E veryone knows that it takes 28 days to develop a new habit, or perhaps 21, or 18, depending on who you ask; anyway, the point is that it's a specific number, which makes it sound scientific and thus indisputably true.
We probably owe this particular example of pop-psychology wisdom to Maxwell Maltz , the plastic surgeon who wrote the 60s bestseller Psycho-Cybernetics. He claimed to have observed that amputees took an average of only 21 days to adjust to the loss of a limb. Therefore, he reasoned — deploying the copper-bottomed logic we've come to expect from self-help — the same must be true of all big changes.
And therefore it must take 21 days to change a habit, maybe, perhaps! But how, exactly, do we rewire our habits once they have congealed into daily routines? When he became interested in how long it takes for us to form or change a habit, psychologist Jeremy Dean found himself bombarded with the same magic answer from popular psychology websites and advice columns: 21 days. He cites one influential study that gives a more concrete answer to the elusive question of how long it takes for a new habit to take root:.
In a study carried out at University College London, 96 participants were asked to choose an everyday behavior that they wanted to turn into a habit. And it helps illuminate the real question at the heart of this inquiry: How long did it actually take for people to form a habit? You will likely find yourself making progress without becoming overwhelmed.
Available in editable Word or PDF. So try and find something that takes you only five minutes or maybe ten minutes each day, but that is something you can look forward to each and every day.
Your five or ten-minute escape could be a walk around a local garden. It could be doodling or scribbling in a notebook that no one else ever sees. It could be talking to someone who always knows the right thing to say. There are a nearly endless list of possibilities for this goal. Make it an experience that gives you a break but also gives you a true feeling of recreation. Most other things in life can wait for five minutes, so find some quick me time and make it count.
Understanding the process of habit formation and the amount of time it takes to succeed will set you up for success. There is no shame in taking longer than three months to form a habit, or even four or five months. A large part of your success in establishing new habits will depend upon your ability to exercise your best efforts, keep track of your progress, and make adjustments accordingly.
Starting the process is the only first thing that you can do. Finally, if you need help with building habits, then check out this nine-step blueprint that walks you through the entire process of creating lifelong habits.
Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA. Pin Buffer 3. Share 2. The volunteers completed a self-reported habit index worksheet each day to record whether or not they did their chosen behavior. Out of the 96 volunteers, 39 performed their habit with enough consistency to qualify to be considered for the results of the study i.
It took participants between 18 and days for their behavior to become automatic enough that they would perform it without thinking about it first. These findings show there is a wide variation in how long it could take you to form a habit. Remember, the exact number of days is dependent on many factors and isn't as important as the general findings of this study, which are that habits can take a really long time to stick.
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