Re-stacking Habits

Using treats for the simple machine

I’ve been writing about getting back into the groove since getting ill. So for I’ve reclaimed an evening routine. And started hitting the studio in the morning. Which gives me those sweet high focus morning hours.

Today I’m I’m reclaiming the Morning pages.

The morning pages, is the foundational piece to a stack of daily habits I do. This is what the stack looks like:

1. Eat Protein bar

2. Make Coffee

3. Write Morning pages

4. Read bookstack

5. Write Notes

6. Write newsletter

7. Sketch

The brain is a simple machine; 1 and 2 are treats to make sure the habit happens.

3 and 4 is work. In the morning pages I’m examining my thoughts, what’s floating around in there. Sometimes I ask questions. (Some might call that praying) , from these floating and praying I might end up with 3-5 ideas. Maybe for today, or next week or next year. I write them down, for when I need them

Reading is about pulling my thinking up to the level of some thinkers I admire. I dip into a small but balanced pile of books and pick out another 3-5 ideas. I write them now for when I need them.

I write the newsletter, normally on the topic of one of the 6-10 Ideas I’ve collected. Sometimes I share the idea wholesale.

The cherry on top of this whole Habit stack is to make a sketch.

Items 5,6,7 produce what I call intellectual capital. Ready to use building blocks for future creative work.

That’s my morning Habit Stack. It’s easy to begin the whole routine, and once it’s started it’s easy to stack the others on top of it.

Do you have habits that are stacked or chained together?