February 3, 2025 • 15 mins
Learn more lessons from Barry in Mindful in 5!
Your career is the sum of your daily habits. The question is — are yours leading you forward or keeping you stuck in routines that don’t support your growth?
The key to success isn't drastic change or simply willpower, but rather small, intentional actions that have a big impact over time. This is called success stacking, and it's the foundation for building lasting habits in a way that feels natural, sustainable, and easy to integrate into your daily routine. In this episode, we break down the four steps to success stacking and explore how this low-pressure technique can help you stay consistent and mindful without the overwhelm.
Tune in to learn this positive approach to forming habits that stick!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Spiwe Jefferson (00:04):
Welcome to Mindful in 5, where busy
professionals find your peacefuloasis to thrive in complex work
environments.
I am Spiwe Jefferson, attorney,certified mindfulness
practitioner and author of theMindful in 5 book series, here
(00:26):
to guide you to a clearer,softer and more supported life.
Join me and your fellow mindfulninjas as we explore
science-backed mindfulnessstrategies for successful
leaders that you can implement,starting with just five minutes
a day.
(00:46):
Elevate your work, empower yourlife, work higher, live
stronger.
Let's go.
Do you find your professionalroutines clouded by inefficiency
, yearning for a clearer path togrowth and success?
A lack of intentional habitscan dim the joyful light of your
(01:10):
career progress, leaving youfeeling unsupported and
disconnected from your truepotential.
Today, our topic is habits forprofessional growth, Success
stacking for better growth.
By now, you may have abandonedthe great intentions you started
(01:34):
your new year with, so let'ssee if we can revisit your
habits and bring a clearer, morepeaceful approach to your daily
work life.
Bring a clearer, more peacefulapproach to your daily work life
.
How can we resurrect thoseabandoned habits, or at least
the abandoned ideas for all thegood habits that you thought you
were going to implement in 2025?
(01:58):
And, like the kids in thisseason's imagery, I invite you
to come at it with a beginner'smind, just like when you were a
kid Curious, trusting, authentic, creative, resilient and
optimistic.
Now imagine transforming yourworkday with purposeful routines
(02:20):
that move you towards yourcareer goals and, in fact, your
goals in general, with clarityand focus.
By cultivating the right habits, you can accelerate your
professional development withcheerful determination and clear
focus.
So let's explore a calmingtechnique I call success
(02:43):
stacking, and here's how itworks.
This is step one Identify onesmall high-impact action you can
do daily to improve some aspectof your skills or effectiveness
, approaching it with peacefulintention.
It doesn't have to be new, itcan be something you already do
(03:05):
daily, but you're doing it withintention.
Next step two commit to doingyour action each day, embracing
it with joyful consistency.
Step three once this becomesautomatic, gently add another
action, building your stack withclear purpose.
(03:29):
And then, step four continuestacking these small habits over
time, celebrating each additionwith cheerful recognition.
How about that and the focus oncheeriness?
Frankly, is because so often wejudge ourselves and we beat
ourselves up for all the thingsthat we feel we're not doing or
(03:52):
not doing correctly.
I shouldn't have said this, Ishouldn't have done that.
Oh, I wish I had done that.
Why?
I am terrible, I have abandonedmy resolutions already.
Whatever those things are,those negative messages that you
say to yourself.
The idea, as you're recommittingto a new way of setting these
(04:15):
habits, is don't look back andbeat yourself up over the things
that may have failed.
As long as there is breath inyour body, there is an
opportunity for you to pick upwhere you left off, or just pick
up again and get started.
So that actually flows into mydefinition of mindfulness, which
(04:36):
is that mindfulness is aboutbeing present in the moment,
without judgment and withoutbeing overwhelmed by what's
happening around you.
And so that whole judgmentpiece, especially the way we
judge ourselves, can sometimesbe really harsh.
And so, as you're going throughthis process, try replacing
(05:00):
that sense of self-judgment withjust being peaceful, being
cheerful, allowing yourself tobe optimistic about your effort
this time.
And if it's not successful,well, you just pick yourself up
and you keep trying until it is.
