Habit stacking is the secret weapon for completing the 75 Medium Challenge without relying on willpower alone. Based on concepts from James Clear's Atomic Habits and supported by neuroplasticity research from the NIH, this technique chains new behaviors to existing habits, making them nearly automatic. Here's how to build unbreakable routines for your 75-day journey.
What is Habit Stacking?
Habit stacking is a behavioral strategy where you link a new habit to an existing one using the formula: "After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT]."
Instead of building each of your 6 daily 75 Medium tasks as separate habits (which requires 6x the willpower), you chain them together so one naturally triggers the next.
The 75 Medium Challenge Tasks
- 🏋️ 45-minute workout
- 🥗 Follow your diet (with 22 flex meals allowed)
- 💧 Drink your water goal
- 📖 Read 10+ pages
- 🧘 5-10 minutes mindfulness
- 📸 Take a progress photo
Rather than deciding when to do each task throughout the day, habit stacking removes the decision entirely.
💡 The Key Insight
Every habit you already have—waking up, brushing teeth, eating lunch, coming home from work—can become a trigger for a 75 Medium task. The more you stack, the easier it becomes.
The Science Behind Habit Stacking
Habit stacking works because of how our brains form neural pathways. According to research from the American Psychological Association, when we repeatedly perform actions in sequence, the brain creates stronger connections between those behaviors.
Synaptic Pruning
Your brain is constantly optimizing itself through a process called synaptic pruning. Neural pathways that are used frequently become stronger, while unused ones weaken. By stacking habits, you:
- Leverage existing pathways: Your established habits already have strong neural connections
- Build upon momentum: Completing one task primes your brain for the next
- Reduce decision fatigue: No willpower needed to decide "when" or "what next"
- Create compound effects: Each successful completion reinforces the entire chain
The Habit Loop
Every habit follows a loop: Cue ? Routine ? Reward
In habit stacking, the completion of one habit becomes the cue for the next. The reward of checking off a task provides positive reinforcement for the entire sequence.
Traditional Approach (6 separate decisions):
Morning: Should I work out? ? Decision ? Maybe
Later: Should I read? ? Decision ? Maybe
Evening: Should I meditate? ? Decision ? Maybe
(Each requires willpower)
Habit Stacking Approach (1 trigger, automatic flow):
Wake up ? Water ? Workout ? Photo ? Mindfulness ? Reading at lunch
(One trigger starts the entire chain)
The Habit Stacking Formula
Use this exact template to create your stacks:
After I [CURRENT HABIT], I will [75 MEDIUM TASK].
After I [75 MEDIUM TASK], I will [NEXT ITEM].
Example Full Stack
After I wake up, I will drink 500ml of water.
After I drink water, I will put on my workout clothes.
After I put on workout clothes, I will exercise for 45 minutes.
After I finish my workout, I will take my progress photo.
After I take my photo, I will meditate for 5 minutes.
After I meditate, I will shower and prepare a healthy breakfast.
Keys to Effective Stacking
- Be specific: Not "after I wake up" but "after my alarm goes off and I sit up"
- Make it obvious: Set up your environment the night before
- Keep the chain tight: No gaps between stack items
- Start small: Begin with 2-3 items before building to full stacks
Morning Stack Examples
Most successful 75 Medium completers front-load their day. Here are proven morning stacks:
The Early Bird Stack (5:30 AM Wake)
⏰ 5:30 AM - Alarm rings
↓
💧 Drink 500ml water (pre-placed by bed)
↓
🧘 5-minute meditation (using app like Headspace)
↓
👕 Put on workout clothes (laid out last night)
↓
🏋️ 45-minute workout
↓
📸 Progress photo (same spot, same lighting)
↓
🚿 Shower + healthy breakfast (diet-compliant)
↓
📖 Read 10+ pages during breakfast
By 7:30 AM: 5/6 tasks DONE ✅
Remaining: Just stay on diet through the day
The Split Stack (If You Can't Morning Workout)
⏰ 6:30 AM - Wake up
↓
💧 Drink water + take supplements
↓
📸 Progress photo (best lighting in morning)
↓
🧘 5-minute breathing exercise
↓
🥗 Healthy breakfast (diet-compliant)
↓
📖 Commute + audiobook (counts toward reading*)
*Check: 15-20 min audiobook ≈ 10 pages equivalent
🏋️ WORKOUT STACK (Lunch or After Work):
After I park at the gym, I will turn off my phone.
