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How the Myth of “21 days” Took Off

The 21 Day Habit Myth can be traced back to a book published in 1960, “Psycho-Cybernetics “ by Dr. Maxwell Maltz. Although Maltz didn’t make the claim but referenced this number as an observable metric in both himself and his patients. He wrote: “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 gel.” But as the book became more popular, with more than 30 million copies sold, this situational observation has become accepted as fact.  This left me wondering - is it truly fact or an urban legend. 

So as I dug a bit further, I found that this same study also concluded that, on average, it truly takes 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic. That certain habits require more time than others, as demonstrated in the study, many participants found the adoption of drinking a glass of water at breakfast, easier than 50 sit-ups after morning coffee. Some people are just better suited to forming habits than others.  A consistent routine of any kind isn’t for everyone, so finding a good solution often needs some level of tailoring – this is where SFX can help you make a life changing difference in your routine.

21 Day Myth of Forming a Habit

I recently overheard a client say “after 21 days my workouts will become habit”! Haven’t we all heard something to that effect.  That anything you do for 21 days becomes a habit.  Is that truly correct?

So, the conversation stayed with me and it caused me to do some additional research to provide my clients with the best chances for lasting success.   It started with my own success and challenges in life, I thought to myself, how long has it taken me to achieve my set goals and accomplishments, could a simple 21 days really be the right answer.  I felt some goals took longer than 21 days and some a lot less. As the owner of SFX, Trainer and overall fitness enthusiast, I felt compelled to search out the validity of the “21 Day Habit Myth”, not just for this challenge but for a clearer understanding and clarification of origin of the 21-day myth.

The Bottom Line

It can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit and I believe an average of 66 days for a new fitness/lifestyle behavior to become automatic. So, my challenge to you is to join me on a 66-day challenge and finally, truly “release” the extra pounds you have collected over Covid. It’s not about losing the weight – because when you lose something you tend to find it again.  So let’s work together to release the bad habit(s) and permanently release the weight. At SFX, we know that there’s no one-size-fits all solution, which is why this challenge can be modified to fit your needs; as some habits are easier to form than others and some people may find it easier (or harder) to develop new behaviors.

There’s no right “one size fits all” answer but based on my own success and key client successful outcomes, let SFX guide you into attaining the success that you deserve - the online right timeline that matters is the one that works best for you.

• Fitness Assessment
  
  
• 3D Body Scan
  
  
• SFX Fitness Anywhere App
  
  
• Heart Rate Monitor
  
  
• 2 Month Gold Membership*

• 60 Day Meal Plan**
  
  
• A 30 Minute Personal Training Session***
  
  
• Dry Needling Session
  
  
• Chiropractic Assessment
  
  
• Inspirational Daily Emails / Check-in