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I was thinking about that twenty-one days everyone tells me it takes to create a new habit, or break an old one. Thinking about it hopefully. With hope. I looked up the specific definition of hopefully, so I could share with you exactly what I was feeling, and every definition included the word hopeful! So I looked up hopeful, and guess what? Every definition included the word hope. Good grief. So... I looked up hope. "A specific instance of feeling hopeful." I am not kidding. Tried again..."to entertain or indulge hope." Hmm. Seriously? Shall we try a third site? Once more... "the feeling that what is wanted can be had, or that events will turn out for the best." Well, that's better.
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I was thinking about those twenty-one days hopefully, trying to will myself to believe after twenty-one days I might WANT to jog. Trying to make myself believe that after twenty-one days of exercise I would have developed a new habit. I am easily convinced, easily influenced, a borderline hypochondriac at times... if you are around me Tuesday, then call me Wednesday to let me know you have developed strep throat, my throat will hurt like the dickens for a few days before I finally decide I do not have it. So I figured if I could see it in print, this would help my fantasy along a bit, help it to develop form and weight and substance. My little bit of research was not terribly encouraging.
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It turns out that the famous twenty-one days was introduced by Dr. Maxwell Maltz in 1960. Yes, for fifty years this myth has been spread about, only reaching its pinnacle recently with the viral strength of the internet. Dr. Maltz noticed that it took amputees twenty-one days to adjust to living without their limb, and suggested that this led him to believe it would take us twenty-one days to adjust to any major change. So if I cut off a limb or have some horrible major life change, I can expect that around three weeks later I will have more or less adjusted to it. But if I want to add a glass of water to my diet every day, or start getting up earlier each morning, I am not so sure this idea applies. As a matter of fact I am certain it does not.
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Recently there was a new study performed by Dr. Phillippa Lally and published in the European Journal of Social Psychology. No, I did not even do enough research to read the study. Instead I read this webpage: www.spring.org.uk/2009/09/how-long-to-form-a-habit.php .This research determined that a change such as adding a piece of fruit at lunch takes an average of sixty-six days to become as much a habit as it will become. That is to say, we might not automatically do it still, but we will be as likely to do it as we ever will be. Kind of a habit plateau. Hmm. And it gets worse... the more difficult the task is, the longer the "habit change" takes. As long as 254 days in this study. And worse yet... there were sub-groups which suggested some people might be somewhat habit resistant. Seriously?? Well, I know I am not part of that group, I am definitely a creature of habit, so I won't worry about that one for now... but the other has me a bit put off.
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It did say that one or two days missed would not affect results. This is great news for me because I think I am missing today and tomorrow. Maybe not, we'll see... but typically if I don't get it in early, I don't get it in. Maybe I can inspire myself to go late tonight, kind of in the middle of when I would normally (normal being the past eight days) exercise.
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On a much more positive, encouraging note (for me, anyway)... I HAVE jogged every day except Easter. At least two miles, as was my goal, up to four. Mostly two. :) So yay me!!! I will try not to think about the next 59 days, or more likely 247. Because I do remember a time when I really looked forward to my daily jog, and I will look forward hopefully believing that day will come again.
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