The 21 Days Myth




Do you know that it takes 21 days to form a new habit?

The origin of 21 days myth comes from the Dr.Maxwell Maltz, Plastic surgeon, who wrote Psycho-Cybernetics in 1960. He shared the observation that after approximately 21 days, his surgical patients were able to go out of their pre-surgery mental images and accept their new appearance. So he forms the Myth was born. The concept is based only on observation, not on research. 21 days can feel achievable, and it's a time frame to form new behaviors and notices get some benefits. 

We are clear that how the 21 days myth is spread over. It's easy to understand but it takes a long time to believe. Do you want to change your habit in 3 weeks? How it works?


How long it really takes to build a new habit? 

In 2010, Phillipa Lally researched on it and published in “European Journal of Social Psychology”. He figured out just how long it actually takes to form a new habit/change habits.

He researched 96 peoples over a 12 week period. Each people chose one new habit for 12 weeks and the peoples reported each and every day whether they did the behavior and how they felt. On average it took 2 months to change the behavior completely _ exactly 66 days.

What’s true?

However, it takes a pretty time to become a something as your habit. It varies depending on your source of information and to whom you ask and you will get the answer in a week or even in a year. As we discussed above, the most popular answer is 21 days_since in 1960, Maxwell a cosmetic surgeon. Recent research led by Phillippa Lally reported that on average it takes 66 days to change the behavior totally.

In a 2009 study, research with 96 people and they reported to a researcher that how long it took to change a new habit and they tracked where habit becomes automatic. Each people is tracked and the researcher found that averagely it takes 66 days to form a new habit _ routine, habitual action.

At the point, the habits are a routine, habitual and automatic movement of the body. The habit is nothing but we seek to it the movement of the body. Our brain likes to take an action and it converts them into a routine habit.  whether it is 21-day practice (or any particular days) in a row whatever we do it, it will transform as a habit.


The Truth!
Practice makes Perfect
Anything is practiced for 21 days (or any particular days) in a row (or more) is obviously transformed to a habit. 


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