Habit Stacking: How to Build Routines That Stick Using the CHANGE Framework

We’ve all been there: Sunday night rolls around, and you’re fired up. You’ve decided that starting Monday, you’re going to wake up at 5:00 AM, hit the gym for ninety minutes, drink a gallon of water, and read fifty pages of a dense business book.

By Tuesday, you’re hitting snooze. By Thursday, you’re back to your old routine, feeling like you’ve failed yet again.

The problem isn't your willpower. The problem is your strategy. In the world of personal transformation, motivation is a spark, but habits are the fuel. If you want to see real, lasting results: whether in your personal life or your professional career: you need a framework that respects how the human brain actually works.

In his transformational book, CHANGE, Brad Young outlines a comprehensive roadmap for growth built on six pillars: Communication, Habits, Attitude, Network, Goals, and Education. Today, we’re diving deep into the Habits pillar and exploring how a technique called Habit Stacking can help you bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

The Habits Pillar: The Engine of the CHANGE Framework

In the CHANGE framework, habits are more than just repetitive actions; they are the "direct correlation" to your success. As Brad Young notes, if you aren’t hitting your goals, the first place you should look is your daily log.

Most people treat habits as isolated events. They try to "get healthy" or "work harder" without looking at the underlying architecture of their day. The Habits pillar teaches us to:

1. Awareness: Log what you actually do (the good, the bad, and the ugly).

2. Alignment: Ensure those daily actions actually lead to the goals you’ve set.

3. Accountability: Own the routine, rather than letting the routine own you.

But how do you actually build a new habit when your current life is already packed? That’s where Habit Stacking comes in.

Strategy 1: The Habit Stacking Formula

The concept of habit stacking is simple: you take a new behavior you want to adopt and "stack" it on top of an "anchor" habit: something you already do every single day without thinking.

Your brain has already built strong neural pathways for things like brushing your teeth, pouring your morning coffee, or checking your email. Instead of trying to create a new habit out of thin air, you "piggyback" on these existing pathways.

The Formula: "After I [Current Habit], I will [New Habit]."

• Example for Professionals: "After I close my laptop at the end of the day, I will write down my top three priorities for tomorrow."

• Example for Personal Growth: "After I pour my first cup of coffee, I will read two pages of CHANGE by Brad Young."

By linking the new behavior to an established cue, you remove the "decision fatigue" that kills most routines. You don’t have to wonder when you’ll do it. The anchor habit tells you when it’s time.

Strategy 2: The Science of 66 Days

There is a common myth that it takes 21 days to form a habit. While that’s a nice, round number, research from University College London (Phillippa Lally et al.) suggests a different reality. On average, it takes about 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.

This "66-day median" is a game-changer for your mindset. If you’re struggling in week three, you haven't failed; you’re simply in the middle of the construction process.

In the CHANGE framework, we emphasize consistency over duration. It is far better to do a five-minute habit every day for 66 days than to do a two-hour session once a week. We are looking for the minimum effective dose that keeps the streak alive. Which leads us to the next strategy...

Strategy 3: Minimal Viable Behavior (MVB)

Most people fail because their "New Habit" is too big. They try to go from zero to sixty in one day. To make a habit stick, you need to identify your Minimal Viable Behavior (MVB).

An MVB is the smallest, simplest version of a habit that you can perform even on your worst day.

• Instead of "Work out for an hour," your MVB is "Put on my gym shoes."

• Instead of "Mediate for 20 minutes," your MVB is "Take three deep breaths."

• Instead of "Write a chapter of my book," your MVB is "Write one sentence."

The goal of the MVB isn't to get the work done; it’s to protect the habit. Once you’ve mastered the art of showing up, you have the permission to scale. In the context of the Business Growth Rotation, these small, consistent wins build the momentum necessary for high-level decision-making and leadership.

Strategy 4: Context Engineering

In CHANGE, Brad Young highlights how your Network and environment affect your habits. You are a product of your surroundings. If you want to change your habits, you must change your context.

Context Engineering is the deliberate design of your environment to make good habits easy and bad habits hard.

• Reduce Friction: If you want to work out in the morning, lay your clothes out the night before.

• Increase Friction: If you want to stop checking social media at work, put your phone in another room.

• Social Context: Spend more time with people whose "default" habits are the ones you want to acquire. If your network is focused on growth and education, you will naturally drift toward those behaviors.

Strategy 5: The Iterative Mindset

One of the most powerful aspects of the CHANGE framework is the Iterative Mindset. We don't view a missed day as a failure; we view it as data.

If you find that your habit stack isn't working, ask yourself why:

• Is the anchor habit too inconsistent?

• Is the new habit too big (needs a smaller MVB)?

• Is the environment working against me?

In the Business Decision Making world, we call this a "pivot." You take the information you've gathered from your daily log and you adjust. This is how you build a life that is resilient, adaptable, and constantly improving.

Bringing it All Together: The CHANGE Book

Real transformation isn't an accident. It's the result of a proven system. Brad Young's book CHANGE provides that system, offering a roadmap for anyone ready to take control of their future.

By focusing on the Habits pillar: and utilizing habit stacking, the 66-day window, and context engineering: you aren't just changing what you do. You are changing who you are.

The Business Growth Rotation depends on individuals who have mastered their own routines. When you control your morning, you control your day. When you control your day, you control your business.

Ready to start your stack?

1. Pick one anchor habit you already do.

2. Define one Minimal Viable Behavior (MVB) that aligns with your goal.

3. Commit to the stack for the next 66 days.

To learn more about the six pillars of transformation, pick up your copy of CHANGE today and start building the life you were meant to lead.

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