And so that takes us to stepnumber four.
(05:24):
Just continue stacking thesesmall habits over time,
celebrating each addition withcheerful recognition.
And so here is an example ofwhat this might look like.
Let's take Barry Miles, busyattorney from the Mindful in 5
book, barry took the first step,which was to decide that he was
(05:49):
going to give himself 30minutes of time to reflect and
journal every morning.
He has found that it allows himto plan and execute his days
better.
He is calmer and moreintentional in how he shows up
for his team and he is a lotless frazzled when unexpected
issues come up each day.
(06:11):
So that is his why.
For his step one, he identifieswaking up 30 minutes earlier
than his usual time as the thinghe wants to do daily.
He usually wakes up at six, sonow he wants to wake up at 530.
That's his high-impact actionthat he can do every day to
(06:36):
improve each day.
For step two, he commits todoing it each day by setting his
alarm and getting out of bed atthat time.
Well, he quickly realizes thathe can't stay up late and get up
at 5.30 and be his best.
So, even though he made hisaction automatic by setting his
(07:00):
daily alarm clock in order tofeel refreshed and ready in the
morning, he stacks his 5.30 amnew wake-up time by moving his
bedtime up by 30 minutes thenight before, which buys him the
additional 30 minutes of sleepthat he needs.
He will have to train his bodyto sleep earlier, and this is
(07:22):
not going to be automatic, butthe more he does it and the more
consistently he does it, theeasier it will become.
So for step four, he also addsa wind-down bedtime routine that
includes turning off hiselectronic gadgets one hour
before bedtime and preparing forbed so that his body more
(07:44):
easily acclimates to sleep.
This small changes approach isvalidated by studies showing
that minor behavioraladjustments, like in Barry's
case, waking up 30 minutesearlier are more sustainable
than drastic overhauls.
Habit automatically developsover time, with studies
(08:08):
indicating that habits can take18 to 254 days to form.
So, depending on what habit youare trying to develop and how
much of a leap it is from yourexisting behaviors, don't be
discouraged.
Consistency, not perfection, isthe key.
(08:28):
James Clear, author of the bookAtomic Habits, developed the
concept of habit stacking.
Developed the concept of habitstacking.
Part of the premise of habitstacking is that linking new
habits to established routinesexploits the brain's basal
ganglia, which automatesrepeated actions.
(08:49):
In our example, barry's bedtimeroutine turning off those
gadgets one hour before sleepbuilds on his existing habit of
adjusting his wake-up time,creating this chain of automatic
behaviors.
And also those of you who havebeen mindful ninjas for a while
(09:11):
and following the mindful infive approach.
What you know and what I say isthat part of the reason, for
example, you want to set up yourmorning meditation habit or
centering habit at the same timeand in the same way and
meditate in the same spot inyour home every day, is because
(09:34):
when you start to build thathabit, that muscle, your body
will automatically start to getinto that peaceful space
whenever you get into that spot,because that is what you use
that spot for all the time.
Likewise, if you get into thesame bedtime routine, as you
(09:57):
start to do those activities,whatever they are, maybe you
brush your teeth, you turn offyour phone and maybe, instead of
turning it off completely, youstart playing like really slow
and soothing music.
Or maybe you have a podcast youlike to listen to.
There are lots of podcasts youcan listen to that have bedtime
routines and when you startmaking that a habit, your body
(10:19):
will automatically start to calmdown and that makes it easier
for you to fall asleep.
Research shows that thisincremental approach to habit
formation is highly effectivefor creating lasting change,
fostering a more peaceful andsupported professional journey
(10:39):
change fostering a more peacefuland supported professional
journey.
My personal morning routine isso well established that it
feels really weird if I try toskip a step.
So even if I'm running late, Iwill still take at least five
minutes for my centering time,because if I don't I just feel
kind of off kilter for the restof the time and for the rest of
my day.
And I know it's because Ididn't take that five minutes
(11:03):
and for me it's usually morelike 30 minutes to just center
myself.
So here is a hopefullythought-provoking perspective
for your week.
