It Takes 21 Days to Form a Habit..

Here's a secret, fifteen (15) days ago, I added an activity in my To-Do-List :
A 30-45 minute work out EVERYDAY.

I know that most people would advise against a daily workout, but if one is building a habit, one should be consistent until it reaches a point when it gets to be human nature already; like breathing air.

¹The 21 day habit theory as sourced from The Aristotle Blog "Dr Maxwell Maltz wrote the bestseller Psycho-Cybernetics. Originally a Plastic Surgeon, Maltz noticed that it took 21 days for amputees to cease feeling phantom sensations in the amputated limb.


From further observations he found it took 21 days to create a new habit. Since then the '21 Day Habit Theory' has become an accepted part of self-help programs.

Brain circuits take engrams (memory traces), and produce neuroconnections and neuropathways only if they are bombarded for 21 days in a row.

This means that our brain does not accept ‘new’ data for a change of habit unless it is repeated each day for 21 days (without missing a day)."
Whew! now that geeky stuff and references are out of the way, we continue with our conversation.

I am now in day 15 and I have 5 more days to go for this 21 Day Challenge with myself.
Yes my friends,I talked myself into working out everyday.


In the past, I did all the tricks that I could think of to trick myself into working out.
I kept with me this handy notebook that I log my workouts in.
I had nice little stickers used as a reward on the days that I worked out with the idea that I'd fill up the whole week of my moleskine with stickers indicating that I did a workout the whole week.
Sadly, because it was not a habit, I was not successful in having it ingrained in my system.

I know that we all want to be fit and healthy, but those things don't just happen. Those things are planned, monitored and done.

When I decided to go for the whole 21 days, the first few days were fun.
Week two though had been a challenge and this was the time when I have to be creative.
Will power and commitments will be compromised and questions would creep in -- why am I even doing this to myself? I sometime ask.

Being creative had me incorporating workouts with family time.

*My 12 and 11 y.o. stopping for a pose during our jogging session

The other weekend, I invited two of my kids for a run at Bonifacio Global City. Yesterday, I had my 11 yo girl accompany me in the gym to lift weights while her sisters took a swim.
Combining activities that create fulfillment for myself further strengthened the habit because of the reward it brings.

*My youngest doing a set of 10reps of dumbbell presses

Creativity would help you take out the monotony factor in the equation.

This would help you out with drafting your Plan B in case Plan A does not work out.
Challenge yourself to do a positive change for 21 days in a row.
Start with something small and start NOW.

By the time you finish the challenge, you have programmed your brain making it easier for you to keep going with your new habit.
So decide what positive habit you want to build and act on it!