As keynote speaker Jim Rohn said,
“Your level of success will seldom exceed your level of personal development, because success is something you attract, by the person you become.”
The biggest outcomes in life seldom happen out of the blue. They are usually the result of our habits, actions that are deeply ingrained in our everyday routines. Performed consistently, these actions compound to have remarkable effects.
Certain habits are helpful, like brushing your teeth twice a day. Others not so much, like perusing Instagram late-night on the hunt for dopamine snacks before bed. Small habits can seem inconsequential, but over time they contribute to our personal development.
Habit Stacking
Identifying the habits you currently have isn’t as easy as it seems, because they’re taken for granted. This is because when habits are repeated over time, they become cognitively effortless.
Each time you repeat an action, your brain builds a strong network of neurons to support that behavior. The more you do something, the stronger and more efficient the connection becomes.
If you attempt to build a habit from scratch, chances are you’re setting yourself up for failure. It’s the same as building a penthouse in the middle of an abandoned field. It would help to have a solid foundation first.
Habit stacking seeks to take advantage of the connectedness of behavior. It’s exactly as it sounds like — “stacking” new, healthy habits over the ones you’ve already developed.
