I've always heard 90 days.
However, as the article says, it really depends on what habit we are trying to establish.
How long does it take to create a new habit? (2015)
11–20 of 138 posts
Re: How long does it take to create a new habit? (2015)
#12It took me 3 days to fully drop sugar from coffee, at 17 I think. Never liked sweets and pastry, though, but dropping every sugar drink took me more, a couple weeks, specially Nestea. Edit: took me 1 day to drop the remaining sugar, and plants in general.
You don’t eat plants? That’s interesting, could you share more?
Re: How long does it take to create a new habit? (2015)
#13If I'm counting the days to form a habit, I'm not really interested in forming that habit. That's just a means to an end for me. Maybe I'm waking up earlier to have more time for myself, or I'm developing a reading habit so I can finally finish reading Hegel.
In all these cases the habit is secondary. It's all discipline and pain.
But I think there is a better relationship to be had with habits. One that isn't unfairly tied to productivity. One that I can just enjoy the struggle until I form that routine, or I build up the familiarity or the skill to do something. That kind of attention changes something fundamental about my relationship with what I'm trying to internalize and make a part of myself. It's to learn to be constantly learning and improving without making it a burden or a chore.
Re: How long does it take to create a new habit? (2015)
#14Trying to define any underlying logic would be to misunderstand what a habit is.
Re: How long does it take to create a new habit? (2015)
#15For me, a habit is pretty well implanted into my life after 3 months, but only after 3 years do I feel insured that it will stick for life.
Re: How long does it take to create a new habit? (2015)
#16It took me a few days to become a smoker, and a few weeks to get to the point of not wanting to smoke again (some decades later). It took me a week or so to start having a healthier breakfast and it become part of my routine, and I've been trying to have healthier lunches for years now (and still regularly fail, normally because at lunchtimes I'm tired, stressed and yearning for comfort foods like sandwiches and snac…
Jan 1, 2024, I made a resolution to change my diet (basically small, very simple meals with one cheat meal a week). I'd probably made a dozen such resolutions before without much success, but for some reason this one stuck right away. I never even had trouble sticking with it, and lost a pound a week over the next 10 months. Then I met my girlfriend and we went out to eat a lot, and that broke the habit. It seems like big life changes can reset habits.
I wish I knew how I did it, because I've been unable to regain that same "this is just what I do now and it's fine" level of acceptance that seemed to be the key.
Re: How long does it take to create a new habit? (2015)
#17It took me a few days to become a smoker, and a few weeks to get to the point of not wanting to smoke again (some decades later). It took me a week or so to start having a healthier breakfast and it become part of my routine, and I've been trying to have healthier lunches for years now (and still regularly fail, normally because at lunchtimes I'm tired, stressed and yearning for comfort foods like sandwiches and snac…
Jan 1, 2024, I made a resolution to change my diet (basically small, very simple meals with one cheat meal a week). I'd probably made a dozen such resolutions before without much success, but for some reason this one stuck right away. I never even had trouble sticking with it, and lost a pound a week over the next 10 months. Then I met my girlfriend and we went out to eat a lot, and that broke the habit. It seems lik…
> I wish I knew how I did it, because I've been unable to regain that same "this is just what I do now and it's fine" level of acceptance that seemed to be the key.
Sometimes it’s as simple as “doesn’t hurt enough yet”
My grandpa was a liter of wine per day (or more) kinda guy. Then he hit his 70’s and it didn’t feel good anymore. So he stopped and hasn’t had a glass of alcohol since. Just doesn’t feel like it. Even when others drink around him.
Re: How long does it take to create a new habit? (2015)
#18Maybe a placebo, but having this 21 days target did help me start habits in .. about 3 weeks.
Re: How long does it take to create a new habit? (2015)
#19N=96, only followed for 84 days ... has his been replicated? How do they make claims beyond 84 days?
Re: How long does it take to create a new habit? (2015)
#20>"If you’re trying a new diet, attempting to quit smoking or changing any daily routine, don’t expect new habits to be created in a week, or two or even three. Research suggests that the process requires 66 days (on average) and up to 8 months." Something about the title suggested it was going to be much less than 21 days; maybe it's the domain name biasing my reading of the title.
Yeah same here. I think it's because (most of the time) headlines are optimized for sentiment. I would have expected a title like "It takes more than 21 days..." to indicate it takes more