MINDSET U vs the 21 day habit formation myth
Highly successful people don’t just stumble into greatness—they grind, day in and day out, building habits that make it happen. It’s the daily grind of eating right, managing your money, and getting stuff done. Think about Michael Jordan, spending his off-seasons taking hundreds of jump shots a day. Or Roy Halladay, who hit a 90-minute workout before practices. Venus and Serena Williams were up at 6:00 am to hit tennis balls before school. These legends didn’t just wake up amazing—they built habits with discipline, guts, and relentless hard work.
Now, we all know forming good habits makes sense, so why the hell is it so damn hard?
There’s this bullshit myth that it takes 21 days to form a habit. People think, "Do something for 21 days and bam, habit formed." Absolute nonsense. This garbage came from a misinterpretation of Dr. Maxwell Maltz’s work on self-image. Maltz never said 21 days was the magic number. People just wanted to believe it’s that easy.
Here’s a more realistic take on habit formation:
The 3 Phases of Habit Formation:
Phase 1: The Honeymoon
This is the “This is easy” phase. Just like a honeymoon, it’s great at first. Maybe you’re jazzed from a motivational conference. For a few days, you’re on fire, making positive changes.
Phase 2: The Fight Thru
This is where the honeymoon ends, and the real shit begins. Inspiration fades, reality hits, and old habits start creeping back. To get past this phase, you need to win 2 or 3 "fight thrus." Here’s how:
Recognize: Know when you’re in the fight thru. Say to yourself, “I’m in the fight thru, and I need to win a few to get past this.” Winning each fight thru makes the next one easier. Losing makes it easier to lose the next one.
Ask 2 Questions: “How will I feel if I do this?” and “How will I feel if I don’t do this?” Bring emotion into it. Feel the positive of winning the fight thru and the negative of losing.
Life Projection: If the first two techniques don’t kick your ass into gear, imagine in detail how your life will be in 5 years if you don’t make changes. Be brutally honest with yourself, and feel what life will be like if you don't make these changes. Can your shitty habits get you to your goals??
Phase 3: Second Nature
This is "getting in the groove." Once you’re in second nature, three common interruptions can send you back to the fight thru:
The Discouragement Monster: Thinking, “This isn’t working, I’m not seeing any results”
Disruptions: Significant changes to your routine (e.g., vacations, holidays, illness, weekends).
Seduction of Success: Focusing on positive results and thinking, “I’m special. I’ve figured out how to have great results without a great process. I can do some of the things… the ones I like (aka the easy ones)”
When an interruption happens, winning 2 or 3 fight thrus will get you back to second nature.
Most people want good habits to be as easy as brushing their teeth…GROW UP…being great isn’t easy. Greatness requires sacrifice. It requires doing what others won’t or can’t do. GREAT HABITS ARE FORMED DAILY. Good habits demand consistent commitment. Successful people have learned to develop and maintain good habits. Make the commitment to push through the fight thru, no matter how many times you face it, to reach new levels of success.
If you’re at day 1, 21, 100 or 500… it’s one day at a time and the focus MUST be on the present.
