How Long Does it Take to Form a Habit?

Conventional wisdom suggests that it takes about a month to form a new habit. However, research indicates that a month probably isn’t long enough for most habits to form. In fact, a research study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology suggests that it takes closer to two months to form a habit. 

This group of researchers recruited 96 volunteers who chose an eating, drinking, or physical activity to carry out daily for 12 weeks. They recorded how automatic the behavior felt on a daily basis.

On average, it took 66 days for the new behavior to feel automatic. Not surprisingly, simpler habits, such as drinking a daily glass of water, formed more quickly than more effortful habits, like doing 50 sit-ups before breakfast.

Performing the target behavior consistently led to faster habit-forming. However, missing one day here and there did not decrease the rate of habit-forming.

The take-away from this study appears to be that, if you want to form a new habit, you should:

1) start with something simple,
2) be consistent, and don’t give up if you occasionally miss a day, and
3) be ready to work for at least two months.

These conclusions dovetail perfectly with the framework of James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. Based on scientific research, Clear demonstrates how incremental changes in behavior can create new habits, which accumulate and result in big changes.