Your career is the sum of yourdaily habits, each one a joyful
step towards your clearer,brighter future.
(11:23):
And in fact your whole life isthe sum of your daily habits.
So whether you're trying to setup better habits for your
workday, or for your day at home, or for your physical health or
anything else, just rememberthat one little habit that you
(11:49):
set up at a time can make amonumental difference over a
period of practice.
So for this week I invite youto choose one professional skill
that you want to improve andapply the success stacking
technique.
So here is one hopefullythought-provoking perspective.
(12:11):
Your career is the sum of yourdaily habits, each one a joyful
step towards your clearer,brighter future.
In fact, that is true of anyaspect of your life.
Your whole life is the sum ofyour daily habits.
(12:32):
So whether you're trying tochange some aspect of your
workday or your physical health,or how you show up at home,
whatever it is, just rememberthat the daily habits that you
set up, one small step at a time, can make a monumental
(12:54):
difference in what your lifelooks like at the beginning and
then at the end of this year.
So for this week, I invite youto choose one skill that you
want to improve and apply thesuccess stacking technique.
Notice how the small commitmentbrings what is hopefully a
(13:18):
softer, more supported energy toyour daily work.
Pick up your copy of either theMindful Invite book and journal
or the God Lovers edition andjournal from , and use the
learnings from Barry's journeythrough his dark dawn and day
season to fuel your ownmindfulness journey.
(13:41):
Click the link in the shownotes to pick up your copy and
start setting yourself up forclearer, more joyful success.
Just remember that your growth,whether it's professional or
personal, isn't about dramaticchanges but about consistent,
intentional actions approachedwith positive energy.
(14:03):
By focusing on habits, you areinvesting in your long-term
career success with clarity andfocus.
May your professional journeybe filled with peaceful growth
and joyful progress.
Until next week, this is Spiwesaying be mindful and be well.
James@DiscovertheVoice (14:26):
Thank you for listening to Mindful in
5.
If you enjoyed it, share itwith a friend, follow and rate
it on your favorite podcastplatform.
Pick up your signed copy of thebook and journal from
spiwejefferson.
com, or unsigned copies fromAmazon, barnes, noble or
wherever you get your books.
Visit to download samplechapters of the book, watch
(14:51):
videos and become a mindfulninja.
Join us on the LinkedIn Mindfulin 5 group and share your
thoughts.
Until next time, be mindful andbe well.
Welcome to Mindful in 5, where busy
professionals find your peacefuloasis to thrive in complex work
environments.
I am Spiwe Jefferson, attorney,certified mindfulness
practitioner and author of theMindful in 5 book series, here
(00:26):
to guide you to a clearer,softer and more supported life.
Join me and your fellow mindfulninjas as we explore
science-backed mindfulnessstrategies for successful
leaders that you can implement,starting with just five minutes
a day.
(00:46):
Elevate your work, empower yourlife, work higher, live
stronger.
Let's go.
Do you find your professionalroutines clouded by inefficiency
, yearning for a clearer path togrowth and success?
A lack of intentional habitscan dim the joyful light of your
(01:10):
career progress, leaving youfeeling unsupported and
disconnected from your truepotential.
Today, our topic is habits forprofessional growth, Success
stacking for better growth.
By now, you may have abandonedthe great intentions you started
(01:34):
your new year with, so let'ssee if we can revisit your
habits and bring a clearer, morepeaceful approach to your daily
work life.
Bring a clearer, more peacefulapproach to your daily work life
.
How can we resurrect thoseabandoned habits, or at least
the abandoned ideas for all thegood habits that you thought you
were going to implement in 2025?
(01:58):
And, like the kids in thisseason's imagery, I invite you
to come at it with a beginner'smind, just like when you were a
kid Curious, trusting, authentic, creative, resilient and
optimistic.
Now imagine transforming yourworkday with purposeful routines
(02:20):
that move you towards yourcareer goals and, in fact, your
goals in general, with clarityand focus.
By cultivating the right habits, you can accelerate your
professional development withcheerful determination and clear
focus.
So let's explore a calmingtechnique I call success
(02:43):
stacking, and here's how itworks.
