The 21/90 Rule: How To Adopt Good Habits & Make It Part Of Lifestyle

The 21/90 rule states that formation of a new habit takes 21 days, and 90 days to make the habit into a permanent lifestyle. Set a goal and stick to it for 21 days and it becomes a habit. And if you stay committed to the goal for 90 days, it will definitely become your lifestyle. Look inward and examine if you want to inculcate good habits into your existing lifestyle. Decide on the habit you want to include into your life – exercising, healthy diet or meditation – and start working towards it in small gradual steps. Whether you want to form good habits or change habits this rule can help you to make healthy lifestyle changes.

Most people fail to make positive lifestyle changes in spite of the good intensions due to two reasons – their mindset and failure to take accountability. Total commitment to the goal is vital to make habit changes. Most people lack a mindset to put in hard work necessary for results, but want to reap the benefits. Lack of accountability to one’s goal is another downer that prevents habit modifications or changes in lifestyle. We bring some smart tricks to help you in making positive changes in your daily life.

21/90 rule: Steps to make healthy lifestyle changes

Create or modify habits in 21 days, or make it a permanent lifestyle in 90 days. Here are some tips to maintain your commitment to the goals.

Set a goal

First step is to decide on the change you would like, and to set a goal to accomplish it. The change can be personal (fitness, diet, meditation, etc.) or professional (career related). Jot it down to make it formal or set it as a reminder on your laptop – the idea is to keep it visible. Set the goal after deliberating carefully over it – how to implement, steps you want to take and the most suitable time for pursuing it. Before starting plan meticulously, and start with baby steps. Habit forming changes take place gradually, so think carefully about the importance of the change in your life before committing yourself. For instance, if you want to make physical exercise a part of your lifestyle, it will make you healthy and improve overall wellness. To achieve the fitness goal, you need to plan your day accordingly – wake up in the morning and dedicate specific time for it.

Plan

List out the plan in specific steps, once the goal is set. The plan must specify the following: how you intend to start, how you would like to implement the goal, etc. For instance, to achieve fitness goal it would be helpful to list the type of physical activities you plan to pursue, or the specific time when you would work out each day. You may even list the name of friends who have similar goals and may be interested in working out together. It’s vital to track the progress of the plan so create a track sheet as well.

Stay focused

Focus on one habit at a time, you can’t achieve everything in one go. Try and implement one small change in your lifestyle. Keep asking questions and be your own critique, for the inner voice enhances focus towards the goal. Ban the negative vibes and bring in only positive vibes to keep you motivated.

Stay committed

Commitment is the key to habit formation, eventually leading to positive changes in lifestyle. The 21/90 rule stresses on working consistently on the plan. So, stick to the plan for consecutive days with a commitment to continue till the goal is achieved. Set boundaries for yourself to avoid straying from your commitment. For instance, if you have to take a break, make sure it’s only for a day and not two days in a row.

Repeat

Once you succeed to incorporate a habit into your life, try making other changes in your daily routine. Start by making small changes, but keep the larger outcome in mind (for e.g. fitness). The rule of 21/90 can be used repeatedly to achieve the goals of positive changes.

The takeaway

The 21/90 rule works on consistency of action till it becomes a habit and a permanent feature of your daily life. The process of making healthy lifestyle changes may be marred by obstacles, but it’s important not to give up. If needed, you can slow down or take a break, but avoid giving up the process and focus on continuing consistently till the goal is met.