We all understand how hard it is to break a bad habit; stopping certain speaking mannerisms, not picking your nose in public, or quitting smoking (though that also has other factors at play). Some things become habits so easily and are almost impossible to stop. It stands to reason, then, that if we can take something we want to be doing and turn it into a habit, life would be so much easier. However, anyone who has tried to start up good habits will know how hard it can be. Is there really a fool-proof way to develop a good habit?
It has often been said that it takes 8 weeks to form a new habit, or three weeks, or if you read somewhere else, any other number of weeks. Unfortunately, the time it takes to form a habit depends a lot on what you are trying to do. But don't despair! There are still key factors that if utilized properly will turn your good intention into a life long habit.
The first major factor in trying to work out how long it will take to form a new habit is how difficult the habit actually is. It might not take so longer to learn to floss after you brush your teeth, but trying to train yourself to sit down and write your novel for two hours every night might take a little bit longer. But don't despair if you have harder tasks in mind. Remember the old concept of baby steps. Maybe trying to write for three hours at a go everyday is a bit much, but you can still try naturalizing the concept of sitting down after dinner and writing for half an hour before your favorite TV show. Once you've got that down pat, try increasing it to an hour, and then an hour and a half. Got the idea?
The second important influence in creating a habit is how often you actually do it. It is harder to break a habit that you do all the time, so it stands to reason that you learn a new habit faster if you do it more. Research has found that this is particularly important at the beginning. Set yourself up to succeed - try to do the habit everyday at the beginning, even if that is more than you want to do later.
The final factor you should take into account is how much it clashes with your old habits. The more it clashes, the longer it will take or the less likely it will form at all. Therefore, when planning your habit forming behavior, try to minimize how much it clashes with your current habits. Want to start going to the gym everyday? Well, get yourself off to a good start by not scheduling it at the same time as X-Factor if you just can't skip it (unless you go to a gym with a TV, and tell yourself you can only watch while jogging... that might work). Look at your daily routine and try to slip the new habit in somewhere it won't cause too many waves, and if you can, try piggy backing on another habit. Always sit down to watch Deal or No Deal? Keep your new language study textbooks next to the TV and when Deal finishes, German starts.
There is no need to be stressed about forming a new habit. With a bit of planning, you can maximize the effectiveness of your efforts and in no time will be finding it harder and harder to break.
It has often been said that it takes 8 weeks to form a new habit, or three weeks, or if you read somewhere else, any other number of weeks. Unfortunately, the time it takes to form a habit depends a lot on what you are trying to do. But don't despair! There are still key factors that if utilized properly will turn your good intention into a life long habit.
The first major factor in trying to work out how long it will take to form a new habit is how difficult the habit actually is. It might not take so longer to learn to floss after you brush your teeth, but trying to train yourself to sit down and write your novel for two hours every night might take a little bit longer. But don't despair if you have harder tasks in mind. Remember the old concept of baby steps. Maybe trying to write for three hours at a go everyday is a bit much, but you can still try naturalizing the concept of sitting down after dinner and writing for half an hour before your favorite TV show. Once you've got that down pat, try increasing it to an hour, and then an hour and a half. Got the idea?
The second important influence in creating a habit is how often you actually do it. It is harder to break a habit that you do all the time, so it stands to reason that you learn a new habit faster if you do it more. Research has found that this is particularly important at the beginning. Set yourself up to succeed - try to do the habit everyday at the beginning, even if that is more than you want to do later.
The final factor you should take into account is how much it clashes with your old habits. The more it clashes, the longer it will take or the less likely it will form at all. Therefore, when planning your habit forming behavior, try to minimize how much it clashes with your current habits. Want to start going to the gym everyday? Well, get yourself off to a good start by not scheduling it at the same time as X-Factor if you just can't skip it (unless you go to a gym with a TV, and tell yourself you can only watch while jogging... that might work). Look at your daily routine and try to slip the new habit in somewhere it won't cause too many waves, and if you can, try piggy backing on another habit. Always sit down to watch Deal or No Deal? Keep your new language study textbooks next to the TV and when Deal finishes, German starts.
There is no need to be stressed about forming a new habit. With a bit of planning, you can maximize the effectiveness of your efforts and in no time will be finding it harder and harder to break.
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