Learned a wild stat about how long it takes to break a bad habit

I was reading this article on Psychology Today while waiting for my coffee to brew last Tuesday. It said the old 21-day rule is actually a myth from a 1950s book about amputees, not habits. The real average is 66 days based on a study from University College London. I spent years beating myself up for not changing in 3 weeks. Has anyone else heard something that totally wrecked a common belief?

2 comments

2 Comments

eva_adams687d ago

Oh man, the "spent years beating myself up" part really hit home for me. I remember trying to quit biting my nails for like a decade because I thought I was just lazy or weak willed when it took longer than 21 days. It turns out the real science is way more forgiving, and that 66 day average actually makes sense when you think about how messy real life is. I still catch myself feeling guilty for not magically fixing things in three weeks, so it helps to know that number is total garbage. Honestly, learning that just made me feel a lot less broken about my own struggles. Thanks for sharing this, really.

mark_mitchell7d ago

Switched my goal from stopping to just doing it once less each day. Small wins added up.