Does it REALLY Take 21 Days To Make Or Break A Habit??

It really does take about 3 weeks to break a habit. But you HAVE TO replace it with another habit, hopefully a good one. I had a bad habit for over 15 years and it did go away in 3 weeks. It was a HARD habit to break, I struggled for years. Anyways you just have to want to break a habit, focus on a new habit that replaces it, and keep it up for 3 weeks. Works like a charm.

The actual time it takes really depends on the individual and the particular habit you're trying to change. I've had a few that were easier and took less time, and one or two that took about a month. This validates anecdotal evidence I've received from others that were also changing habits.

The important part is (as was already mentioned) to replace the old habit with something new. You aren't going to be as successful by just trying to get rid of an old habiit, as you will be if you create a new, more healthy or helpful one. Even if the new one is as simple as taking a walk every day, or reading for a half hour can be quite effective.

If you have the 'will-power' you'll quit the habit instantly or you'll never fall for it in first place.
SEO is an exception :p

It can actually take lesser time than 21 days to break a habit or bring any desired change.I must echo the fact that the old habit must be replaced by a new one otherwise it will not go! Any other good intended change can be achieved as long as one wills and is determined!

I think actually you can chance a habit immediately if the want or cause is big enough.
Very few people ever have a big enough why.
The 21 day thing come more from the brain wiring and the peptide addiction we have to the familiar, this dates back to our Reptilian Brain or hind brain. Cutting edge science says the the brain is neoplastic, which means it can be changed, or retained,hence the 21 day thing for basic stuff.

Regards Rob

This is awesome!

Yea man... you can definitely change a habit in less than 21 days. The "21 days" thing is just another false assumption we live under because not a lot of us like to challenge assumptions to find something new.

I study psychological conditioning and behavioral changes, have been experimenting on myself for about two years and I've realized that you can cease fire on a bad habit in 2 days, if not less and immediately start engaging in acting on a replacement.

Here's what I mean: Experimentation as a tool for training the mind

I experiment with tracking, writing a lot down and different ways of re-training my brain. I also study neuroscience so needless to say, I actually understand change at a scientific level. @robertjack is referring to neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to change the way the neurons (main brain cells) link to each other. Very true, very powerful.

Awesome thread. Change is totally possible sooner.

this is a myth and I heard this for the first time.

With the right amount of diligence and motivation habits can be broken overnight. The only exception would be a physical addiction that would require detoxing to maintain the safety of the habit victim. I personally know two people that have quit smoking cigarettes cold turkey within the past six months.

Myth Busted.

Everything depends on the person. Gratz to all who quit bad things though! I quit smoking and it's been 8 years cold turkey for me so far.

Its all about choices and what you want for your life, though circumstances may change the duration one takes to break a habit, it mostly depends on an individuals will power and the support they get from those around them.

Really simply put - It takes discipline to make or break any habit. 21 days, 365 days, 5 years, 10 years all will pass but did the changes remain??? Only discipline can ensure lasting changes

People on cocaine and heroine and other strong drugs can't escape it in 21 days. That kind of stuff, and often booze, has a magnetic pull. Even their own wills cannot save many of them in their lifetime. They have to die to escape their habit. An addiction is just a habit gone wild.

I recommend everyone to read Simon Sinek's Book called "Start With Why".

He says in that book that motivation and inspiration is two different things.

Motivation is for short term success. Its something that gives you a small kick like a Red Bull.. just for the moment then wears off and wears off it does RAPIDLY.

For long term success... there is only inspiration. My friends not only is this word a cliché and lost its meaning but also most people don't know its true definition.

When you are inspired! that is when you change permanently.

So, whatever your trying to make a habit.. it has to come from a deep rooted place in the subconscious.

21 days of repitition does help but I've had 60 days plus and still went back to the old self I remember a few years back.

When you get inspired, which basically means your WHY.. habits will form in a day! This is where the saying comes... when the WHY is big enough, the HOW will follow for itself.

My WHY few years back obviously wasn't good enough or strong enough. I wanted to make a habit going to the gym. This can be related to anything though e.g. waking up early, eating healthy, doing your work, stop smoking.

Hope this helped.. its a big topic with a very brief answer given

No it does not. Everyone I know who has ever quit smoking and never started again did it in a moment. They just decided and that was it. No gum, patches, prescriptions, nothing. You can change anything you want, just decide and Mean it.

I don’t recall who, probably Jack Canfield, mentioned somewhere about an experiment NASA once had. To give astronauts some training about what it feels when being in a weightless environment, they made them wear special glasses. The lenses on those glasses made everything upside-down.

In about 3-4 weeks some strange things started to happen. The vision of the astronauts who wore the glasses switched, so they saw the world normally with the glasses on and upside-down when took the glasses off! This only happened if they wore the glasses continuosly for the given time. Even just one day with no glasses and the switch didn’t happen.

This was meant as a scientific proof that roughly a month is needed to rewire the brain.

Does it take anyone MORE than 21 days, or is it just me? It starts to get much easier for me after 21 days, but its far from a habit.

I believe that it is true that it takes 21-30 days to break a habit.

Also - If you are trying to get rid of a bad habit, try replacing it with a good one.