how long does it take to make a habit?

it is known and accepted that i am not a hard core runner. i wish i was. i could love to crave running. i like walking for the same reasons i always have, no matter what i weigh: being outdoors gives me the opportunity to appreciate the beauty around me, a little more leeway in case i decide to eat more, a great opportunity to pray, and solitude. (i also like walking with friends, and that provides opportunity for really good chats). in the last seven years i have appreciated walking and running because it gives me the opportunity to show my kiddies the importance of living healthfully. that you can have varying weights and still be fit.

heaps of my good friends are great runners. janne, susan and ursula are three examples. i wish i were like them. susan is out of the house every morning around 5.45. she has a toddler, a six year old and an eight year old! like janne, she enters herself in races, etc etc etc. i wish i had this burning desire. it would certainly make it easier to get out the door.

people have always promised "oh, once you get in the habit you'll get addicted. just get in the habit." so i did a little research on how long it takes to form a habit. apparently after three run ins with cocaine, it's a habit close to addiction. after three runs, i wasn't gasping for more, i was just gasping! same with flossing three times a day. after three flosses i wasn't convicted to keep going religiously.

some experts say 30 days is what is needed to ingrain a new habit, that whole same time thing is important too. if you are erasing a bad habit (like getting in the habit of not smoking) that takes longer because you have to convert your mind. but apparently repetition is the key. and you can't be lazy.

the cancer research uk health behaviour research centre said 66 days is most realistic.

depending on your personality it takes less than one week to break a GOOD habit.

this is quite depressing stuff!

i know it's all about one day at a time, and i actually don't see 9 weeks as a particularly long time, but what frosts my socks is the fact that you can break your carefully cultivated good habit in such a short period of time. we are sloths by nature, aren't we?