How long does it take to form a habit? Trying to do better
So I am not a morning person, like at all, but in the new year I would really like to wake up early and get a morning workout in. I have tried this before and I end up following a new routine for about a week, and then I go back to my old ways. I'm really determined this time to get it right though! What is your advice for starting a new habit?
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Make it as easy as possible to meet your goal (in other words, make it as easy as possible to wake up early and jump into your routine). If, for instance, you want to commit to running as soon as you wake up, maybe you could start by putting your running shoes right next to your bed. So as soon as you get up, you just get dressed, and then you're committing to just going outside and walking for five minutes. Once you’re outside for five minutes, then you keep going.
Another tip is to be really aware of perfectionism. Just start small, create some sort of a structure. If the habit you want to get into is working out, maybe put a little 30-minute time slot in your morning schedule and just keep practicing showing up—it doesn't have to be perfect. Just keep going, begin again. Over time, it's like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets. So the more you keep going and the more you keep starting every time you fall off, the stronger that muscle gets and pretty soon you have built willpower, you have built discipline because it just becomes a habit.
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Another tip is to be really aware of perfectionism. Just start small, create some sort of a structure. If the habit you want to get into is working out, maybe put a little 30-minute time slot in your morning schedule and just keep practicing showing up—it doesn't have to be perfect. Just keep going, begin again. Over time, it's like a muscle: the more you use it, the stronger it gets. So the more you keep going and the more you keep starting every time you fall off, the stronger that muscle gets and pretty soon you have built willpower, you have built discipline because it just becomes a habit.
There's a popular idea that it takes 21 days to form a habit, but this notion isn't really rooted in any scientific evidence. A study led by psychologist Phillippa Lally in 2009 showed that new habits took anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form, with the average number of days being 66.
Lally's study determined that how long it takes to form a habit depends more on the individual and the type of habit than on the length of time (for instance, working out every morning will probably take longer to stick than remembering to drink a glass of water at lunch every day).
It's easier to stick to a new habit with constant repetition and when you have reliable environmental cues: for instance, you'll likely feel more motivated to get up and start working out if your workout clothes are laid out by your bed or if you've got a workout buddy waiting for you.
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Lally's study determined that how long it takes to form a habit depends more on the individual and the type of habit than on the length of time (for instance, working out every morning will probably take longer to stick than remembering to drink a glass of water at lunch every day).
It's easier to stick to a new habit with constant repetition and when you have reliable environmental cues: for instance, you'll likely feel more motivated to get up and start working out if your workout clothes are laid out by your bed or if you've got a workout buddy waiting for you.
Something that made it hard for me to build a habit was an all-or-nothing approach. I'd be able to keep up with the habit for the first few days while it was new and I was motivated, but then I'd miss a day and instead of moving past it and continuing on with my habit, I'd feel like I had failed, and I'd drop the habit. After I recognized the pattern, I realized that I needed to be kinder to myself. You're allowed to miss habits sometime or take breaks!
I also found it helpful to make it really easy to build my habit. For example, when I wanted to work out every day, I told myself that all I had to do was drive to the gym, and I'd meet my goal for the day. Once I was already at the gym, of course I was going to work out! And it felt extra good because I was technically exceeding my goal.
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I also found it helpful to make it really easy to build my habit. For example, when I wanted to work out every day, I told myself that all I had to do was drive to the gym, and I'd meet my goal for the day. Once I was already at the gym, of course I was going to work out! And it felt extra good because I was technically exceeding my goal.
Start with a month. Pay attention to how you feel afterwards, your results and how that impacts your day. The positive effects that come with working out and sticking to your plan could motivate you to continue the path.
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I know that it's commonly believed to take 21 days to form a habit, but that's been debunked. It takes longer than that to form a habit, so if you're finding it difficult to get into a new routine quickly, don't beat yourself up! Be patient and consistent, and eventually you'll form the morning routine that you want.
I wanted to make a habit out of reading before bed and going for a morning run, and it took me a month or so for it to become a routine for me.
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I wanted to make a habit out of reading before bed and going for a morning run, and it took me a month or so for it to become a routine for me.
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