Million Dollar Habits

Million Dollar Habits – Page 53 
negative consequences that you anticipated. If you repeat this often enough, you 
will develop a negative and pessimistic attitude. This way of thinking will become 
a habit. 
New Habit Pattern Development 
How long does it take to develop a new habit? The time period can be any length 
from a single second to several years. The speed of new habit pattern development 
is largely determined by 
the intensity of the emotion
that accompanies the decision 
to begin acting in a particular way. 
Many people think, talk about and resolve to lose weight and become physically 
fit. This may go on for years. Then one day, the doctor says that, 
“If you don’t get 
your weight down and improve your physical condition, you are in danger of dying 
at an early age.” 
Suddenly, the thought of dying can be so intense or frightening that the individual 
immediately changes his diet, begins exercising, stops smoking and becomes a 
healthy and fit person. Psychologists refer to this as a 
“significant emotional 
experience,”
or a 
“SEE.”
Any experience of intense joy or pain, combined with a 
behavior, can create a habitual behavior pattern that may endure for the rest of a 
person’s life. 
For example, putting your hand on a hot stove or touching a live electrical wire 
will give you an intense and immediate pain or shock. The experience may only 
take a split second. But for the rest of your life, you will have developed the habit 

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Million Dollar Habits – Page 54 
of not putting your hand on hot stoves, or touching live electrical wires. The habit 
will have been formed instantly, and endure permanently. 
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 at a specific 
hour, 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 your tasks before you start something else. These are habits of medium 
complexity that can be quite easily developed in 14-21 days through practice and 
repetition. 
How do you develop a new habit? Over the years, a simple, powerful, proven 
methodology has been determined for new habit development. It is very much like 
a recipe for preparing a dish in the kitchen. You can use it to develop any habit that 
you desire. Over time, you will find it easier and easier to develop the habits that 
you want to incorporate into your personality.