When I wake up in the morning, I like to sit down, enjoy a hot cup of coffee, and plan or prioritize my day and what I want to get accomplished. It’s one of those habits I do on a daily basis. If I decide to change that habit or start a new one, how long will it take me to do that? According to James Clear, a bestselling author of “Atomic Habits,” it will take you 66 days before it becomes automatic, not 21 days as most of us believe. This is why. In the 1950s, a plastic surgeon, Dr. Maxwell Maltz, noticed that it took a minimum of 21 days for someone to get used to a new nose or for phantom pain from an amputated limb to go away. He published a book about it; other doctors took notice, but they made a critical error. They misread what Dr. Maltz said. Dr. Maltz stated that it took at least a minimum of 21 days to start forming a habit, not 21 days to form a habit as most of us had thought, including myself.
There are 5 factors for forming or replacing a bad habit, we need to consider.
Complexity: Single habits form more quickly, such as waking up, walking to the kitchen, and taking medication before anything else is done.
Repetition: Doing the same task the same way on a daily basis helps establish a habit more quickly.
Context: Having a constant trigger. When you get up in the morning, shut off the alarm clock, and immediately do 10 sit-ups, for example. By turning off your alarm clock every morning, you create a trigger to do 10 sit-ups. Enjoyment/Rewards: The brain will solidify the habit if it feels good, receives positive feedback, or gives you a sense of accomplishment.
Motivation: Choosing a habit you want to do or like to do helps speed up the process.
You may have a bad habit you want to get rid of; how about replacing it with a good habit, such as reading God’s word or spending time in prayer? It might be as simple as turning off your phone and sitting quietly in meditation with no distractions.
We all have our little habits; we all have good ones, and we all have bad ones. I am working on replacing my bad habits with good ones that will please God.
I just wanted to set the record straight on how long it takes to form a habit. I was always led to believe it took 21 days to form a habit, but in the research I found, it takes a minimum of 21 days for it to start forming and 66 days for it to become automatic.