Habit Days

[Renau Sheard]

In1960, Maltz published that quote and his other thoughts on behavior change in a book called Psycho-Cybernetics (audiobook). The book went on to become an blockbuster hit, selling more than 30 million copies.

Phillippa Lally is a health psychology researcher at University College London. In a study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, Lally and her research team decided to figure out just how long it actually takes to form a habit.

The study examined the habits of 96 people over a 12-week period. Each person chose one new habit for the 12 weeks and reported each day on whether or not they did the behavior and how automatic the behavior felt.

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James Clear writes about habits, decision making, and continuous improvement. He is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Atomic Habits. The book has sold over 20 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 60 languages.

Cathy Cassata is a freelance writer who specializes in stories about health, mental health, medical news, and inspirational people. She writes with empathy and accuracy and has a knack for connecting with readers in an insightful and engaging way. Cathy contributes regularly to Healthline and Verywell, and she has also been published in HuffPost. Read more of her work here, and connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

For example, certain habits take longer to form. As demonstrated in the study, many participants found it easier to adopt the habit of drinking a glass of water at breakfast than do 50 situps after morning coffee.

Another strategy is to replace a bad habit with a good one. For example, instead of snacking on potato chips, consider swapping for unsalted, unbuttered popcorn. Instead of reaching for a cigarette, consider trying a new flavor of chewing gum or a flavored hard candy.

The habits of highly successful people allow them to consistently perform behaviors that breed success. Everything from eating well to responsible spending to task completion and beyond requires habits that make such behaviors part of our daily life. Michael Jordan spent his off seasons taking hundreds of jump shots a day. Cy Young award-winning Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay routinely does a 90-minute workout before practices. The young Venus and Serena Williams would wake up at 6:00 am to hit tennis balls before school. Highly successful people have learned to develop good habits, and it takes discipline, courage and hard work on a daily basis to keep those habits in place. It makes perfect sense to adopt habits that will facilitate success, yet, why are some so difficult to adopt?

Tom Bartow, who successfully started advanced training for Edward Jones and has since become a highly sought after business coach, developed the following model of what habit formation really looks like:

It takes 3-days to make a habit. If I wanted my 2-year-old to break the habit of, for example, having a big glass of milk before dinner, I knew that I had to be strong and enforce stopping this behaviour for 3 days solid (despite any objections). After 3 days, the objections from my 2-year-old subsided and this new habit was being formed. At the same time, I knew that if I gave in and allowed him to drink milk before dinner again for 3 days in a row I was basically back to square one.

Before I started using the Life Sorted app, I relied on Post-it notes. Occasionally now I still catch myself writing a shopping list item or reminder on a Post-it (force of habit) instead of using the app.

Changing the way you manage your family schedule requires a conscious mindset shift. First, you need to install the Life Sorted app on your devices. Then, you need to make the effort to start using the app consciously. The best approach I have found is to specifically allocate time to transfer ALL your activities, events and to-do lists out of your head or paper diary into the Life Sorted app.

Then for a minimum of 3 days (it may take longer if you the paper diary type), consciously remind yourself to use the Life Sorted app rather than revert to your previous way of doing things. If you pick up the Post-its, put them away and go and find your phone instead.

Using the Life Sorted app will soon become second nature. Comfortable. It will add value to your day and simplify your routines. If you would like to join the beta program click here to get started.

Researchers at University College London tracked people attempting to form different types of new habits. Instead of three or four weeks, they found it took an average of sixty-six days for new habits to become automatic. And they projected that some would take more than 250 days.

Other research has found longer and shorter durations for habit forming. A study from the European Journal of Social Psychology found an average of 66 days was required to form a habit, with a range between 18 and 254 days.

Often, participants have to perform their new activities at the same time and place in their daily lives. Another important factor is your motivation. Is this change really important to you? Or is it more of a temporary fancy?

One study shows that starting good habits may improve your self-control. The researchers found that as habits were formed, participants reported it took less effort. They could handle motivational interference better, too.

As a founder, you can improve your habits in many ways. For example, if you struggle to remember routine tasks, doing them at the same time can help. Maybe you could reply to your morning emails right after making your second cup of coffee. Or perhaps you could conduct inventory on the first Monday of every month.

Alternatively, if you want to encourage your team to be more collaborative, then maybe set aside time for weekly brainstorming sessions so people get in the habit of working together.

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A habit is wired in an area of your brain called the basal ganglia. The more often you perform an action or behave a certain way, the more it gets physically wired into your brain with new neuro connections.

Today is the 21st- so technically the third week in January just came to an end. I mention this because it is the toughest time to continue with resolutions A coach once told me that making something a good habit takes sets of three. The first three days may be hard- but if you can start the fourth day it will become a habit. Extrapolate that theory into weeks- the first three weeks are hard- but if you can start the fourth week it becomes a regular practice. And if you can take it to the next step- months- the first two months set the base; the third month becomes a challenge- but if you can start the fourth month- the act becomes ingrained in your behavior.

Another way to look at it is in the beginning you are excited and motivated (day 1, week 1, month 1); the second step is hard- but still doable (day 2, week 2, month 2), and the third step is a challenge (day 3, week 3, month 3). We lose interest or it is too challenging for us, or something else distracts us. BUT if you can make the transition to the fourth day, week, month the benefits will begin to present themselves exponentially.

The 30-Day Drawing Habit helps introduce the life-changing, world-transforming power of daily drawing (and painting and doodling and general making) into your life and gives you the tools to maintain it long after the 30 days are over. What makes the Grown-Ups Table (GUT) program different than every other program is that we do it in community. And not just any community. The GUT community is the best most kind, most creative folks in the world. Just the kind of safe, supportive space where we can take a leap and grow.

If you know me at all, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. I like drawing and talking about feelings, art, life, people, creating a full, meaning full life - all that fun, real stuff - and always with a wink, usually with a smile. (Life is too damn short.)

If you\u2019ve been wanting to grow a more creative life for yourself - one where art, attention, process, joy, care and connection become the foundation of your days - you\u2019re not alone. I DO, TOO.

That\u2019s why I\u2019m starting a new 30-Days of Drawing January 1: I want to develop a new habit that will help me be more present today, and prepare myself for what is bound to be a challenging year ahead. And you are most welcome to join me.

The 30-Day Drawing Habit started as a personal experiment last Summer to try and bring more of what I wanted into my life, and let go of what I didn\u2019t. Turns out I wasn\u2019t the only one who was looking to make this change! Hundreds (thousands!) of us did the 30-Day Drawing Habit together last Summer, and according to the art people made and the friendships forged (and the pre-post survey I took) it worked.

What is the GUT\u2019s 30-Days of Drawing exactly? It works like this: Every week for 30 days I send out fun, accessible, evidence-based lessons and assignments that will give you everything you need to do establish a daily creative routine. Every day you draw for 10 minutes, then share your drawings in the Grown-Ups Table chat room. There you\u2019ll meet other likeminded creative folk from all background and skill levels, and receive tremendous encouragement and accountability and community. (It\u2019s kind of the best.)

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