The other day I was working out and Britney Spears’ “You Better Work” filtered through the radio and it put me in the zone. Her words reign so true. Hard work in all aspects of life yields positive results and if you want to accomplish great things, you need to put in the time and effort. The key to working hard is to do the right things consistently and understand fully what you want to accomplish. So how do you incorporate consistent positive habits into your life and how long does it take to truly form a habit?

According to the book published in the 1960s by plastic surgeon, Maxwell Maltz, he surmised that it took plastic surgery patients 21 days to get adjusted to their altered appearances, which ultimately gave way to the 21-day habit forming analogy. Later, it was revealed that it could take more like 66 days to solidify a new habit in a study conducted by Dr. Phillippa Lally and her collaborators in 2009. In her study, 96 volunteers chose an eating, drinking or activity behavior to perform daily in the same context over a 12-week period. Some chose an easy task such as drinking a glass of water before bed, where others chose a more challenging activity such as running for 15 minutes before dinner. Through this study, it took participants on average 66 days to solidify their new habit.

So how do you form a habit and make it stick? Author James Clear shares four simple steps to building better habits in his book, Atomic Habits. The process is divided into four steps: cue, craving, response and reward.

“The cue triggers your brain to initiate a behavior. It is a bit of information that predicts a reward such as a trip, money, recognition, love or friendship.

Cravings are the second step, and they are the motivational force behind every habit. Without some level of motivation or desire – without craving a change – we have no reason to act. What you crave is not the habit itself but the change in state it delivers. You are not motivated by brushing your teeth but rather by the feeling of a clean mouth.

The third step is the response. The response is the actual habit you perform, which can take the form of a thought or an action. Whether a response occurs depends on how motivated you are and how much friction is associated with the behavior. If an action requires more physical or mental effort than you are willing to expend, then you won’t do it. Your response also depends on your ability. It sounds simple, but a habit can occur only if you are capable.

Finally, the response delivers a reward. Rewards are the end goal of every habit. The cue is about noticing the reward. The craving is about wanting the reward. The response is about obtaining the reward.”

If you are looking to incorporate beauty and wellness habits into your daily life, visit your local Planet Beach, where trained Spa Consultants are on standby to customize your personal wellness regime. Planet Beach offers services such as HOTWORX, automated massages, red light therapy and sunless spray tanning. The reward is to look great and feel amazing. By incorporating a visit to Planet Beach into your daily routine, you’ll create positive habits that will help you reach your ultimate beauty and wellness goals. Planet Beach is here to help you along the way, but at the end of the day, if you want a hot body? You want a Bugatti? You want a Maserati? You better work!

Written By: Jodie Mateu, VP of Special Events & Productivity

Sources:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejsp.674
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/science-says-it-takes-this-long-to-form-a-habit/
https://www.penguin.com.au/articles/3300-build-better-habits-in-4-simple-steps