---
title: "Routines and habit stacking"
date: 2024-08-26
description: "Experiments with habit stacking Looking for more habit stacking opportunities Research on habit stacking Double habit stacking Habit..."
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/blog/routines-and-habit-stacking
---
# Routines and habit stacking
Building on that bike ride, I decided to stack another habit: an early morning fitness class. (I’m spoiled because Google provides these classes right at my work, but even if not, there are plenty of fitness centers offering similar classes.) When I arrive at work, at about 8am, I attend a fitness class (e.g., “Body strengthening” or “Body conditioning”) for 50 minutes. I’d always thought these classes weren’t for me, but I was wrong. Turns out I love them. The variety of physical activities is so diverse, there’s no hard wear and tear on any specific body part. Plus I love the variety of activities from the instructors — almost every class, there’s at least one activity I’ve never done before. I started my first class a couple of months ago and probably average 3-4 per week.

This consistency surprised me because I thought my interest and participation would fizzle out. But it hasn’t because I incorporated the class directly after my bike-to-work routine. When I roll into work, I’m already a bit sweaty and warmed up, so it’s a perfect transition into the class.

## Looking for more habit stacking opportunities

I started to get more excited about habit stacking and looked for other ways to integrate goals into existing routines. I decided to apply the technique to a pesky chore at home: scooping the cat litter box. Somehow I ended up being the cat litter clean-up person at my house, probably because trash is one of my chores. Previously, I cleaned the litter box at random times. But following the principles of habit stacking, I decided to always change the cat litter at the same time I gather the trash. I always put the trash out on Tuesdays, and I generally gather the trash up on the weekend in preparation for trash day. Now I also change the cat litter at the same time. It’s just another receptacle I empty as part of gathering the trash.

By incorporating this activity during another activity that’s already a routine, I was able to piggyback onto the existing success of the other activity’s regularity. Now the cat litter issue is a solved problem around my house. (BTW, we have a single Popur litter box in a closet with the door open, and it works beautifully. I change the waste tray once a week and add a few new scoops of Fresh Step litter, which arrives on an Amazon subscribe cycle monthly. I realize the automatic litter box makes this chore almost trivial, but still, I’m the only one at my house who will empty it.)