by Judy
(photo from Google Images)
"We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."
-Aristotle-
Today we find ourselves almost at the end of January and I wonder if some of you have been thinking the same thing that I've been thinking? When, oh when will my goals for the new year finally become second nature? Why is this so hard some days?
What I do know, is that after "resetting" twice already this month, success does not come over night.
I recall reading that it takes 21 days to create a habit. What I found when I was researching goals and habits this week, is that 21 days is a myth.
Instead of the three weeks that I've always thought to be true, on average, a habit will take a little over two months, 66 days to be exact, to be ingrained in our brains and to become second nature. This tidbit of info made me feel a little better. Hopefully it makes you feel better too! I see that it's not that my willpower is weak, it's just that I haven't given things enough time to become automatic.
So, in this hurry up world that we live in, forming a good habit is one thing that cannot be rushed. (Hmmm, seems that that is true for all good things in our lives!) Our brains need to process our actions over and over to convert them into automatic routines. Once that happens, this information goes into the unconscious portion of our brains and will become second nature. We just need to keep on keeping on!
Good luck everyone!
So good to know! I believed that 21-day thing as well and can attest that it definitely takes longer than that. I am trying to add exercise into my routine and I think it's a hard one because it's not only physically taxing, it's time-consuming and so I have to carve out the time from an already busy schedule. But I have made a promise to myself that it will happen. It is still a struggle but it's nice to know that, given a little more time, it will become a habit!
ReplyDeleteright here with you my friend. but you've inspired me to keep plugging away. xoxo
ReplyDeleteI always struggle during the month of January trying to decide what I want to focus on and then remembering to focus on it! Habits are definitely hard to create, especially the good ones! Thanks for the encouragement.
ReplyDeleteIt was my feeling, too, that it takes longer than 21 days! Thanks so much for sharing your information and thoughts on this!
ReplyDeleteFor me I think it might be more like 5-6 months, rather than just 2 months!
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