Daily Habits for Success in Action
Theory is valuable, but seeing these principles applied in a real-world context makes them tangible. Here are two short, worked examples of how you might design routines for common goals, written in prose to illustrate the flow and mindset.
Example 1: The Evening Wind-Down Routine
Sarah wanted to improve her sleep and reduce evening anxiety. Her goal was to become a calm and well-rested person. She decided against a massive, complicated routine. Her minimum viable action was to simply plug her phone in to charge across the room, not on her nightstand. This small act created friction for late-night scrolling. To build from there, she used habit stacking. Her cue was finishing brushing her teeth. The stack looked like this: “After I brush my teeth, I will plug my phone in across the room.” Once that was automatic, she added the next layer: “After I plug in my phone, I will read one page of a physical book.” She engineered her environment by placing a book and a lamp on her nightstand, making it the most obvious thing to do next. On nights she felt too tired, her “if-then” plan was: “If I’m too tired to read, then I will just open the book to my bookmark.” She wasn’t aiming for a perfect streak, just consistency. Over a month, this simple, stacked habit evolved into a peaceful 15-minute routine of reading that signaled to her brain it was time to sleep, reinforcing her identity as a calm person.
Example 2: The Morning Focus Primer Routine
Mark struggled with a reactive start to his day, immediately checking emails and news, which left him feeling scattered. He wanted to become a focused and proactive person. His biggest challenge was the powerful cue of his phone alarm, which led directly to checking notifications. He started by creating friction: he moved his phone charger to the kitchen. His new cue became the sound of his coffee brewing. He used habit stacking: “While my coffee is brewing, I will not look at my phone.” That was it. Just five minutes of tech-free silence. His minimum viable action was to just stand there and listen to the machine. Once that felt normal, he added: “While my coffee is brewing, I will write down my single most important task for the day on a sticky note.” He designed his environment by leaving a pen and a pad of sticky notes right next to the coffee maker. This tiny habit didn’t add more than 30 seconds to his morning, but it completely changed his trajectory. He was no longer starting his day on someone else’s terms. He was casting a vote for his identity as a focused person before the digital world had a chance to interfere.
