The Science of Building Habits That Actually Stick
By Emporium 419 | January 2026
DISCLAIMER: The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not medical
advice. This content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition.
Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health routine.
Why Most Habits Fail
Ever wonder why some habits stick and others fall away?
A 2020 study published in PLOS ONE tracking over 1,000 participants found that 80% of New Year’s
resolutions don’t make it past February.
It’s not that willpower doesn’t matter, but there are times when “try harder” isn’t a strategy that will
ensure success.
Although willpower is real and plays a role we should also recognize that willpower is a limited resource.
Every decision you make throughout the day, like what to eat, what to wear, or how to respond to that
email, depletes your mental energy. This is called decision fatigue. When you try to change five things at
once, you drain your daily willpower budget even faster, making changes harder to implement because
the majority of your willpower has already been used up throughout the day.
The good news? When you start to understand how habit formation actually works in your brain, you can
build habits that don’t require constant willpower drain so they become automatic. Let’s explore what
the research has shown us and some practical strategies to build sustainable habits.
How Long Does It Really Take?
You’ve probably heard it takes 21 days to build a habit.
Unfortunately, that’s not always true.
A 2009 study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology followed people as they built new
habits. Researchers found it takes an average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic.
But here’s what matters more: the range was 18 to 254 days depending on the person and the habit.
Simple habits form faster. Drinking a glass of water when you wake up might become automatic in a few
weeks.
Complex habits take longer. A new exercise routine or meditation practice needs more time to feel
natural.
The point here is not the exact number of days, but the complexity of the task plus your consistency is
what can and will impact when a habit is cemented into your routine.
What Happens in Your Brain
When you repeat a behavior consistently, your brain creates neural pathways that make that behavior
easier to repeat.
Think of it like walking through a field. The first time, you push through tall grass. The second time,
there’s a faint path. By the hundredth time, there’s a clear trail that requires almost no effort to follow.
That’s what happens in your brain when you build a habit.
The behavior moves from your prefrontal cortex (which requires active thinking and decision making) to
your basal ganglia (which handles automatic behaviors).
This is why brushing your teeth feels like an automatic habit, because it doesn’t require willpower
anymore. Your brain has built the pathway.
This isn’t a character flaw. It’s neuroscience.
Your brain has limited capacity for building new automatic behaviors. When you try to create too many at
once, none of them get the consistent repetition needed to become automatic.
The Strategy That Actually Works
Small, consistent actions beat big dramatic changes every single time.
Here’s the framework:
Pick ONE habit. Not five. One.
Make it small. So small it feels almost too easy.
Want to start taking CBD daily? Don’t overhaul your entire wellness routine. Just take your CBD at the
same time every day. That’s it.
Want better sleep? Don’t change your whole evening. Just go to bed 15 minutes earlier. Build from there.
Want to manage stress better? Don’t commit to 30 minutes of meditation. Start with three deep breaths
each morning.
Build consistency before adding more. Let that one small habit become automatic. Then add the next
one.
Habit Stacking: The Simple Trick
One of the easiest ways to build new habits is to stack them onto habits you already have.
This is called habit stacking, and research shows it works because you’re using an existing neural
pathway to support a new one.
The formula: “After I [existing habit], I will [new habit].”
Examples: - “After I pour my morning coffee, I will take my CBD capsule.” - “After I brush my teeth at
night, I floss.” - “After I sit down at my desk, I will take three deep breaths.”
You’re not relying on willpower or remembering. You’re linking the new behavior to something you
already do automatically.
Common Mistakes People Make
Mistake 1: All or Nothing Thinking
You miss one day and decide you’ve failed, so you quit entirely.
Reality: Missing one day doesn’t erase progress. Just get back to it the next day. The habit forms through
repetition over time, not perfection.
Mistake 2: Relying on Motivation
Motivation is unreliable. It comes and goes.
Habits work because they become automatic. You don’t need to feel motivated to brush your teeth. You
just do it.
Build the system. Let the motivation fluctuate.
Mistake 3: Making It Too Complicated
The more steps involved, the harder it is to stick with.
Keep it simple. Make it easy. Remove barriers.
Want to floss more? Put it next to your toothbrush. You’ll see it. You’ll remember. Done.
Mistake 4: Trying to Change Too Much at Once
Your brain can only build so many new pathways at the same time.
One habit. Build it solid. Then add the next one.
Realistic Expectations
Progress isn’t linear.
Some days will feel easy. Some days will feel hard. Some weeks you’ll be consistent. Some weeks you’ll
slip.
That’s normal. That’s how behavior change actually works for real humans.
The people who succeed aren’t the ones who do it perfectly. They’re the ones who keep coming back after
they slip.
Give yourself those 66 days (or longer). Focus on consistency, not perfection.
And remember: you’re not building a habit for January. You’re building a habit that supports your
wellness for the long term.
Start Small, Start Today
You don’t need a perfect plan. You don’t need to wait until Monday or the first of the month.
Pick one small habit. Make it so easy you can’t fail. Stack it onto something you already do.
Then just do it. Today. Tomorrow. The day after that.
Small actions, repeated consistently, create the changes you’re looking for.
Research References
The information in this article is backed by scientific research:
1. Habit Formation Timeline (2009)
Lally P, et al. (2009). “How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world.” European
Journal of Social Psychology, 40(6): 998-1009.
This study followed 96 people over 12 weeks as they built new habits. Researchers found it takes an
average of 66 days for a new behavior to become automatic, with a range of 18-254 days depending on
the person and complexity of the habit.
2. Basal Ganglia and Habit Formation (2008)
Graybiel AM. (2008). “Habits, rituals, and the evaluative brain.” Annual Review of Neuroscience, 31: 359-
387.
Research documenting how the basal ganglia takes over automatic behaviors, explaining why habits
eventually require less conscious effort and decision-making once established.
3. Implementation Intentions (1999)
Gollwitzer PM. (1999). “Implementation intentions: Strong effects of simple plans.” American
Psychologist, 54(7): 493-503.
Study showing that specific if-then plans (habit stacking) significantly increase the likelihood of following
through on intended behaviors compared to general goal setting.
4. Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail (2020)
Oscarsson M, et al. (2020). “A large-scale experiment on New Year’s resolutions: Approach-oriented goals
are more successful than avoidance-oriented goals.” PLOS ONE, 15(12): e0234097.
Research tracking 1,066 participants’ New Year’s resolutions, documenting high failure rates and
identifying factors that increase success rates, including approach-oriented goals and starting small.
5. Habit Stacking and Behavioral Chains (2020)
Fogg BJ. (2020). “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything.” Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Research-backed framework showing how linking new behaviors to existing habits (habit stacking)
creates higher success rates than relying on motivation or willpower alone.
Final Note
Building habits that support your wellness takes time. It takes consistency. It takes patience with
yourself.
But small changes, repeated over time, create real results.
Whether you’re working on better sleep, stress management, or building a daily wellness routine, the
science is clear: start small, be consistent, and give yourself time.
Emporium 419 | Paris, Tennessee | Old remedies for a new generation ��
