I had a wonderful conversation this morning with a friend who shared her desire to develop a new habit. I regretted my initial reaction of dismissing her comments (I didn’t think it was a ‘bad’ habit, really!) after she provided additional background as to what was prompting her motivation for new behavior.
Both of us remembered the old adage that developing a new habit takes 21 days. Is that what you thought too? But then I recalled updated research that clarified that information. Turns out, the time it takes to develop a new habit depends on several variables, like the new behavior, the person, and the circumstances around the initial habit development.
Bottom line: it usually takes much longer than 21 days to develop a new habit.
I’m confident that my friend can accomplish her goal, but I definitely wanted to arm her with this information to help her manage her expectations and the process. Thought you might find it helpful too.
Read more here: https://jamesclear.com/new-habit
What new habits are you working on for 2020?
-Holly
