A habit is something you do automatically as part of a regular routine. It’s something that typically doesn’t take much thought to put it into action because it’s become so normal for you to do. These can be things like brushing your teeth before you go to bed at night, getting your morning coffee going when you wake up, or buckling your seatbelt when you get into your car.  

We all have habits that we do each and every day without even thinking about them. But when was the last time you tried creating a new habit for yourself? We’re going to take a look at just how long it actually takes to create a new habit as well as several steps you can take to help make it easier.

How Long It Really Takes to Create a New Habit

You’ve probably heard the old saying that it takes 21 days to create a new habit. But chances are, if you try to implement a new habit into your life for 3 weeks, you’ll likely find that while it becomes easier over time, it may not be part of your routine just yet. And that’s ok.

So how long does it actually take to create a new habit? Well, according to a 2009 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, they found it took people anywhere from 18 – 254 days to create a new habit with the average timeframe being around 66 days for this new habit to become automatic. That average is just over two months – much longer than the outdated notion of only 21 days. But don’t let this discourage you from making changes. Instead, use this information to set realistic expectations of yourself.

Of course, the time it takes to implement a new habit can depend on a few things such as your mindset going into the change, how big of a change you are looking to make, and your consistency with your actions. Keep in mind that a new habit may very well be something brand new to your lifestyle, but it can also be a change to an existing habit.

So, let’s talk about mindset. Going into the decision of forming a new habit, you need to have realistic expectations for yourself not just for how long it could take to become automatic, but also that you’re human. Meaning, chances are you’ll have some speedbumps along the way where things may not go as perfectly as you’d like. And that’s ok. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get right back on track. Keep in mind that it will take some time before this becomes a regular part of your life. Have patience with yourself, keep yourself motivated, and eventually it will become a solid habit.

The scale of the change you wish to make – as in, is this a minor tweak or is this a big overhaul – can also play a role in how long it takes to become automatic for you. Depending on your goal, swapping one habit for another in its place may be easier than completely forming a brand new one. For example, if you’re looking to cut back on sugar in your diet and you regularly add sugar to your morning coffee, then switching to an alternate sweetener may be an easier change to make than just cutting out the sweetener altogether.

Finally, consistency. If you take a half-hearted approach to forming a new habit, it will take you much longer to make it automatic, if it happens at all. The more consistent you are, then quicker and more effective your efforts will be in making this habit a regular part of your routine.

I tend to have moments of inconsistency when I’m trying to make changes in my life, so I understand that it can get frustrating if you feel like you aren’t being as successful as you’d like. This is where it’s important to give yourself a little grace and realize that it is ok if you miss a time or two. This doesn’t mean you aren’t able to do this or that it’s too hard; it only means that you need more time – and patience with yourself – to really make it solid.

While the time it takes to implement a new habit will vary from person to person, and even from one habit to the next, there are eight steps you can take to help yourself be successful.

8 Steps to Help You Be Successful

Don’t Compare Yourself to Others

You’ve probably heard this a million times, but it is so incredibly important. Comparing your journey to someone else’s is a surefire way to end up feeling discouraged. People progress at different rates. There are going to be times where you will be doing better than someone else, and there will be times where you won’t. The only person you should be comparing yourself to is the person you were the day before. Bottom line: If you are making progress, that’s awesome. Keep going!  

Stay Focused on Your “Why”

A constant reminder of why you’re trying to change your behavior can also be helpful. Remind yourself every day that you’re exercising so your body stays strong, and you can go play with the kids or grandkids in the yard. Put up a picture to remind you that you’re making frugal habits right now so that you can one day go on your dream vacation. Keep your reason for why you’re changing front and center to help keep your focused on you end goal.

Schedule It Into Your Day

Remember that a new habit isn’t part of your regular routine just yet. So, it’ll take more conscious effort to make sure it happens. An easy way to help with this, is to schedule the activity into your regular daily routine until it becomes automatic. Set alarms in your phone to help you remember to drink a glass of water or to go take a walk.    

Habits will form faster if you stick to the same time and environment each day. Instead of just planning to go for a walk each day, be specific about what time during the day such as every day after dinner. Keep your walking shoes by the door to make it easier. For example, I like to workout in the morning, so I lay out my workout clothes the night before to make it easier to get up, get changed, and get going.

If your goal involves changing your eating habits, schedule regular times during the week to meal plan and food prep to help keep yourself on track with your meals. Check out my other post about 7 awesome benefits of meal planning and prepping.

Piggyback On a Habit You Already Have

When possible, you can couple up the new habit to one you already have. For example, if you regularly enjoy a cup of tea at 3pm each day, and your goal is to keep in better touch with family and friends, then make your new daily ritual a combination of writing a quick letter, email, or even making a phone call while you are enjoying your tea.  

The idea is that if you already have something you do daily, then combining your new change to that existing habit can make it easier to establish.    

Find a Partner or Group with a Similar Goal

Finding someone with the same or similar goal as you can be tremendously helpful. This could be in the form of a workout partner or diet buddy, for example. Basically, what you’re looking for is a partner you can team up with to keep each other accountable and encourage each other to keep making progress. It’s so much harder to skip a workout if you know someone else is depending on you being there.

And if one accountability partner is good, a whole group can be even better. They don’t even have to be local team to meet up with; you can absolutely find a supportive group online.  Having a partner, or group, allows you to share success stories, swap tips, tricks, and ideas, and share the journey with like-minded individuals.   

Make It Public and Be Accountable

If you’re up for it, you may even go as far as sharing it publicly on your social media accounts or write a blog about your new journey. Knowing that others read it and know about it might be just enough to keep you going when you feel like throwing in the towel. You may even end up inspiring others to share their stories with you.

Leave Reminders for Yourself

Literally. Leave little notes in different areas around your home to help remind you to change behaviors. This also works well if there are multiple people in the home who all need to work on a similar change. For example, if the change is to stop leaving dirty dishes in the sink, put a little note by the sink reminding the family to rinse their dish and place it in the dishwasher. If the trash tends to pile up and no one takes it out, put a note there to take out the trash if they see it is full.

Take the Process One Day at a Time

Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by how far you have to go until you reach your goal or how much work it feels like you’ll need to do. Making big changes happens through making a series of consistent smaller changes. So take the process one day at a time. Focus on doing your best today and know that you can focus on tomorrow when you get there.  

Making changes in your life takes time, effort, and most of all, patience. As you’re working towards creating new habits for yourself, remember to take it each day at a time. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed or discouraged. If you misstep here or there, give yourself a little grace and get right back to it. You don’t have to be perfect to make the changes you want to see happen in your life. You just need to be consistent until these new habits become a regular part of your routine. You can do this.