21 days to change your life

It is said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. I’ve included some excerpts about it below. I am planning to try, (take note, I said TRY) to start forming new habits. I figured that my current state of unemployment must mean something. At least I should be able to make some good out of it. 

It is said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. I’ve included some excerpts about it below. I am planning to try, (take note, I said TRY) to start forming new habits. I figured that my current state of unemployment must mean something. At least I should be able to make some good out of it. 

So right now, I’m trying to figure out what habits should I try forming in order to become a better person. Right now the list is as follows

1.  Punctuality (I’ve had a problem with tardiness my whole life)

2.  Self-Discipline (concerning money)-> I am an impulsive buyer

3.  Positive thinking -> I’m a born pessimist

4.  Setting my priorities straight -> need I explain more

And now, my question is, (since I adore starting discussions)

“what habit would you form in order to really change your life?”

"Dr Maxwell Maltz wrote the bestseller Psycho-Cybernetics.

 Originally a Plastic Surgeon, Maltz noticed that it took

 21 days for amputees to cease feeling phantom sensations

 in the amputated limb. From further observations he found

 it took 21 days to create a new habit. Since then the '21

 Day Habit Theory' has become an accepted part of self-help

 programs.

…

The essence of the technique is simply to devote 15 minutes

a day to the formation of any habit you wish to establish,

and do this faithfully for 21 days. By the fourth week, it

should actually be harder not to engage in the new behavior

than it would be to continue doing it.

This applies to any type of habit, whether it is a physical

practice or a way of perceiving something, such as self image.

In Zero Resistance Living, they talk about changing your self

image in "the theater of your mind" for 15 minutes a day, for

21 days.

It will also help to establish the habit if the behavior, such

as jogging, is performed at the same time of day every day.

Other senses can be utilized to establish the habit. For

example, if you want to establish the habit of meditating,

you can reinforce the practice by wearing the same clothing,

burning the same incense, occupying the same location, and

assuming the same posture.

The more senses you can involve in the new habit, the more

likely it is to become ingrained in the neural pathways,

so, even if you're working on your self image in a mental

construct, it's helpful to use all the faculties of your

imagination to include sights, sounds, smells, and the

senses of feeling and taste to strengthen the image which

you come to associate with your new self image. In other

words, make it seem as real as possible.

If you miss a day, just keep going until you've been

doing the new behavior for 21 days in a row.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=786165