60. Forming a Habit Takes a Long Time and Requires Small Steps

Questions to Ask Yourself

Why are you motivated to do some of the same tasks every day? What did it take for these activities to become a habit? What would it take to change the habit to something else?

Best Habit Tracking Apps For I Phone And I Pad (binary/octet-stream)

How Long it Takes to Form a Habit

Habit Automaticity (binary/octet-stream)

Average amount of time it takes for people to form a habit = 66 days However, there is a wide range from 18 days to 254 days in this particular study. The more complex the behavior, the longer it takes to become a habit.

Habits Explained

The Science of Habits | Marco Badwal | TEDxFS (Embed)

What if You Miss a Day?

Missing a day here and there doesn't have a significant effect. Lots of missed days or 2 or more days missed in a row have an effect on the time it takes to cement a habit. Greater consistency = reaching the automatic point more quickly. Forgive yourself if you miss a day and keep going!

Tips and Takeaways

Commit to something small rather than something complex. Give people a reason to do the task every day or almost every days. Be patient because creating new habits can take a long time!

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