After workout, I will log it in my tracker.
The Minimalist Morning Stack
For those with limited morning time:
⏰ Wake up
↓
💧 Water (16 oz immediately)
↓
📸 Progress photo (30 seconds)
↓
📝 2-minute gratitude journaling
↓
Ready for the day
Total time: 5 minutes
Remaining tasks spread throughout day
Evening Stack Examples
Evening stacks are great for tasks that are harder to fit in the morning.
The Wind-Down Stack
🥗 After dinner (diet-compliant meal)
↓
💧 Final water top-up (if not at goal)
↓
📖 30 minutes reading (no screens)
↓
🧘 10-minute meditation/prayer
↓
📝 Journal: Review today, plan tomorrow
↓
✅ Prep tomorrow: clothes out, water ready, bag packed
↓
😴 Sleep by 10 PM
The After-Work Stack
🏠 After I arrive home from work
↓
👕 Immediately change into workout clothes (don't sit down!)
↓
💧 Drink 500ml water
↓
🏋️ 45-minute workout (before anything else)
↓
📸 Progress photo
↓
🚿 Shower
↓
🥗 Prepare dinner (diet-compliant)
↓
📖 Read while eating (or after)
Critical: DO NOT sit on couch between arriving home and workout
Building Your Personal Stack
Follow this step-by-step process to create your optimal stack:
Step 1: Audit Your Current Habits
List everything you do automatically every day:
- Wake up
- Check phone (try to eliminate or delay this)
- Use bathroom
- Brush teeth
- Make coffee/tea
- Eat breakfast
- Shower
- Commute
- Lunch break
- Arrive home from work
- Eat dinner
- Watch TV / relax
- Brush teeth (night)
- Get into bed
These are your anchor habits—they're already automatic.
Step 2: Map Your 75 Medium Tasks
Decide when each task fits best:
| Task | Duration | Best Time | Stack After |
|---|---|---|---|
| 💧 Water | Ongoing | Throughout day | Wake up, meals, workouts |
| 🏋️ Workout | 45 min | Morning or after work | Wake up OR arrive home |
| 🥗 Diet | All meals | Meal times | N/A (ongoing) |
| 📖 Reading | 15-30 min | Morning, lunch, or bed | Breakfast, lunch, or bedtime |
| 🧘 Mindfulness | 5-10 min | Morning or evening | Wake up, post-workout, or bedtime |
| 📸 Photo | 1 min | Morning (best light) | After wake up or post-workout |
Step 3: Write Your Stack Script
Create your personalized stack using the formula. Be extremely specific:
📋 My 75 Medium Morning Stack
After my alarm goes off at _____ AM, I will immediately sit up.
After I sit up, I will drink _____ ml of water from the bottle on my nightstand.
After I drink water, I will _____________________________.
After I ________________, I will _____________________________.
After I ________________, I will _____________________________.
After I ________________, I will _____________________________.
After I ________________, I will _____________________________.
Step 4: Set Up Your Environment
Design your space to make the stack effortless:
- ✅ Water bottle filled and by your bed
- ✅ Workout clothes laid out (shoes included)
- ✅ Gym bag packed and by the door
- ✅ Book on your nightstand or breakfast table
- ✅ Meditation app downloaded and ready
- ✅ Progress photo spot identified with good lighting
- ✅ Diet-compliant foods prepped and visible
Common Stacking Mistakes
Mistake 1: Making Stacks Too Long
Problem: Trying to stack 10+ items before you've mastered 3
Fix: Start with 2-3 item stacks. Add one new item per week.
Mistake 2: Vague Triggers
Problem: "After I wake up, I'll work out" (too vague)
Fix: "After I put on my running shoes that are next to my bed, I will walk to the door to start my run"
Mistake 3: Ignoring Energy Levels
Problem: Stacking a hard workout after a mentally exhausting work day
Fix: Match task difficulty to your energy. Front-load hard tasks when energy is high.
Mistake 4: No Recovery in Stack
Problem: Back-to-back demanding tasks without breaks
Fix: Include brief transitions. "After workout, I will drink water and stretch for 2 minutes before showering."
