Habit Chaining — How to change your life, for the rest of your life

I find my productivity and habit systems tend to need switching up over time; either my. phase of life changes, or if it doesn’t, I acquire immunity to existing approaches. This past year, I’ve been influenced by reading Atomic Habits, as well as participating in the Street Parking online fitness community (who themselves are big fans of Atomic Habits). Putting my own spin on things, I’ve come up with some axioms for a good habit system for 2025 and beyond:

1. Pick habits that are intended to be lifetime habits, akin to “brushing teeth”.
2. Build new habits slowly, master one before the next
3. Identify with your habits, you are a person who does the habit

In that spirit, I’ve designed a habit chaining system.

The Habit Chain System

1. Pick three habits, and order by importance.
2. Start immediately, with the first habit. Do not wait for an auspicious day. Start today.
3. Once you’ve mastered (at least three days of consistency) the first habit, add the second.
4. Once you’ve mastered the second habit (at least three days of consistency), add the third
5. If you miss any habit (a day without consistency), go back to the step before you added this habit. Yes drop those subsequent habits, even if they are good. You aren’t ready, and it is sacrificing the consistency of your more important habit. Double the days of consistency you need before adding in an extra habit.
6. Three new lifetime habits is enough for your first year. Pick three for the next year and repeat.

Recently I did some prototyping to put this in an app, it’s not ready for prime time, but neither does this system—which is designed to be simple, need an app. Three habits is enough to keep in your head, and if you miss a habit you are supposed to be doing every day for the rest of your life, you should know. If you did this for 5 years you’d have 15 new lifetime habits, which is more than enough to change your life.

I’d encourage you to think of this system as enough and not add more in. Pick three habits that will make the biggest difference and iterate. Anything more may not be lifelong, anything less you won’t get the benefits of quickly enough. It may be tempting to add on additional habits halfway through the year, but the compounding benefit of the habits come over time, and to ensure a habit is lifelong it really needs a groove of focus and simplicity.

What follows are some ideas for habits in this style.

Education & Learning:

1. Study a language for 15 minutes
2. Learn 3 new words in target language
3. 15 minutes of programming
4. Watch an educational video
5. Explain a concept to someone
6. Read 5 pages of non-fiction
7. Listen to an educational podcast episode
8. Review yesterday’s learning notes
9. Write 3 questions about a topic you’re studying

Productivity & Growth:

1. 10 minutes of morning meditation
2. Focus on one task for 25 minutes
3. Practice a skill for 15 minutes
4. Clear your email inbox
5. Read one educational article
6. Spend 15 minutes being creative
7. Write down 3 priorities for tomorrow
8. Complete one small task immediately
9. Organize digital files for 5 minutes
10. Track your daily expenses

Mental Health & Mindfulness:

1. 5 minutes of deep breathing exercises
2. Say 3 positive affirmations
3. Spend 10 minutes in nature
4. Take a 30-minute break from devices
5. Eat one meal without distractions
6. Write down 3 things you’re grateful for
7. Do a 2-minute body scan
8. Practice mindful hand-washing
9. Take a mindful moment before meetings

Exercise & Movement:

1. 15 minute morning walk
2. Any form of exercise for 15 minutes
3. 10-minute morning yoga sequence
4. Stretch at your desk every 2 hours
5. Do 10 pushups (modified ok)
6. Take stairs instead of elevator
7. Dance to one song
8. Do 5 minutes of mobility exercises
9. Walk during one phone call

Health & Wellness:

1. Drink 8 glasses of water daily
2. Wake up before 7 AM
3. Plan your day in the morning
4. Declutter one small area
5. Connect with a friend or family member
6. Learn something new for 15 minutes
7. No screens 1 hour before bed
8. Prepare tomorrow’s clothes
9. Open windows for fresh air
10. Pack a healthy snack

Evening Routine

1. Write tomorrow’s top 3 tasks
2. 5-minute evening tidy
3. Pack your bag for tomorrow
4. Quick evening stretching routine
5. Reflect on one positive moment
6. Set out morning essentials
7. Check weather for tomorrow
8. Review calendar for tomorrow

Social Connection

1. Send an encouraging message
2. Share a grateful moment
3. Ask someone about their day
4. Give one specific compliment
5. Share something you learned
6. Check in with someone who lives alone
7. Practice active listening in one conversation
8. Share a meal with someone

Productivity Consultation

If you want more help—or help designing a system more custom for you, go ahead and book a productivity consultation