Doing a 30 Day Challenge can be a great way to develop a new habit or get rid of an old one. It can also be a way to learning a new skill, as well as adding a little zing to your life.
I’ve heard from several sources in the personal development world that a habit takes about 21 days to develop. It turns out this is most likely a myth, that may have come from author and plastic surgeon, Dr. Maxwell Maltz.
In his book, Psycho-Cybernetics he states that amputees took an average of 21 days to adjust to loss of a limb. He also says that, “it usually requires a minimum of 21 days to effect any perceptible change in a mental image”.
We may not be able to rely on a magic number of days it takes to create a habit, but does that really matter, anyways? If it’s something that you want to do or will make your life better in some way, isn’t worth a try?
I like the idea of doing something for 30 days because it’s a number that can correlate with each month and it’s easy to track. So, you can take on a new challenge each month and at the end of the year you’d have 12 new habits or skills.
A good way to get started is to first make a list of all the changes you’d like to make in your life and all of the new skills you’d like to learn. That way, you’ll always have ideas to choose from and it’ll feel good to be able to check things off as you go along. At the end of the year, you can look back at your list and feel a great sense of accomplishment.
5 Tips for Creating A New Habit
1. Write the new habit you want to create on a note card and post it where you will see it everyday.
2. Start small and focus on one habit at a time – If you take on something too big, it may be too difficult and you may get discouraged.
3. Replace an unwanted habit with a new habit. For example, if you’re going to stop having your morning cup of coffee, replace it with a cup of tea.
4. Set a trigger – A trigger is a reminder to do your new habit. If the new habit you want to create is exercising, identify when you want to do it. If you plan on exercising in the morning, your trigger may be after you use the bathroom or eat breakfast. It’s basically tacking it on to the back of a habit you already have.
An article from the ChicagoTribune.com highlights the work of Dr B.J. Fogg, creator of the Fogg Behavior model. He identifies creating a trigger as the key element in creating a new habit.
5. Do it at the same time everyday
If your challenge is to learn something new, here are some additional tips:
* Practice every day, for a predetermined amount of time.
* Partner up or seek a professional’s help – Buddy up with a friend or family member to make it more fun and also to have someone to hold you accountable. Hiring someone to teach you will give you motivation and of course you’ll have the benefit of his or her expertise.
* Set a reward that you’ll give yourself if you make it through the full 30 days
So there you have it – simple steps to make some positive changes in your life. Now, just one more thing…Go make it happen.
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