, this is all the more noticeable – even overwhelming – but the same could be said about making small changes. They accumulate and alter things in just the same way.
What I recommend reading this week is S.J. Scott’s Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less. Scott is a prolific writer, and upon reading this book it’s obvious why. With even just a little of his advice on your bookshelf and in your head, you’ll likely find yourself miles away from where you started.
Here is the book summary from Amazon:
“Want to improve your life, but don't have enough time? 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 there's not enough time to do all of them. One solution can be found using the power of ‘habit stacking’.
“We all know it's not easy to add dozens of new habits to your day. But what you might not realize is it's fairly easy to build a single new routine. The essence of habit stacking is to take a series of small changes (like eating a piece of fruit or sending a loving text message to your significant other) 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. That's the essence of habit stacking.
“In the book Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less, you will discover 97 quick habits that can instantly improve your life. Plus, you'll discover how to create a simple routine (managed by a checklist) that you repeat on a daily basis. Even better, you'll discover a few tools that will keep you motivated and consistent. So even if you're completely stressed out, you'll still find the time and energy to complete these actions on a consistent basis.
“By completing dozens of small habits on a daily basis, you'll 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.”