This is step one Identify onesmall high-impact action you can
do daily to improve some aspectof your skills or effectiveness
, approaching it with peacefulintention.
It doesn't have to be new, itcan be something you already do
(03:05):
daily, but you're doing it withintention.
Next step two commit to doingyour action each day, embracing
it with joyful consistency.
Step three once this becomesautomatic, gently add another
action, building your stack withclear purpose.
(03:29):
And then, step four continuestacking these small habits over
time, celebrating each additionwith cheerful recognition.
How about that and the focus oncheeriness?
Frankly, is because so often wejudge ourselves and we beat
ourselves up for all the thingsthat we feel we're not doing or
(03:52):
not doing correctly.
I shouldn't have said this, Ishouldn't have done that.
Oh, I wish I had done that.
Why?
I am terrible, I have abandonedmy resolutions already.
Whatever those things are,those negative messages that you
say to yourself.
The idea, as you're recommittingto a new way of setting these
(04:15):
habits, is don't look back andbeat yourself up over the things
that may have failed.
As long as there is breath inyour body, there is an
opportunity for you to pick upwhere you left off, or just pick
up again and get started.
So that actually flows into mydefinition of mindfulness, which
(04:36):
is that mindfulness is aboutbeing present in the moment,
without judgment and withoutbeing overwhelmed by what's
happening around you.
And so that whole judgmentpiece, especially the way we
judge ourselves, can sometimesbe really harsh.
And so, as you're going throughthis process, try replacing
(05:00):
that sense of self-judgment withjust being peaceful, being
cheerful, allowing yourself tobe optimistic about your effort
this time.
And if it's not successful,well, you just pick yourself up
and you keep trying until it is.
And so that takes us to stepnumber four.
(05:24):
Just continue stacking thesesmall habits over time,
celebrating each addition withcheerful recognition.
And so here is an example ofwhat this might look like.
Let's take Barry Miles, busyattorney from the Mindful in 5
book, barry took the first step,which was to decide that he was
(05:49):
going to give himself 30minutes of time to reflect and
journal every morning.
He has found that it allows himto plan and execute his days
better.
He is calmer and moreintentional in how he shows up
for his team and he is a lotless frazzled when unexpected
issues come up each day.
(06:11):
So that is his why.
For his step one, he identifieswaking up 30 minutes earlier
than his usual time as the thinghe wants to do daily.
He usually wakes up at six, sonow he wants to wake up at 530.
That's his high-impact actionthat he can do every day to
(06:36):
improve each day.
For step two, he commits todoing it each day by setting his
alarm and getting out of bed atthat time.
Well, he quickly realizes thathe can't stay up late and get up
at 5.30 and be his best.
So, even though he made hisaction automatic by setting his
(07:00):
daily alarm clock in order tofeel refreshed and ready in the
morning, he stacks his 5.30 amnew wake-up time by moving his
bedtime up by 30 minutes thenight before, which buys him the
additional 30 minutes of sleepthat he needs.
He will have to train his bodyto sleep earlier, and this is
(07:22):
not going to be automatic, butthe more he does it and the more
consistently he does it, theeasier it will become.
So for step four, he also addsa wind-down bedtime routine that
includes turning off hiselectronic gadgets one hour
before bedtime and preparing forbed so that his body more
(07:44):
easily acclimates to sleep.
This small changes approach isvalidated by studies showing
that minor behavioraladjustments, like in Barry's
case, waking up 30 minutesearlier are more sustainable
than drastic overhauls.
Habit automatically developsover time, with studies
(08:08):
indicating that habits can take18 to 254 days to form.
So, depending on what habit youare trying to develop and how
much of a leap it is from yourexisting behaviors, don't be
discouraged.
Consistency, not perfection, isthe key.
(08:28):
James Clear, author of the bookAtomic Habits, developed the
concept of habit stacking.
Developed the concept of habitstacking.
Part of the premise of habitstacking is that linking new
habits to established routinesexploits the brain's basal
ganglia, which automatesrepeated actions.
