Happy Stacking [Weekend WRAP 63]

Hey Reader,

This past Sunday was my 39th birthday. I had a great few days surrounded by family and friends. I went camping, hosted a party, watched football, played in the creek with my boys, ate too much carrot cake, and went to a festival.

It was jam-packed with many things that made me happy, all stacked up together for a great weekend. I was able to do more than usual because it was my birthday, but it’s a part of a greater life strategy I call “happy stacking”.

I admit, this email is very Matt-centric, but it’s my birthday and I’ll pontificate if I want to 🗣️

💡 Idea of the Week: Happy Stacking

You may have heard about habit stacking. It’s the system of taking a keystone habit and using the discipline of that habit to stack others on top of it. Exercise can lead to healthy eating, for example. It can even be more mundane, like making coffee in the morning is the habit I stack my journaling practice on.

I’ve been practicing “happy stacking” for a while now. In plain terms, this is stacking (or stuffing) as many things that make me happy into one experience. For example, here are a few things that make me happy.

❤️ Being with my family
⛰️ Being outside
🏃🏻 Exercising

On my birthday I was able to take my boys to the creek for an hour. While we hiked to the creek I lugged a good bit of weight in my GORUCK pack. Being with my boys, while outside, exercising = happy stack (and happy Matt). The day before I was with friends, eating good food, around the fire, watching football, and eating cake. Another happy stack!

I’m optimizing my life for as many happy stacks as possible. To do the same, make a list of everything you can do that makes you happy. I promise there are opportunities to stack them together and create a memorable experience.

👀 Video to Watch: 10 Simple Habits to be Happy

To help you think of simple habits and practices that lead to happiness, check out this video from a few months ago. This is my list, but I think you’ll find some inspiration there. If you want to start with the happy stacking concept, click here to jump straight to it (then watch the rest)!

🧵 Thread I Wrote: 39 Lessons from 39 Years

​I wrote a thread about 39 lessons for creators, makers, habit builders, and professional growth. Since 39 is a lot of tips (not quite 40 though), I keep them all short and to the point. I hope you find one that resonates with you.

Stack some happiness this weekend, ok?

Matt Ragland

p.s. if you have a (literal) minute to share feedback, click here.