The formula:

> After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

Concrete examples:

• "After I pour my morning coffee, I will meditate for one minute."
• "After I sit down at my desk, I will write my three priorities for the day."
• "After I finish lunch, I will send one thank-you email."
• "After I take off my work shoes, I will change into workout clothes."
• "After I put my head on the pillow, I will name three things I'm grateful for."

Chaining multiple habits:

> After I pour coffee → meditate for one minute → write three priorities → open my project board.

Each completed action becomes the cue for the next. This creates an entire morning routine that runs on autopilot once the first link fires.

Built on implementation intentions research: Psychologist James Prochaska and others found that people who write specific plans for when and where they will perform a behavior are significantly more likely to follow through. Habit stacking is an advanced form of implementation intention — instead of anchoring to a time and place, you anchor to an existing behavior, which is an even more reliable trigger.

Rules for effective stacking:

1. The trigger must be specific. "After lunch" not "sometime in the afternoon." "After I close my laptop" not "in the evening."
2. The trigger must be reliable. Pick something you do every single day without fail.
3. The frequency must match. Don't stack a daily habit onto something you do weekly.
4. The context must fit. Don't stack a physical habit onto a digital one if it requires changing locations.