"told me it took only 28 days to form a new habit. That’s just 4 weeks, I thought. Any chump can stick with a thing for 4 weeks, even a guy with my lagging levels of self-discipline. I started setting monthly resolutions instead of annual ones, and for the first time, started keeping them. Some simple math: 30 days are a lot more manageable than 365. If you’re stubborn like me, you can convince yourself of anything for a month. Grit your teeth and watch the finish line come bouncing up the road ahead of you." "Setting monthly resolutions also lets you try on new habits for size. Don’t like them? Toss ‘em. Try something new. Create a new habit for next month. But you have to make it to 30 days. And if you’re liking the results, you have a reason to stick with ‘em." [..] "A month is a perfect amount of time for trying on new habits, like clothing in a department store dressing room. The 28-day rule (or 21-day rule, depending on who you ask) was established by a plastic surgeon named Maxwell Maltz, who observed that patients who had an arm or a leg amputated would sense a phantom limb for about 21 days afterward. " [..] "on average, it takes 66 days to solidify and automate a new behavior. If you want to set up your expectations accurately, it could take anywhere from two months to eight to fully formulate new norms. But so what? The solution is not to steel your resolve. The solution is to promise yourself less, try on more, and build up your resolve with practice."