Mistake 5: Perfectionism
Problem: If one item fails, the whole stack collapses
Fix: Build "restart points" into your stack. If you miss morning workout, have an evening backup trigger.
Stacking for Busy Schedules
Even the busiest people can complete 75 Medium with strategic stacking.
The Executive Stack (Limited Time)
4:45 AM Wake + water + photo
5:00 AM Gym workout (45 min)
5:50 AM Meditation in car (5 min before driving)
6:00 AM Commute with audiobook
12:00 PM Lunch (diet-compliant)
Throughout: Water intake
6:30 PM Dinner (diet-compliant)
9:00 PM Read physical book (10 pages)
9:30 PM Sleep
Key: Everything done before the workday begins
The Parent Stack (Kids + Chaos)
5:00 AM Wake before kids (this is crucial!)
5:05 AM Water + photo + meditation
5:15 AM Home workout (kids sleep until 6)
6:00 AM Shower while partner takes morning shift
OR workout during kids' activity time
12:00 PM Read during lunch break / audiobook during commute
Throughout: Desktop water bottle always visible
Evening Diet-compliant family dinner
Key: Wake before household chaos. Protect this time fiercely.
The Student Stack
7:00 AM Wake + water + photo
7:10 AM Campus gym workout
OR walk to class (counts if 45+ min total)
Read between classes
12:00 PM Diet-compliant packed lunch
5:00 PM After last class: Meditation in library
Evening Continue reading + meal prep
Refill water bottle at every building
Key: Use campus resources (gym, walking, library quiet spaces)
See more tips for busy schedules ?
Using Anchor Habits
Anchor habits are your strongest existing routines. Use them as triggers.
Common Anchor Habits & What to Stack
| Anchor Habit | Stack This 75 Medium Task |
|---|---|
| Morning alarm | Drink water, take progress photo |
| First bathroom visit | Weigh yourself (optional), drink water |
| Making morning coffee | Review day's plan, fill water bottle |
| Lunch break start | Read 10 pages, fill water bottle |
| Arriving home | Change into workout clothes (trigger) |
| After dinner | Evening walk, read, or meditate |
| Before bed routine | Journaling/meditation, read, prep tomorrow |
| Brushing teeth (night) | Lay out tomorrow's workout clothes |
Making Anchors Stronger
- Same time every day: Consistency builds the neural pathway
- Same location: Environmental cues reinforce the habit
- Same sequence: Never deviate from the order
- Reward immediately: Check off in tracker right after completion
Week-by-Week Implementation
Don't try to implement everything on Day 1. Build gradually.
Before Day 1: Preparation Week
- Write out your ideal stacks
- Set up your environment
- Practice waking at your target time
- Do trial runs of each task separately
Week 1: Foundation
- Focus on 2-3 item morning stack only
- Example: Wake ? Water ? Workout
- Let other tasks happen whenever
- Don't stress about perfect timing
Week 2: Expansion
- Add 1-2 items to morning stack
- Example: Wake ? Water ? Workout ? Photo ? Meditation
- Start building evening stack (1-2 items)
Week 3: Integration
- Full morning stack operational
- Full evening stack operational
- Focus on consistency, not perfection
Week 4+: Optimization
- Fine-tune timing
- Adjust based on what's working
- Stack should feel nearly automatic
- By Day 21, habits are forming strong neural pathways
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Problem: I keep hitting snooze
Solutions:
- Put phone/alarm across the room
- Use an alarm app that requires solving puzzles
- Sleep earlier (non-negotiable for early wake-ups)
- Place water bottle on alarm to trigger first stack item
Problem: My stack breaks if one thing goes wrong
Solutions:
- Build multiple "entry points" into your stack
- If morning fails, have afternoon stack ready
- Create "minimum viable" versions of each stack
Problem: Weekends throw off my routine
Solutions:
- Keep wake time within 1 hour of weekday
- Have separate "weekend stack" that's more flexible
- Front-load tasks before weekend activities
Problem: Travel disrupts everything
Solutions:
- Create a "travel stack" ahead of time
- Use hotel gym or pack resistance bands
- Audiobooks for reading during travel
- Meditation apps work anywhere
🧠 The Ultimate Stack Mindset
Your stack is your system. Trust the system. On days when motivation is low, the system carries you. You don't have to feel like working out—you just follow the stack. The stack removes decision-making. The stack is your secret weapon for completing all 75 days.