If you search the Internet to find out how people form habits, you'll probably learn that it takes just 21 days to form a habit. Or maybe 18, or 28 or even 31. The numbers are different, but the standard advice is the same. Many experts suggest that if you simply repeat a behavior for a specific number of days, you're destined to develop the habit. Yet habit formation is not so simple. Some habits form easily, while others seem less likely to last. Some habits are remarkably easy to develop. For example, if, for a few nights in a row, you watch a Netflix show, you'll start watching night after night. However, things might work differently when you try to establish a daily gym habit. How long it takes to form a new habit depends on the strength of the old behavior. Establishing a twice-weekly gym routine will be easier if you already have a once-weekly gym routine. Instead of focusing on a specific deadline, take the habit-formation process one day at a time. By employing the following strategies, you'll speed up the process and ensure your new habit sticks. 1. Define Small, Specific Goals

A habit is a repeated behavior. Before you can develop a new habit, you'll need to define a small, specific behavioral goal. For example, instead of setting the goal of "being more organized" try "clean my room and vacuum every Sunday morning." This goal works because it's concrete. It's a behavior that you can repeat over and over until it becomes automatic – in other words, a habit.

2. Make It Easy For Yourself

Think of ways to eliminate the barriers and make the habit-forming process easier. Let's say you and your family want to have a healthier diet. You're motivated to make the change and you enjoy eating healthy food, so why won't the habit stick? Think about the logistical and mental barriers that might be stopping you. Maybe your parents are too tired to cook after work, so they end up ordering unhealthy take-out meals more often than you'd like. Consider ways to work around the barrier. You could suggest that your family dedicate one weekend afternoon each week to preparing meals for the next five days.

3. Get An Accountability Partner

Being held accountable to another person increases motivation. We might sometimes fail to meet our own internal expectations, but we hate to let our friends and family down. Use psychology to your advantage by finding an accountability partner. An accountability partner can be someone working toward the same goal as you. If you're trying to build an exercise habit, find a friend who wants to hit the gym and set up a shared workout schedule. Some days you might rather stay in bed than go to the gym. In that case, the thought of disappointing a friend might be enough to get you out the door.

4. Use External And Internal Reminders

Create external reminders. Experiment with post-it notes, to-do lists, daily phone alarms and any other tool that helps you remember the habit you want to form. Remember that the process of creating a new behavior may involve stopping an old behavior. In addition to creating reminders about desirable behaviors, like cleaning your room, you may need to remind yourself not to toss your dirty clothes on the floor. Create internal reminders, too. If you find yourself trapped in an unhelpful thought process, you can use mental reminders to break the pattern. Choose a statement to repeat whenever negative thoughts arise. If you catch yourself thinking "I hate going to the gym," counter the thought with "...but I love how energized I feel after a workout."

5. Give Yourself Time

Remember, habit formation is not a straight upward path. If you slip up one day, don't stress. One small mistake will not erase the work you've already done. Developing new habits takes time, but with a smart, strategic approach, your habits will last.

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