Unlock the power of domino habits: small behaviors that create a chain reaction of good habits so you can turn your life around and crush any goal.

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Do you make your bed every morning?

It’s one of the first things that I do to start my day.

Making my bed gives me that one thing that I’m in control of that I was able to accomplish.

This seemingly small achievement builds momentum for a more productive day.

My morning ritual is not jam-packed with deep work like the productivity gurus preach. No cold plunges. I’m not sunbathing my butthole.

Instead it’s a slower way to start my day.

An early morning walk.

Some writing.

A little bit of nonfiction reading.

Mindfulness.

And then right around the time to get the kids up for the day, I’ll make the bed.

After I make the bed, I jump right into my morning mobility routine that happens while my coffee brews and as my kids are emerging from their slumber.

If you’re paying close attention, you’ll notice how I’ve built my own little routine. And I’ve done so by building momentum.

One small behavior leads into the next.

This is the power of building what we call domino habits. Habits that build off of each other to create momentum.

Today you’re going to learn this powerful approach to building better habits and getting more things done in less time.

Let’s get into it.

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What are Domino Habits?

“A domino habit is a special kind of habit that sets off a positive or negative chain reaction of other habits.”

For example:

You may notice that when you start exercising that you are more naturally drawn to eating a healthier meal after that workout.

Researchers at the University of Texas found this is actually quite common:

“Scientists found that after exercising for several weeks, formerly sedentary study participants were more likely to choose foods like lean meats, fruits and vegetables, while preferences for fried foods, sodas and other unhealthy options decreased.”

The workout is the domino habit leading to better eating behaviors.

This is why one of the first things I’d do with new students of my online fitness/nutrition coaching programming was encouraging movement.

Get moving and let the dominos fall toward healthier eating.

Unfortunately, Domino Habits work in the negative, too

Let’s say you stayed up late binge-watching episodes of Severance. It’s now 2:00 a.m. and you’re exhausted.

Chances are you’re going to be sluggish in the morning and need to mainline more coffee just to make it through your endless meetings. Only to crash later in the afternoon.

Maybe your work quality suffers as a result.

Or you get home so exhausted from the long day at work that you end up lashing out at your kids.

One small behavior change led to a series of changes.

Using Domino Habits to create a chain reaction

My student Shelly is a single mom of two and was having trouble developing the right behavioral systems to get in better shape.

Instead of overhauling her entire life, we looked for the anchor habit that would be the first domino in a chain reaction of positive healthy habits.

Every morning, Shelly had to walk the dog. Awesome. That’s our anchor.

We used the power of habit stacking to take that anchor habit and turn it into the catalyst for a lifestyle transformation.

After walking the dog, since she was already dressed, I had Shelly immediately perform a few sets of bodyweight squats.

That’s it.

From there, she was to eat a well-balanced breakfast (we kept her “workouts” to that one set of squats at first to build momentum and bake in that routine).

After a few weeks, I added more layers to the bodyweight squats and it eventually evolved into a full-body strength routine.

Starting the day like this encouraged Shelly to keep up the momentum throughout her day.

She developed a couple of healthy lunches that she could rotate through during her frantic work week.

And then Shelly added another walk with her kids in the evenings with the dog.

She’s lost weight.

But even more importantly, Shelly’s gained a ton of confidence knowing that she has a system to keep her consistent with her new healthy lifestyle.

One small behavior change (adding in some squats) led to a domino effect of additional behaviors.

How to make Domino Habits work for you

You have control over the chain reaction of habits.

The first step is to figure out what you want to do in the first place. Where are you trying to improve and how can you break those big lofty goals down into smaller, more attainable habits?

Let’s say you are trying to lose weight. That’s a great goal, but not specific or actionable.

Break down the idea of weight loss into the required habits that result in actually losing weight.

Go for a walk.

Add some protein to each meal.

Perform bodyweight squats.

Start a workout routine.

Behavioral goals allow you to track your progress and consistency.

It’s the consistent effort that leads to long-term behavior change and actual sustainable results.

The rule of momentum

Think about the little behaviors you can execute to spark the chain reaction.

This doesn’t necessarily have to be specific to your overall big lofty goal. You are just looking for a spark to get you moving.

A behavior that can eventually lead you to performing that goal-specific behavior.

Domino habits that work:

Make your bed

Apparently, 45-percent of Americans do not make their beds every day and 7-percent report never making it at all.

Making your bed is the easiest “win” you can get to start your day and build that momentum. It’s low-hanging fruit. An open court layup.

“If you make your bed every morning, you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another.”

— U.S. Navy Admiral SEAL William H. McCraven, commencement speech at the University of Texas

Developing a sleep ritual

Just like infants that need a sleep routine to encourage a full night of rest, adults need the same. It promotes less anxiety and a more restful slumber.

A well-rested mommy or daddy is less likely to lose patience with their kids.

Getting quality consistent sleep also regulates better hormonal function and you’ll be less likely to lean on comfort snacky foods or have that mid-afternoon crash of energy.

Daily walk

Use this as a catalyst to create those chain reaction domino habits, like my student Shelly.

Or you can use it more like I do as a way to ignite a more intentional morning routine.

Maybe your walk comes at lunchtime as a break from the office where you then return with a healthy meal.

Most of these domino habit examples are big lever-moving behaviors. But this can work in the micro, too.

A domino habit when you’re feeling stuck can be as simple as washing dishes.

When I’m feeling less than motivated to do much of anything, I’ll use something small and mindless like folding laundry or straightening up the living room.

It just gets me physically up and moving.

Never overlook the power of momentum

You may have been so laser-focused on parenting, career and just staying afloat that you lost sight of your bigger loftier goals and dreams for life.

But I’m here to tell you that they are attainable.

You have the tools at your disposal to turn your entire life around.

One habit at a time.

You just need to get started, ignite the chain reaction of behaviors and watch the magic happen.

I hope you found this useful. If so, I’d appreciate it if you sent this newsletter to one person you think would benefit from my writing today.

And if you’re new here and enjoyed this newsletter, I’d be honored if you subscribed for more at this link.

And as always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

I answer all of my emails at pete [at] petecataldo [.] com … Hit me up with the subject line “domino habits” and I’ll answer any questions you have to make this work for you.

Until next time,
Pete