You’ve probably heard people say that it takes “three weeks” to form a new habit. So if you’re STILL clinging to your New Year’s Resolutions, you may be thinking: “Why is it STILL such a struggle?”
In reality, that 21-day thing, well, it probably takes a LOT longer than that.
New research has shown that forming LASTING habits typically requires two to five MONTHS of consistent practice. And it can take closer to a YEAR.
Researchers say if you’re serious about wanting to form a new habit, it’s more important to understand the process than to be fixated on a certain timeline.
Here are SIX takeaways:
1. The first step to forming any new habit is repetition.
2. Early repetitions lead to the biggest gains, and that’s probably why it can FEEL like the habit is locked in after three weeks. They compare it to learning a language. Progress is rapid at first, but then it plateaus as we reach higher levels of proficiency.
3. Cementing new habits takes an extended period of reinforcement, and you should be prepared for it to take up to a year to build, so that it gets to the point where it’s truly automatic, and requires minimal conscious effort.
4. Morning habits tend to form more successfully than evening ones.
5. Simple actions with clear triggers, like flossing every day, become automatic more readily than complex behaviors, like sticking to a new workout at the gym.
6. New behaviors that you WANT to add show stronger habit formation than those assigned to you by others. And you’re also more likely to stick to a new habit if you enjoy it. This sounds obvious, but it can be important in how you design your habits. (Is there a way you can make it more, fun?)
Bottom line: The median time for forming new habits takes between 59 and 66 days . . . but it’s highly variable, and can take up to 335 days to lock in.
