I heard Neil Armstrong speak at a seminar last summer in Aspen, Co. He shared this story. As NASA was preparing the astronauts for space travel in the early 60's, they were unsure about the effects of weightlessness on a body. So they developed a set of goggles that inverted all images. Everything appeared upside down. They asked the astronauts to wear them every day for 21 days. What they found was that the body adapted to these goggles after 21 days and the brain flipped the images back right side up. Another group was tested and were allowed to take their goggles off for 1 night after they had worn them for 19 days. The next day they put them back on. Guess how many days it took them before their brains inverted the images?
If you guessed 2 days, you are wrong. It took them an additional 21 days for their brains to flip the images!
So my buddy coach, Mari, and I got to talking about this statistic. What keeps a person on track for 21 days? Sometimes it's stubbornness. Sometimes it's an accountability partner. Sometimes you do it to prove to someone else that you can. Other times you really want the results that are waiting at the end of the endeavor. In my case, I quit smoking by going "cold turkey". I have not smoked in five years.
So, what changes do you want to make in your life? Do you want it bad enough to put forth an effort for the next 21 days? If the answer if yes, then get yourself the support that you need to keep you on track. Tell others what you are doing. Ask others to keep you accountable. Make a bet with your friend or partner. Get a really clear picture of what your life will be like when you reach that magic goal of 21 days. Keep that carrot dangling in front of you. Put up pictures of what your result will look like. Your mind thinks in pictures so surround yourself with visual reminders.
Don't quit. Push on for the next 3 weeks. Remember what happened to the astronauts after 19 days and keep working toward the end. Your efforts will be rewarded!
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