Today morning I woke up at 11am even though I had set the alarm at 6am.
“So” you might ask.
“Nothing”
Just that whenever this happens, I wonder why they say it takes only 21 days to change a habit. Had that been the case - had 21 days been enough to make waking up 6am every morning a habit - alarm clocks would’ve been out of business even before you were born.
If you’re like any normal person, then since the last 21 years, not days, you’ve been trying to wake up at 6 – first for school, then for college and now for work. Be honest, don’t you still struggle smashin’ the crap outa the snooze button.
I was reading somewhere – can’t remember where – one MIT student has designed a clock that moves around the room when the alarm starts ringing. So you’d have to chase after it to stop it. So much to wake up early.
On the contrast, practice something “mindfully” for as short as 5 days, and that might get hardwired in the cerebrums. Take handwriting for example.
Back in college, I remember reading a bunch of books on handwriting analysis – more stylishly known as “Graphology”. My friends would bring me their handwriting samples and I’d reveal their personality traits from it. Beware, your handwriting might just reveal your dark secrets to someone who has the eye for it (aka me). Kidding of course.
Now can you really change your handwriting in 5 days? I don’t know. I yet have to try that.
A friend told me at a coffee meetup I attended 2 Fridays ago that habits form when we practice things mindfully. I believe my friend is right. Take fasting for example. Few days into it and it starts to feel like a routine.
I leave it up to you to confirm my doubts – specifically about the whole 21 day equation. Is it even researched? Or is it a legend passed down to us from ambitious self-help gurus?
21 days or 5 – It does take some time. Stop thinking you can bring about a drastic change in an instant. Effort is the currency of success – a lesson Dr. Carol Dweck teaches like no one else in her outstanding extraordinaire book “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”.
That’s all for now.
G’ Night.
Osman S.
Good write up! The only “scientific” evidence I’ve ever found is in this study: http://eprints.ucl.ac.uk/16751/
Which seems to have concluded that “it depends.” Their results indicated that it could take anywhere from 18 days to 250 days to form the specific new habit that they were chasing.
Through my own experiences, I believe many habits can be ‘mostly’ ingrained within 21 days, but like you, I believe that doing it “mindfully” is the key. There is a website: http://www.loopchange.com that offers a free tool to help people be mindful of their habit, gets them encouragement and some accountability.
Changing or forming a habit is hard. It requires commitment (and other things). But there are tools out there that can help you through the process.
I had a look at loopchange.com, seems like a tool I can really make use of!
Like you said, commitment and mindfulness is the key. Take driving for example. Initially it's a struggle. One has to consciously remind himself/herself about the various techniques and maneuvers that go into driving a car. But few weeks later, it becomes a habit. It becomes something we don't have to consciously think about every time we hit the accelerator. They call it the stage of "Unconscious Competence" – That's when we do things on auto-pilot, habitually.
Reminds me of Stephen Covey books where he asks his readers to cultivate strong positive habits by consistently practising them for 21 days. Really it doesn't work that ways because of genetics, external factors etc.
A good post!
True. Books makes life sound like a bed of roses! Not all books though, for example the one I am reading these days (reading it for the 3rd time!) "Mindset" by Dr. Carol Dweck. This book is just awesome. One of the finest books to come out of the self-help genre in years. Highly recommended.
Thanks for reading my post!