So often I read and hear statements that it takes 21 days to create a good habit or get rid of a bad one. That assertion is typically accompanied by words such as "research shows" or "we know" or "psychologists say." The problem: there is no such research. This is a myth that seems to be traceable to the book Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, first published in 1960. Maltz cited no research for the 21 days; that it takes 21 days to change was based on his observations and was anecdotal.
And now look at what has happened! This notion has become gospel. Widespread gospel. Search at Amazon on "21 days" and this morning you will find over 53,000 titles.
Making and breaking habits is very individual. Doing either varies according to many factors, including age, habit, situation, support, surroundings, and more. Basically what you are doing is engaging in self-directed neuroplasicity (SDN), creating new synapses and dulling old ones with your thoughts and actions. It would be nice if SDN always took 21 days but it does not.
I am now going to commit the sin of using anecdotal data because I think it shows that the experience of others
differs from Maltz's. I was privy to a discussion between a therapist who uses SDN and a man who works in companies around the world to facilitate employee change. They were each surprised to learn that the other had found that typically a major resistance to the change occurs at about 6 weeks. I am sure many others working with change have different experiences, too. All we really know is that the timeline of change is not simple.
To learn more about self-directed neuroplasticity, read Jeffrey Schwarz's Brain Lock. The four steps presented in the book are addressed to people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) but are easily adapted for making other kinds of changes. It was during his pioneering work with OCD patients that Jeff coined the phrase "self-directed neuroplasticity." You won't find the 21-day rule in Brain Lock but you will learn how Jeff teaches people to change their brains and thus their lives. The process is simple but often not easy—and does not follow any predictable timetable.
Note (added June 15, 2009): I just noticed that still another book has come out focusing on the myth of 21 days: The Little Black Book: A Lawyer's Guide To Creating A Marketing Habit in 21 Days.
Note (added September 21, 2009): Related blog post: How Long to Form a Habit? (PsyBlog).
Spotted other uses of the "21 days = a habit" myth:
- 10 Habits of Happy Couples
- Make a list (25): how to use my time better
- Self-Discipline – reflecting and learning
- habitforge
- 21 Days to Make a Habit
- Achieve your fitness goals in 2010
- "Don't let resolve dissolve by February"
- Shape Shift to Your Best Body Ever
Image credit: earl53.
Comments