While I am on the Habit Kick this week, I wanted to share a pro tip I love to build some new habits!
Have you heard of Habit Stacking? Habit Stacking is leveraging habits that you already have that you don’t even think about to build new habits that you want to make. An example of this would be the following:
==>Goal: Have a stronger push up
Habit needed to achieve the goal: Do more push ups (safely, with good form, obvi 💪)
Habit you already have down: Brushing your teeth
Habit Stack: After you brush your teeth every day, you do 1 push up. after 3 weeks, you slowly start to increase the number of push ups, then all of a sudden, you are doing push ups every day, and…boom. You have a stronger push up.
That is sort of a silly example, but one that has actually worked for an MSC-er recently! The theory works for a lot of people and brushing your teeth (assuming you do that!) is a great way to start.
==>Example 2 – Me! …this was a good pointer from our MSC Pal and local massage therapist, Rini Higgins (hit me up if you need a massage! She’s awesome!)
Goal: To keep my forearms from getting SUPER tight (kettlebells and mace training work grip a LOT and forearm stretching is important
Habit needed to achieve goal: Stretch forearms daily
Habit I already have down: Driving and stopping at red lights
Habit stack: every red light I hold my wrist and forearm stretches when I am driving:)
Just some more food for thought! You can use this system to start practicing meditation, do push ups, stretch something, start to journal or food log…really anything!
Good luck, and merry stacking!
