What is the science behind the famous 21 Day Challenge?
The 21-day challenge is very popular among the people and is cited at least a thousand times a day by motivational speakers, gym trainers, life coaches, and bosses (Bosses? Really? Yes in some cases)
It is also nice to hear someone saying a method to change our lives in just 21 days. The time frame is short enough to be both inspiring and believable.
But do you know something? The 21 Day Challenge is a Myth
Many would disagree with me but the 21-day challenge is actually a myth. Some of you guys may have followed the challenge and would have got the results. But the timeframe depends on various other factors and the number 21 is not exact.
How did the 21 Day Challenge Start
It all started with the publication of a bestselling book called Psycho-Cybernetics in the year 1960. The author of the book was an American Cosmetic surgeon named Maxwell Maltz.
Maltz started to notice a strange pattern among his patients. When he performed Rhinoplasty or Otoplasty, he found that it took a minimum of 21 days for the patients to get used to their new face. Similarly, patients with an amputation took 21 days before adjusting to their new situation. He observed similar patterns among other patients and then came up with a conclusion.
These, and many other commonly observed phenomena tend to show that it requires a minimum of about 21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to jell
The book went on to become a blockbuster hit, selling more than 30 million copies. Maltz’s results and stories became very popular among the people. People started to talk so much about the book, that they completely modified his conclusions.
They began to forget that he said “A Minimum of About 21 days” and changed it to, “It takes 21 days to Form a New Habit.”
And that’s how society started spreading the common myth that it takes 21 days to form a new habit.
How Long does it Really Take to Build a New Habit
A research study was conducted by University College London to figure out how long it actually takes to form a new habit.
The study examined the habits of over 100 people over a 12-week period. Each person chose one new habit and followed it for about 12 weeks and reported each day on how automatic the behavior felt.
At the end of the 12 weeks, the researchers analyzed the data to determine how long it actually took for each person to go from starting a new behavior to automatically doing it.
They found that it takes anywhere from 18 days to 254 days before a new behavior becomes automatic. And this can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person, and the circumstances. This is why the 21-day challenge may have worked for some.
In other words, if you want to set your expectations appropriately, the truth is that it will probably take you anywhere from 18 days to eight months to build a new behavior into your life — not just 21 days.
