According to the experts, it takes about 21 days to form a habit pattern of medium complexity. By this, we mean simple habits such as getting up earlier, exercising each morning before you start out, listening to audio programs in your car, going to bed at a certain hour, being punctual for appointments, planning every day in advance, starting with your most important tasks each day or completing one task before you start something else. These are habits of medium complexity that can be quite easily developed in about three weeks through practice and repetition.

Most important, give yourself a treat of some kind for practicing the new behavior. Each time you reward yourself, you reaffirm and rein­force the behavior. Soon you begin to associate, at an unconscious level, the pleasure of the reward with the behavior. You set up your own force field of positive consequences that you unconsciously look forward to as the result of engaging in the behavior you have decided upon.

7. Reward yourself

Keep practicing the new behavior until it’s so automatic and easy that you actually feel uncomfortable when you don’t do it.

6. Resolve to persist

Decide clearly that you’re going to begin acting in a specific way 100 percent of the time. For example, if you decide to rise early and exercise each morning, set your clock for a specific time; when the alarm goes off, immediately get up, put on your workout clothes and begin your exercise session.

1. Make a decision

Repeat the affirmation over and over to yourself. This repetition dra­matically increases the speed at which you develop the new habit. For example, you can say something like, “I get up and get going immedi­ately at six each morning!” Repeat these words right before you fall asleep. Most mornings you’ll automatically wake up minutes before the alarm clock goes off, and soon you’ll need no alarm clock at all.

5. Create an affirmation

Don’t make exceptions to your new habit pattern during the formative stages. Don’t make excuses or rationalizations. Don’t let yourself off the hook. If you resolve to get up at 6 a.m. each day, discipline yourself to get up at 6 a.m. every single day until it becomes automatic.

2. Never allow an exception

In your mind’s eye, see yourself performing the desired behavior. The more often you visualize yourself acting as if you already had the new habit, the more rapidly this new behavior will be accepted by your sub­conscious mind and become automatic.

4. Visualize yourself

Inform people around you that you’re going to begin practicing a spe­cific behavior. It’s amazing how much more disciplined and determined you’ll become when you know others are watching you to see if you have the willpower to follow through on your resolution.

3. Tell others

Use this simple, proven methodology to develop the habits you want to incorporate into your personality.

2. Never allow an exception

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