How to build a habit that sticks, according to research

In a study at University College London, Lally and colleagues asked volunteers to repeat a new daily habit, like eating fruit at lunch or a short walk, and to rate how automatic it felt. Among the people whose results fit the researchers' model, it took a median of 66 days to reach automaticity, with a very wide range of 18 to 254 days.

Two findings matter most: simple habits got automatic faster than harder ones, and missing a single day didn't materially affect the process. The study was small, so treat '66 days' as a rough guide, not a rule.

1. 1Make it tinyShrink the habit until it's almost too easy: one page, one push-up, two minutes. You can grow it once it sticks.
2. 2Tie it to a cueUse an 'after I…, I will…' plan. Research on these if-then plans (called implementation intentions) shows they make people noticeably more likely to follow through.
3. 3Same time, same placeHabits form through repetition in a consistent setting.
4. 4Track itA simple check-off or streak makes progress visible. Habitwise does this with a 15-week calendar and a weekly review.
5. 5Plan for missesDecide now: if I miss a day, I start again the next day.
6. 6One at a timeAdd a second habit once the first feels automatic.

My habit plan

Habit (tiny version): ______
  e.g. "one push-up", "read one page", "two minutes of tidying"

Cue: After I ______, I will ______.
  e.g. "After I pour my morning coffee, I will read one page."

Where: ______        When: ______

If I miss a day: I start again the next day. One miss doesn't undo the progress.

Weekly check (Sunday): How many days? ___ / 7   What got in the way? ______
Grow it when it feels automatic: next version ______

• The habit is too big for a busy day
• There's no clear cue, so it depends on remembering
• Weekends or travel break the routine; plan a weekend version
• One missed day turns into giving up; restart the next day instead