Introduction

I see you over there teacherpreneur! Yea you, trying to do all the things and then feeling horrible when you falter. Take a breath, it is going to be okay. You have help.

As an entrepreneur and teacher myself, I know that creating and sticking to habits can feel all too overwhelming a process that never seems to work. But, over time, I learned that shame and guilt was getting me nowhere. Now, it's your turn.

In this post I'll go over some best practices for creating new habits (including Habit Stacking), explaining how habit stacking works in more detail than my previous posts (here and here). We'll also talk about how tracking your progress can help you keep going throughout the process!

What is Habit Tracking?

Habit tracking is a way to measure the progress of your habits. It can be as simple as writing down what you did on a calendar, in a journal, or in an app. Then you can see how often you’re doing it and if there are any patterns that emerge.

One of the best reasons to track your habits is accountability. Tracking allows you to see if you are moving forward. If you don’t track, it’s easy to get discouraged when a month goes by and nothing seems different in your life. You might find that if you have to write it down every day, then maybe it’s not such a good idea!

Tracking can also help you identify patterns and see what works, what doesn’t work, who influences your behavior and more.

What is Habit Stacking

You may have heard the term “habit stacking” or “habit stacking routine.” Habit stacking is a way to stack two or more habits together in order to make positive changes in your life. 

Habit stacking is the process of creating a series of habits that help you achieve your goals. It's a great way to make your life easier, get more done in less time, and ultimately achieve the results you're looking for.

When habit stacking, you want to consider the following:

1. Make it Easy
1. Choose a task so small that it is in its most simplistic version. For instance, instead of saying that you are going to do something really complex such as “I want to start the habit of a fully skin care morning routine,” you can instead focus on one part at a time. Start with something simple, like add lotion. 
2. Put it in view
1. In order to make it easier to follow through with this new habit, put the items you need in clear view. This will be a visual reminder and make it easier to complete the task. 
3. Attach it to something you already do everyday
1. In order to habit stack, you need to attach the new habit to something you already do everyday. So in this example, you might start your morning with brushing your teeth like you normally do, and have the lotion right next to the toothbrush, so that it is easy to grab the bottle and use that step. Then, continue to add on different tasks when you are ready.

In your business, this may look like creating systems and routines for different aspects of your business, such as batching emails or blogs or social media marketing.

How to Create Habits the Easy Way

To create a habit, you need to start small. You can't just decide to make something into a daily ritual: it needs to be something that's easy and convenient for you. It should also be something that makes you feel good. If the activity isn't enjoyable, then there's no way it will stick around for very long!

You want your new habit to be one of those things that are no-brainers—the type of thing where you don't even have to remind yourself about them because they're always on autopilot.

So instead of trying to change every single thing in your life at once, start with what seems most fitting at this point in time. Maybe this means taking an extra 30 minutes out of your day each weeknight after work instead of watching Netflix; maybe it means walking around the block with friends on Friday nights before going out; maybe it means eating breakfast three times per week instead of only eating fast food all weekend long… whatever works best for YOU!

Make sure these new behaviors fit into whatever schedule works best for YOU (and obviously avoid anything that interferes with other important obligations). Be careful not overcommit yourself either though—it'll only cause stress later down the line when things fall through due course!

Keep your business and personal life organized and balanced by stacking habits.

Habit stacking is a way to create habits by pairing them together. It's like creating a task list, but instead of grouping tasks by their time or location, you group them by how they're related to one another. This can be especially useful for those that have executive dysfunction where visual cues and tasks that you already do can be easily grouped together. Executive functioning is all about starting tasks, so the easier we can make that start (like starting with something that is already easy), the easier the routine will be to stick with/complete.

Conclusion

We all have different goals, but most of us want to be more organized and productive, especially in business. By stacking habits, you can create routines that help you reach your goals in less time and with less stress. You don’t need expensive apps or fancy equipment—just a pen and paper will do!

If you would like to see more resources for teacherpreneurs about business tips and promoting better stress management as teacher authors, check out my FREE Teacherpreneur Resource Hub here.