Stacked for Impact: How to Multiply Growth Without Adding Time

I’ve always hated downtime.

Not the sabbath kind. Rest is biblical, bro.

I’m talking about the random 7 minutes waiting for coffee to brew  or while your wife "just grabs one more thing" before leaving the house (we both know it’s not just one thing).

I’m wired to make those in-between moments count.

Not with frantic multitasking, but with intentional habit stacking.

Meaning, the art of attaching one meaningful action to another, so that you grow stronger, wiser, or more aligned with your calling while doing what you were already going to do.

Most people let routines run on autopilot.

I treat routines like real estate:

“If I’m already here, what else can I build on top of this?”

What Is Habit Stacking?

Let me pause real quick to clarify something... especially if you read last week’s piece on Just-in-Time Learning.

That article encouraged you not to binge on learning content unless you planned to use it in the next 7 days.

So is this a contradiction?

Not at all.

Habit stacking isn’t about flooding your brain with more content.

It’s about using your dead time wisely—and in small doses that support your current priorities.

If you're preparing a sermon series on spiritual warfare, then listening to a podcast on Ephesians 6 while folding laundry isn’t overkill...

It’s reinforcement.

Same goes for brushing your teeth while listening to a teaching on leadership.

If you're leading a staff retreat this weekend, that’s not distraction. That’s sharpening your sword while tying your sandals.

The filter still stands: if the input won’t be used soon, skip it.

BUT...

If it aligns with what you’re already acting on, stack it in.

Don’t hoard info. Use it to fuel motion.

Habit stacking is simple:
Take a habit you already do without thinking.
Then attach a second habit that supports your bigger goals...

Whether spiritual, physical, relational, or vocational.

James Clear popularized the concept in Atomic Habits, but biblical wisdom has hinted at it for centuries:

“Bind these words as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” (Deut 6:8)
God knew: what you repeat, you remember—and where you repeat it matters.

This isn’t multitasking.

I’m not suggesting you read Revelation while doing taxes.

(That would be one way to experience the Tribulation early, assuming you're the Millennial camp that would even believe we're gonna go through it.)

This is about pairing low-effort actions with high-return habits.

Here are a few real-life ways I've stacked:

My Favorite Habit Stacks

1. Commuting + Training

If I’m in the car, I’m learning stuff like communication skills, digital strategy, teaching frameworks, online business.

It’s a rolling seminary and MBA.

It’s also how over the years I picked up digital marketing, social media, persuasive communication, church growth and business development—skills I’ve been paid for, even if just in a consulting role.

The paper on my wall says M.Div. but I'd trade it any day for my countless hours attending Automobile University.

(If you see me in traffic looking intense, I'm probably in a mental jiu-jitsu match with a content strategy coach.)

2. Working Out + Learning

The gym isn’t just for strength gains.

I layer on podcasts and YouTube content about leadership, theology, and productivity—anything that sharpens the mind while I strengthen the body.

That’s whole-person optimization.

Squats + Spurgeon.

Deadlifts + Drucker.

Leg extensions with Nee in my ear...

(Watchman Nee. See what I did there?)

You get the idea.

3. Waiting in Line + Prayer

I keep a physical list (on cards, and copies on my phone) of names and needs.

Target's checkout becomes intercession.

Sam's Club lines become ministry moments.

TSA screening?

That’s intercessory warfare.

4. Evening TV + Mobility

TV time might mean I’m foam rolling, stretching, or loosening up tight shoulders.

Imagine Pilates meets Prime Video—there’s movement, there’s drama, and occasionally there’s popcorn.

5. Getting Dressed + Audio Input

While buttoning a shirt or lacing up shoes, I’m catching up on Scripture or a short news briefing.

MorningWire gives me what I need, without dragging me into Big Media drama.

The YouVersion Bible app's audio feature is there for a reason. Use it.

The Habit Stacking Philosophy

Here’s the bigger idea:

Life is made of routines. Most people waste them.

Your routine can become a rhythm of reinforcement.

A structure that supports the kind of life you’re called to live.

It’s not about doing more.

It’s about choosing the right pairings that compound over time.

Like this:

• Pair something physical with something mental.
• Pair something repetitive with something reflective.
• Pair something necessary with something nourishing.

You don’t need to overhaul your schedule.

You just need to exploit the cracks...

Those 5, 10, 15-minute windows most people throw away scrolling or sighing. (Or watching people put clothes on squirrels.)

Make It Personal

Want to build a side hustle?

• Attach 10 minutes of market research to your morning coffee.
• Listen to a course every time you unload the dishwasher. (You’re already standing there pretending it’s cardio.)

Want to deepen your walk with God?

• Pray during walks. (And walk more, brother.)
• Meditate on a Psalm while stretching your back. Bonus: fewer back spasms while preaching.

Want to reclaim your energy and health?

• Add a standing desk or treadmill workstation.
• Keep a resistance band by the TV. Bonus: you’ll be one step closer to convincing your church directory photographer you don’t need retakes.

Bottom Line

The world’s always pushing us toward distraction.

Habit stacking is how you push back with purpose, structure, and leverage.

It’s the difference between being productive…

...and just being busy while holding a half-eaten granola bar wondering where your day went.

Stack wisely, Pastor.

Because your time is too sacred—and too short—for wasted loops, missed reps, and another Wednesday where all you did was reply to emails and eat snacks.

Let’s stack it like it matters.

Because it does.

More Resources To Help You Optimize

🥤Momentum Shake: The Complete Longevity Shake for Optimal Health

🎥 Sermon Shots: Repurpose Sermons Into Clips & Other Engaging Content in Minutes

💊 My (Scott's) full supplement regimen