(08:49):
In our example, barry's bedtimeroutine turning off those
gadgets one hour before sleepbuilds on his existing habit of
adjusting his wake-up time,creating this chain of automatic
behaviors.
And also those of you who havebeen mindful ninjas for a while
(09:11):
and following the mindful infive approach.
What you know and what I say isthat part of the reason, for
example, you want to set up yourmorning meditation habit or
centering habit at the same timeand in the same way and
meditate in the same spot inyour home every day, is because
(09:34):
when you start to build thathabit, that muscle, your body
will automatically start to getinto that peaceful space
whenever you get into that spot,because that is what you use
that spot for all the time.
Likewise, if you get into thesame bedtime routine, as you
(09:57):
start to do those activities,whatever they are, maybe you
brush your teeth, you turn offyour phone and maybe, instead of
turning it off completely, youstart playing like really slow
and soothing music.
Or maybe you have a podcast youlike to listen to.
There are lots of podcasts youcan listen to that have bedtime
routines and when you startmaking that a habit, your body
(10:19):
will automatically start to calmdown and that makes it easier
for you to fall asleep.
Research shows that thisincremental approach to habit
formation is highly effectivefor creating lasting change,
fostering a more peaceful andsupported professional journey
(10:39):
change fostering a more peacefuland supported professional
journey.
My personal morning routine isso well established that it
feels really weird if I try toskip a step.
So even if I'm running late, Iwill still take at least five
minutes for my centering time,because if I don't I just feel
kind of off kilter for the restof the time and for the rest of
my day.
And I know it's because Ididn't take that five minutes
(11:03):
and for me it's usually morelike 30 minutes to just center
myself.
So here is a hopefullythought-provoking perspective
for your week.
Your career is the sum of yourdaily habits, each one a joyful
step towards your clearer,brighter future.
(11:23):
And in fact your whole life isthe sum of your daily habits.
So whether you're trying to setup better habits for your
workday, or for your day at home, or for your physical health or
anything else, just rememberthat one little habit that you
(11:49):
set up at a time can make amonumental difference over a
period of practice.
So for this week I invite youto choose one professional skill
that you want to improve andapply the success stacking
technique.
So here is one hopefullythought-provoking perspective.
(12:11):
Your career is the sum of yourdaily habits, each one a joyful
step towards your clearer,brighter future.
In fact, that is true of anyaspect of your life.
Your whole life is the sum ofyour daily habits.
(12:32):
So whether you're trying tochange some aspect of your
workday or your physical health,or how you show up at home,
whatever it is, just rememberthat the daily habits that you
set up, one small step at a time, can make a monumental
(12:54):
difference in what your lifelooks like at the beginning and
then at the end of this year.
So for this week, I invite youto choose one skill that you
want to improve and apply thesuccess stacking technique.
Notice how the small commitmentbrings what is hopefully a
(13:18):
softer, more supported energy toyour daily work.
Pick up your copy of either theMindful Invite book and journal
or the God Lovers edition andjournal from , and use the
learnings from Barry's journeythrough his dark dawn and day
season to fuel your ownmindfulness journey.
(13:41):
Click the link in the shownotes to pick up your copy and
start setting yourself up forclearer, more joyful success.
Just remember that your growth,whether it's professional or
personal, isn't about dramaticchanges but about consistent,
intentional actions approachedwith positive energy.
(14:03):
By focusing on habits, you areinvesting in your long-term
career success with clarity andfocus.
May your professional journeybe filled with peaceful growth
and joyful progress.
Until next week, this is Spiwesaying be mindful and be well.
James@DiscovertheVoice (14:26):
Thank you for listening to Mindful in
5.
If you enjoyed it, share itwith a friend, follow and rate
it on your favorite podcastplatform.
Pick up your signed copy of thebook and journal from
spiwejefferson.
com, or unsigned copies fromAmazon, barnes, noble or
wherever you get your books.
Visit to download samplechapters of the book, watch
(14:51):
videos and become a mindfulninja.
Join us on the LinkedIn Mindfulin 5 group and share your
thoughts.
Until next time, be mindful andbe well.
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