How To Stick To A New Habit

A recent article from Refinery29 explains that the popular notion that it takes 21 days to form a habit is mostly not true. Recent studies indicate it can take up to 66 days for an activity to become routine. For it to become automatic, it can take anywhere between 18 days to 254.

So if forcing yourself to do the good thing for 21 days isn’t the life hack we thought it is, how do you stick to a new habit?

The author of the piece gives a very solid one which I recommend reading.

But when it comes to self- improvement, the more help the better. So below are three more tips to form a healthy habit and stick to it.

Letting yourself down is one thing. We do that all the time. But letting a friend down? Horrific.

One way to ensure that you stick to a routine is to share it with someone. If it’s the gym, make a plans to go with a friend. If it’s getting better at cooking, take it turns to make dinner for each other. Want to read more? Set up a regular time to talk about what books you’re reading.

The mix of not wanting to let your friend down and doing it with you’re friend is bound to make the task way more bearable. Maybe even enjoyable.

A common reason for dropping a new habit is simply not having the time. So plan it right. When you do the task take note of how long it takes. Then using that information be realistic about when you have time to achieve the task. Something’s you want to do every day of the week, you might only actually have the time to do once or twice. So look carefully though your schedule for the space you need.

Be nice to yourself. When you feel like you can’t bring yourself to do the task, don’t judge yourself. Instead focus on why you wanted to do it in the first place. Think about how goof you’ll feel once you’ve done it.