Historically, it was believed that it took 21 days to establish a new habit or modify an existing one, but more recent claims have increased this time frame to 66 days. The most significant recent studies actually indicate that developing a new habit might take anywhere between 18 and 254 days, with an average of roughly 66 days.
The key elements that determine whether you succeed or fail in forming these new habits are highlighted in this article, along with some of the implications of this new information, which suggests that it might take longer than you initially anticipated to do so.
But you should first take a look at why people initially thought it only took 21 days to establish a new habit.
Does it only take 21 days to form a habit?
The roots of this information date back to 1960, when Dr. Maxwell Maltz wrote his book Psycho-Cybernetics. At the time, Dr. Maltz was a plastic surgeon with a passion for helping others improve their self-image. He was also one of the first recognized authors of this type of self-help book.
In his book, Dr. Maltz describes his observations, which revealed that it took at least three weeks on average. He advised his surgery patients to let go of their pre-operative self-image and get used to their new appearance, but people appeared to take his advice at its value. Since then, this idea has been spread by several authors, speakers, and other self-improvement specialists. But they misrepresented it a little bit.
Dr. Maltz said it took at least 21 days for his patients to accept their new look, not at most or exactly, and he spoke based on his own observations rather than facts or scientific research.
We have easy access to why and how this myth spreads. This time frame is easy to remember and short enough to make people believe they can get through it. but it is still long enough to make sense. All people want to make a big change in their lives in less than a month.
So how long does it take you to form habits?
In the aforementioned study, researcher Philippa Lally delved into this question in collaboration with three other researchers, and here are some key points about their study of the process of forming daily habits:
- 96 volunteers chose a specific behavior to do every day under the same conditions for 12 weeks, for example, after breakfast.
- Volunteers completed a self-reported habits index worksheet each day in order to record whether or not they carried out their chosen behavior.
- 39 of the 96 volunteers performed their habit with an appropriate degree of continuity. In order to qualify for entry into the study results, those who only continued the behavior once a week were excluded from the study.
- It took the participants between 18 and 254 days for their behavior to become automatic enough to perform without thinking about it.
- These results show that there is a wide variance in how long it can take to form a new habit.
- It is true that this study only lasted 84 days, but the researchers used the data they collected to produce an informed statistical report regarding the longer timelines—254 days—to incorporate new habits into one's life. Remember, the exact number of days depends on many factors and is not as important as the general findings of this study, which state that it can take a long time to stick to new habits.
How does this information apply to you?
The concept of behavior becoming automatic, scientifically known as automatism, is a crucial component of habit formation. Sometimes this habit is defined as a “learned pattern of behavior that has become partially or completely involuntary.” On the ground, the three-week time frame is not sufficient. The range, from 18 to 254 days, shows that there is no single record everyone can rely on.
Several factors play a role in this duration, including the fact that some habits are easier to build than others. For example, you can imagine that sticking to the habit of drinking more water throughout the day is probably much easier than going to the gym every day before going to work.
Some people find it easier to stick to new behaviors than others, and Dr. Elliot Berkman, director of the Social and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory in the Department of Psychology at the University of Oregon, explains that there are three main factors that can influence the amount of time it takes to change a habit for each individual:
1. breaking a habit involves forming a new habit
Sometimes breaking a habit involves forming a new habit or creating a new response to a trigger. The key here is to have an alternative habit available so you can engage in a new activity rather than just focusing on resisting your previous behavior.
For example, those trying to stop smoking sometimes have more success if they use an aid such as chewing gum or some type of alternative behavior rather than a more passive approach such as a nicotine patch.
2. The amount of motivation you have that pushes you to change
It is the amount of motivation you have that pushes you to change. Those who want to form a new habit can live more in line with their personal values. They are more likely to adjust their behavior faster than those whose motives come from external forces, such as societal or family pressure.
3. The mental and physical capacity of the individual
The mental and physical capacity of the individual leads to the formation of a new habit. Habits that have been a part of a person's life throughout their life are often ingrained at a neurological level, making them powerful determinants of behavior.
For example, if you have had soft drinks with dinner every night since you were a child, replacing them with something healthy will be quite a challenge, while if you haven't tried meditation before and want to start practicing for a few minutes every night before bed, this change will be much easier.
Remember that the formation of new habits does not completely eliminate the old habits, but your new habits must become more influential in your behavior. For example, if your goal is to eat more vegetables, you can reach that goal without giving up the evening ice cream party you have every day after dinner.
In such cases, you must think about the ultimate goal that your new habit contributes to, and then you must adjust your lifestyle an appropriate amount to ensure that your new habit makes a significant difference in your life.
One of the common misconceptions people have about changing habits is that if you neglect them one day, you have completely ruined your chances of success. However, the study found that this is not true. Missing a single opportunity to pursue the desired behavior did not affect whether or not the habit was eventually formed, and this shows that it is okay if you slack off now and then because habit formation is not a completely inflexible process but more about long-term continuity.
This is great news for you if you think that missing just one day means all the progress you've made has been in vain, and creating the new behaviors you eventually do automatically doesn't require mastering your practice; it just requires trying your best and most consistently over a long period of time.
In order to persevere in your good work, you must have a sense of intrinsic drive to start practicing the behavior, and you must enjoy the process of reaching your goal instead of just thinking about that last moment when your goal will be achieved. You must have heard the famous saying of the singer John Lennon, who says, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." If the same idea applies exactly to the process of achieving your goals, do not neglect the importance of your journey.
How do you stay motivated throughout the formation of a new habit?
Obviously, the beginning of your journey towards forming a new habit will be more difficult than the weeks that follow. Your new behavior will become more automatic over time, no matter what it is, which means that this study showing that it can take more than three weeks to form a new behavior shouldn't deter you from making a change in your life.
I'm not the only one having a hard time forming new habits because habits are difficult to change, and for this reason, forming a positive attitude is well worth the time and energy it takes to do so.
For example, by just getting into the habit of flossing your teeth every night or jogging every morning, you won't have to discipline yourself so hard to keep doing it, but both habits will continuously improve your health, and it's very important to keep in mind that people are always able to change a behavior once they have identified a habit they want to change and are motivated enough to do so.
But in order to stay motivated, you need to know what motivated you to make the change in the first place. When you think about your motivations, ask yourself:
- What do you want from life?
- What do you want to become one day?
- Do your current habits align with your personal values?
- Are your current habits helping you achieve your goals?
Asking yourself these questions will help you identify the reasons that drive you to make some kind of change in your life and make you feel inspired to make it happen.
It's also important not to think about the amount of time it might take to form a new habit, but rather to think about the small changes you make in the process. You must have faith in your journey and appreciate the small accomplishments you achieve; that will help you see the end goal as more achievable.
In conclusion
Understanding the process of forming habits and the amount of time it may take to achieve success will set you up for success. There is nothing wrong with taking more than three months to form a habit, or even four or five months. What matters is that you are constantly working on improving your general behavior and daily habits because they play an important role in forming positive daily behavior and ultimately achieving your goals.
A big part of your success in forming new habits depends on your ability to do your best, track your progress, and make adjustments accordingly. Remember, you won't make it to Day 254 if you don't start with Day 1. Starting the process is the best thing you can do.
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