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How to create a habit & how long does it really take?

How long does it take to form a habit?

You may be wondering how long it takes to form a habit. Depending on who you ask, you may get answers ranging anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks to 66 days — and sometimes even longer!

But before we get too focused on a particular number of days or length of time, keep in mind that you could potentially be setting yourself up for failure by trying to develop a habit within a precise window of time. That’s because forming a habit isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. Rather, it’s dependent on many things specific to you. Here’s some more information for understanding how long it takes to create a habit, as well as tips for getting a daily meditation habit to stick.

The research on forming habits

There is compelling research that attempts to answer the question: how long does it take to form a habit? The infamous “21 days” myth spread after a 1960 book called Psycho-Cybernetics became widely popular. Since then new research has refuted this claim, suggesting that it takes much longer to form a habit. Most notably, researchers from the University College London found that it takes at least 66 days for “automaticity” to kick in.

The same University College London study also showed a huge variation in individual times among participants — anywhere from 18 to 254 days. Of course, this isn’t so surprising when you consider that some people are more resistant to forming habits than others. Plus, some habits are simply more difficult to pick up than others.

That’s why when you set out to create a habit it’s important to focus less on the amount of time and more on the work needed to achieve your goal.

Techniques for creating a new habit

1. Use habit anchors. Sound weird? It’s actually a useful mental strategy. Habit anchoring is the practice of choosing a 30-second action that prompts you to start your new habit, for example if you want to make a habit of walking every day, you might start with 30 seconds of jumping jacks before your walk. Then, you attach this new 30 second action to a habit anchor — an action you already do as part of your existing daily routine. So, “I will start my jumping jacks as soon as I’ve finished brushing my teeth ” And it works! Research shows that anchor habits can be a powerful way to get new habits to stick.

2. Use the “habit loop” formula. Some experts believe that a process called habit loops — which is somewhat related to habit anchoring — are key for developing a new habit (or disrupting old ones). Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit”, describes a habit loop as a combination of cue, routine, reward, and craving. To establish a new routine like daily walking, you need a cue (something that triggers your behavior); a reward (the benefit you get from completing your routine); and a craving (the urge you feel once your brain starts to associate your cue with an anticipated reward).

So, for example, if you’re trying to make daily walking a habit, a habit loop could look like this: Choose a cue — such as brushing your teeth in the morning — and reward — such as feelings of calm and clarity you get when you’ve finished walking. Allow yourself to anticipate those pleasant feelings. Eventually, the craving for that reward will make it easier to set aside some time each day for your daily walk.

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Congratulations to the Winners of the My Movement Challenge 🎉
 
We're excited to announce that the winners of the 100 PARC Beanies have been drawn! 🏆 Please check your email to see if you're one of the lucky winners. 
 
A huge thank you to all our incredible members who participated in the PARC My Movement Challenge! We hope you all had fun and were able to find your pace at PARC this winter. It was so fun to see so many members signing the Gym wall and committing to happy, healthier habits. 

Well done you, keep it up! 💪 
 
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Meet Chris and Sharon 👋
 
The twin sisters have been training with Tracey as a part of their Small Group Training membership and have absolutely smashed their goals! 💪
 
We sat down with Chris and Sharon and asked them to share their thoughts on Small Group Training and their successful health and fitness journey. You can read about their health and fitness journey in our blog via the link in bio
 
Well, done Chris and Sharon on all your hard work and dedication! We wish the twins well on their continued health and fitness journey.

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Three weeks of PARC Reformer 😱

WOW time flies when you're having fun! It's been 3 weeks since we opened the doors to our brand new PARC Reformer Studio and we have loved hearing how much you're all enjoying the new space! 

It's great to see our PARC community making the most of the new reformer studio and trying out all the amazing new features including the Virtual and On-demand options to fit in with busy schedules. 

Thanks for your patience as we worked through some booking challenges in the first few days. Want to try it for yourself? bookings are open via the Xplor App or Customer Portal.

After more info? Check out our PARC Reformer Studio website page via the link in bio

Keep the momentum going and make PARC Reformer a regular part of your routine. We’ll see you in the Studio soon!

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Thank you Rotary Peninsula 2.0 & the 2025 Rotary Birth tree 🌳

The Rotary Peninsula 2.0 Birth Tree helps to raise funds for swim programs in our community, with $45 of every contribution going straight back to PARC and PINES to help more children build confidence in the water. 

Registrations for the Birth Tree are now available for all babies born in 2025. 

For more information or if you would like to register your child for the 2025 Rotary Birth Tree please head to the website. Link in bio

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Important Centre Update 

Closure Notice: The 50m Pool will be closed from Monday 30 June – Sunday 27 July.

We are undertaking significant tiling and improvement works in the Main 50m Pool. This means that the Main 50m Pool will be closed from Monday 30 June – Sunday 27 July (4 week closure period). 

What services are impacted? 
• CLOSED: Over the period, the 50m pool will be closed. 
• OPEN: All other aquatic facilities will remain open, including the Learn to Swim Pool, Warm Water Pool Hall, Waterslides and Aquatic Playground. Importantly, this means that PARC Swim lessons in the 50m pool will not run. 
 
To learn more about these planned works and how the closure impact you, please visit our website via link in bio
If you would like to suspend your membership for the closure period, you can do so via our website, link in bio
 
Suspensions used will not go towards members’ allowable suspensions and won’t impact the suspensions rules. 

We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to enhance your PARC experience with these important upgrades.

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Aquatic Playground Closure 🛠 
 
The Aquatic playground will be closed for planned maintenance from Tuesday 17 June to Tuesday 24 June. 
 
This maintenance requires the playground to be dry in order to be repaired. The Learn to Swim, Toddler pool and Waterslides are still available for your enjoyment. 
 
We hope to reopen the Aquatic Playground in full on 24 June. 
 
We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. 

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