30 One-Sentence Stories From People Who Have Built Better Habits

- Another popular tactic in the book is something I call “habit stacking.” It's strategy I first learned from Stanford professor B.J. Fogg. He refers to it as “anchoring” because you anchor—or stack—your new habit onto a current habit.

Habit Stacking

- One reader named Justin sent me the following message: “I started going to a gym that was less than a mile from my house. This took away the time and inconvenience excuses. I was never consistent at exercise, but now I work out 8-10x a week. Crossfit, running, and cycling. I've been going strong for 2.5 years.”

 - Heather used a similar strategy to reinforce the simple habit of drinking more water. “I use color and placement for visual reminding and motivation. I poured water in a bright aqua water bottle – my favorite color – and placed it on my nightstand so I couldn’t miss it when I woke up.”

- My favorite approach is to pick a very tiny version of your habit and track that. For example, I have been tracking the habit of “reading 1 page” for the last month. One reader named Günter did something similar. “I've done a simple workout every day for over half a year now. I managed to stick to it by changing the scope: when I don't have time ... See more

Identity Based Habits

- To a certain degree, habit substitution allows you to look for a healthier obsession. Some people are hooked on alcohol. Others are hooked on exercise.

Environment Design

In this article, I'd like to share 30 “one-sentence stories” about building better habits. None of these stories are mine. They were sent to me by readers of Atomic Habits.