Can you really form a habit in 21 Days?
Agency over building and breaking habits might be the holy grail when it comes to impacting the quality of life. There is simply no greater lever to pull when it comes to governing our daily actions. Multiple studies have concluded that 40% to 45% of our lives are habitual as opposed to the result of conscious decision-making.
So when I first heard that I could create a new habit, to say I was excited was an understatement. I was obsessed.
But is it true? No. And yes.
The Origin of the 21-Day Habit Myth
In 1960, a plastic surgeon named Dr. Maxwell Maltz noted that his patients would adjust to a new post-surgery appearance after 21 days had passed. He observed the same time window with amputees contending with a phantom limb. Dr. Maltz also came to believe that it also took himself 21 days to form a new habit or adjust to a new life situation.
He wrote about this in his book Pyscho-Cybernetics, which went on to sell over 30 million copies. This book influenced countless teachers who went on to create their own 21 day programs. The list is long, but a few notable names include Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, Oprah Winfrey, Brian Tracy, Eckhardt Tolle, and Deepak Chopra.
The Reality of Habit Building
Like everything else about humans, habit formation is complicated. The most cited study was in 2009 by Dr. Phillippa Lally from University College London. The findings suggest that it can take anywhere between 18 to 254 days, with an average of about 66 days to form a new habit.
So why would it take one person 19 days and another 214? The variables are nearly endless, including the complexity of the desired (or undesired) behavior and every imaginable nuance of the participant’s psychology.
There is no one-size-fits all when it comes to habit-creation and lasting behavior change.
Why 21 Days is a Great Place to Start
It’s been 65 years since Dr. Maltz published that book with no real scientific support. So why would tens of millions of people still believe it takes 21 days to create a habit?
Because people want to believe they can change. Sixteen years ago, my belief in myself was at an all-time low. I had anxiety fueled insomnia seven nights a week, and crushing depression during the day. I felt completely stuck. if you told me that all I had to do was commit to 254 days of a consistent new behavior, things might get better, well…I would have never started.
21 days became and approachable sweet spot for me to take action. A deeper commitment than a couple of weeks, but not as daunting as a month.
1. Focus and Intensity: Over a three-week period, you’re committing to short-term action. This allows you to have laser focus without feeling the burden of an indefinite timeline. Knowing that there’s an end date creates a sense of urgency and focus.
2. Pattern Recognition: Our brains thrive on patterns. After three weeks of consistent behavior, your brain starts to associate those actions with specific triggers — whether it’s waking up early to work out or journaling before bed. These associations are the building blocks of habit formation.
3. Behavioral Feedback: At the 21-day mark, you begin to notice how the burgeoning habit impacts your life — improved mood, higher energy levels, or simply a sense of accomplishment. This positive feedback fuels motivation, helping you to continue beyond the initial phase. Or not. Maybe you decide this behavior shift isn’t for you. Or at least not right now.
And here’s the most important thing to remember: regardless of how long it takes you to form a lasting habit, you share a single thing in common with everyone:
We all start on day one.
I did a 21 day no-alcohol challenge. If you would have asked me back then if I was going to stop drinking altogether, I would have shrugged (which would have basically been my way of saying ‘no’). But three weeks felt doable. Three hangover-free weekends. Some extra bar money back in my pocket. An interesting social experiment. It almost felt like a game.
I did that challenge twelve years ago, and never started drinking again. Did I break a habit or create a new identity in 21 days? Unlikely. But it was the catalyst I needed to create the comparison of life with and without sobriety.
So there’s nothing magic nor scientific about 21 days. But I sure do like it as a container to try something new, stop something destructive, get out of my comfort zone, or have a new and meaningful experience.
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