It is commonly known that "a habit is formed in 21 days," but this is more of a myth stemming from a plastic surgeon's observation in the 1960s. According to a 2009 study by a research team at University College London, it takes an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic. Today, we introduce scientifically proven habit formation strategies. Understanding the Habit Loop Every habit consists of three stages: "Cue → Routine → Reward." This is called the "habit loop." To create a new habit, you need to clearly design these three elements. For example, if you want to form the habit of drinking a glass of water every morning: - Cue: Alarm rings (waking up) - Routine: Drink water from the bottle next to the bed - Reward: Completion confirmation in a daily certification app + sense of achievement Habit Stacking This is a method of "stacking" a new habit onto an existing one. Use the formula "After current habit A, do new habit B." By linking a new action to an already automated behavior, there's no need to create a separate cue. Examples: - "While brewing coffee in the morning (existing habit) → Do 10 squats (new habit)" - "After lunch (existing habit) → Take a 10-minute walk (new habit)" - "Before going to bed (existing habit) → Write three lines in a gratitude journal (new habit)" The 2-Minute Rule When starting a habit, reduce it to a "version that can be completed in 2 minutes." If the goal is "reading for 30 minutes daily," start with "reading one page daily." The key is to start the action itself. Once you start, the law of inertia will naturally lead you to do more. Environment Design Environment is stronger than willpower. Make the cues for good habits visible, and hide the cues for bad habits. - Lay out workout clothes next to the bed the night before - Keep your smartphone outside the bedroom - Place healthy snacks at the front of the refrigerator It's Okay to Fail Research shows that skipping a day does not affect long-term habit formation. However, skipping two consecutive days significantly increases the likelihood of breaking the habit. The key principle is "Never miss twice." Register your habits in the daily certification app and certify them every day; the streak and badge system will help you form habits. After 66 days, you can become a completely different person.