I am a reader. I surround myself with books, make reading a priority throughout my day, and consciously develop reading habits that sustain my reading life. 

I’m a writer, too. I always have a notebook close by, write on an almost-daily basis and work hard to make writing a priority.

And that takes work.

We are busy. Quite busy, actually. Work, school, home life, personal life, kids, goals, family and more. And it can be quite difficult to find time to read and write each day in the midst of all that busyness. 

But I have a secret. It’s the ONLY way I’ve successfully built multiple reading and writing routines into my daily life on a regular basis and it all starts with habits.

The Secret for Finding Time

We all engage in daily rituals and routines that determine the course of the day: how and when we wake up, get to work, fuel our bodies, keep the house clean, get our work done, take care of family members, head to bed, and many more. These habits are the unconscious tasks we engage in each day without fail and without thinking. In fact, at least 40% of our lives are made up of these unconscious habits!

The good news? 

We can more successfully build new habits into our daily lives and essentially find more time to read and write with one simple trick: stack new habits onto established habits. 

Habit Stacking

You see, each of our routines gives our brain a signal to do something next. For example, when you get out of the shower, you might automatically brush your teeth. When you sit down at dinner, you might automatically say grace with your family. Or, when you walk into the house, you take off your shoes and place them on a shoe rack (how I wish my children had that habit firmly in place!). 

This is what James Clear (2018) calls the idea “habit stacking,” and we can use habit stacking to find more time for reading and writing in our lives. Here are a few ideas that worked for me:

  • After you turn on the coffee pot each morning, sneak in a few minutes of reading or writing while the coffee brews (and then a few more taking those first heavenly sips).
  • When you grab your lunch bag and head to lunch, grab the book you’re reading and the notebook you love to jot ideas in.
  • When you hop in the car to drive to school, listen to an audiobook to pass the time.
  • When you grab the leash to walk the dog, open a writing podcast and listen to spark notebooking later on.
  • When you sink down on the couch with your phone for some mindless scrolling, grab your book or notebook on the side table instead.

Over time and practice, these routines become established routines and once they do, you can stack even more reading, writing and learning into your day to suit your personal goals. 

The Habit Stacking Challenge

Are you ready for a challenge?

  1. Make a list of all of your daily routines from the time to wake up until the time you go to bed. What are all the little, unconscious things you do each day?
  2. Now, pick one that feels right to pair with a bit of reading and/or writing.
  3. Try your newly stacked habit for one week. If it doesn’t feel right, then try a new one. 

But remember, it takes at least twenty-one days to make something a new habit, so keep at it over time and pick yourself back up if you fall off the wagon. 

You’ll likely need a bit of habit accountability, too. 

Habit Accountability

Habits can be hard to solidify, even those stacked onto established ones. So, it’s important to create a bit of accountability for yourself. Here are 3 ideas:

  1. Use a habit tracker. Print my personal habit tracker or create your own. Shade in a box each day you successfully completed your new habit and use it as motivation for the days ahead. Don’t break the streak!
  2. Set calendar events and reminders on your phone. I love using calendar events since I get notifications 30 minutes and then again at 10 minutes before the event. This reminds me not to forget the goals I have for myself. No excuses. 
  3. Use sticky notes. This is my favorite. I have sticky note reminders everywhere: on the coffee pot, my car visor, my laptop and even the bathroom mirror. Remind yourself to stick (yes, pun intended!) to your new habits until they become just that: habits. 

I’d love to know how habit-stacking works for you! Share your ideas to pair your daily routines with reading and writing in the comments. I’m always looking for new ways to innovate my reading and writing life!