Trying to establish a new habit, like waking up early for a jog, can feel daunting at first. Integrating any significant new activity into your daily life requires commitment and, of course, time. But exactly how much time is needed to solidify that habit and make it stick?
You might have heard the popular notion that it only takes 21 days to form a habit. This three-week timeframe can sound appealing, particularly when setting New Year’s resolutions, a time when motivation to adopt new habits or break old ones is typically high, according to Colin Camerer, a behavioral economist at the California Institute of Technology. However, come January 21st, the reality is often quite different. Statistics reveal a sobering truth: a study indicated that only 9 percent of individuals successfully maintained their New Year’s resolutions throughout 2023.
Everyone’s journey to habit formation is unique, and the timeline varies significantly from person to person. Regardless of the duration, repetition remains the cornerstone of successful habit building, emphasizes Phillippa Lally, a senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Surrey. Experts like Lally and Camerer propose various personalized strategies to reinforce positive behaviors, ultimately transforming a conscious task into an automatic habit.
Debunking the 21-Day Myth: The Real Timeline for Habit Formation
The widely circulated “21-day theory” regarding habit formation surprisingly doesn’t stem from habit research itself. Its origins can be traced back to the 1960 self-help bookPsycho-Cybernetics. In this book, plastic surgeon Maxwell Maltz observed that his patients typically took around 21 days to adjust to their new physical appearance following surgery. While this observation wasn’t based on formal scientific experimentation, the book extrapolated this 21-day period to broader self-transformation contexts, suggesting it as the time needed to adapt to a new home or even change one’s beliefs.
Despite the lack of rigorous scientific backing, the 21-day myth gained widespread acceptance. Colin Camerer suggests that its appeal likely lies in its perceived reasonableness. Establishing a new exercise routine in just three days might seem unrealistically quick, while a year-long commitment can feel overwhelmingly long and discouraging. In contrast, 21 days strikes a balance, appearing as a realistic and achievable timeframe for many.
However, nearly half a century later, robust scientific research emerged, challenging this long-held belief. A landmark 2009 study on habit formation provided compelling evidence against the 21-day myth. This research revealed that habit development is a much more variable process, ranging from 18 to a substantial 254 days. The study participants, on average, required approximately 66 days to consistently integrate new daily habits into their routines. These habits included simple actions like eating a piece of fruit with lunch, drinking a bottle of water with lunch, or engaging in 15 minutes of running before dinner. Phillippa Lally, the lead author of this influential study, highlighted that consistent daily repetition was the most significant factor in determining whether a behavior would become an ingrained part of an individual’s automatic daily routine.
Furthermore, the nature of the habit itself plays a crucial role in the formation timeline. Learning a completely new skill or complex process naturally takes longer than simply remembering to increase your water intake each morning, as Lally points out. A 2015 study indicated that individuals starting a gym routine needed to exercise at least four times a week for six weeks to develop a consistent exercise habit. More recently, a 2023 study by Camerer and his colleagues employed machine learning to further investigate habit-building timelines. By analyzing extensive datasets of repeated behaviors and considering various factors influencing behavioral persistence, the study found that forming a handwashing habit took just a few weeks. In stark contrast, developing an exercise habit took closer to half a year. The researchers attributed this difference to the complexity of the habit. Handwashing is simpler and offers more frequent opportunities for practice compared to exercise. Their findings suggest that habit formation is influenced by both the effort invested in practicing the activity and the presence of environmental cues that prompt the behavior.
Strategies for Building and Maintaining Consistent Habits
When it comes to sticking to new habits, especially resolutions, initial enthusiasm can wane quickly after the “fresh start” feeling fades. This can easily lead to setbacks or complete abandonment of the habit after just a few weeks. To combat this, creating a specific and actionable plan is crucial. Instead of a vague goal like “learn more Spanish,” a more effective approach is to set a concrete plan, such as “study Spanish grammar for 20 minutes three times a week.” Incorporating accountability mechanisms, like using a habit-tracking app or sharing your goals with a friend, can also provide valuable support and motivation to stay on track. Moreover, choosing habits that genuinely interest you, rather than those you feel you should adopt, significantly increases your likelihood of long-term adherence.
Rewards can be powerful motivators, especially when delivered promptly. Lally cautions against delayed gratification, such as rewarding yourself with a weekend shopping trip after a week of gym visits. Rewards are far more effective when received during the habit-forming activity itself. For example, instead of waiting for a post-gym treat, someone aiming to establish an exercise habit could enjoy a new movie while on the treadmill. A 2014 study explored this concept by allowing participants access to popular audiobooks (like the Hunger Games trilogy and The Devil Wears Prada) exclusively at the gym. The results showed that participants in this group initially visited the gym 51 percent more frequently than a control group.
Another effective strategy recommended by Lally is to pair the desired behavior with a reliable environmental cue. For instance, if you work in an office twice a week, scheduling gym sessions immediately after work can create a strong association, training your brain to link these two activities. The more consistently you connect these behaviors, the stronger the neural pathways become in brain regions associated with memory and habit formation.
Modifying your physical environment can also support habit formation. If your goal is to eat more fruit, keeping a visible and accessible assortment of fruits in your home increases your chances of success. Conversely, for breaking habits, like participating in “Dry January,” removing temptations like alcohol from your immediate environment can be helpful. However, it’s important to recognize that overcoming serious addictions like drug and alcohol dependence often requires professional medical intervention and a more extended timeframe.
What to Do When You Miss a Day in Your Habit Routine
Life inevitably throws curveballs, and missing a day or two in a new routine is perfectly normal. Lally points out that many people create rigid, daily schedules for new habits, which can be unrealistic and unsustainable. When individuals fail to meet these self-imposed, often overly demanding expectations, or when the habit itself (like running 10 miles daily) is too challenging, it can lead to discouragement and abandonment of the effort altogether.
If you find yourself falling behind on your habit goals, Lally advises taking a moment to assess the reasons for missing days and to develop strategies to address these challenges. Instead of aiming for an unsustainable daily goal like running 10 miles, try a more manageable approach, such as jogging two miles three times a week. If even that feels too difficult, adjust further by reducing the pace or distance. The key is to gradually build back up to your original goal. While putting on your sneakers and walking around the block might initially seem like a small step, it’s progress in the right direction.
So, don’t be discouraged if you haven’t solidified your new habit by some arbitrary 21-day mark. As long as you maintain consistent effort and practice, you will improve and solidify your desired habit—regardless of the specific time it takes. Remember, the journey of habit formation is personal and progress, not perfection, is the ultimate goal.
