How Long Does It Take to Create a New Habit?

Mark Virkler's picture

In this study published by the European Journal of Social Psychology, group members chose one of three behaviors which they personally desired to create new habits around:1) drinking, 2) eating and 3) exercising.

  • Half of the group did not perform the desired behavior consistently enough to achieve habit status
  • Sixty-six days was the medium time required to develop a new habit
  • Consistent practice resulted in better mastery in shorter time
  • The most complex activity (which was exercise), took 1.5 times more effort to achieve than did the simpler goals of establishing new eating or drinking habits

Dr. Caroline Leaf teaches that focused effort for seven minutes a day is adequate time to master the habit of a new godly thought process. 

  1. The overall idea of Caroline Leaf's 21 Day Brain Detox™ program is to do the Switch On Your Brain 5-Step Learning Process® each day in 7-10 minutes for 21 days. This will wipe out the toxic thought and build in the healthy new thought.
  2. After 21 days, the new healthy thought is small and needs to grow. Whatever you think about grows. In order to stabilize the new way of thinking and to avoid reverting back to the old way, you need to consciously practice using the new thought you have built for at least 2 more cycles of 21 days. This will total about 63-66 days of conscious practice and will result in the new thought being "automatized". This means the thought moves into your non-conscious mind and drives your conscious thoughts, words and actions without you consciously thinking about it. It becomes implanted (James 1:21).

Personal Application

I have always believed and said that it takes three months of intentional focus to discover and practice a new godly discipline which brings about meaningful changes in your life. That is why we have designed all our manuals, CDs, DVDs, and courses as three-month training experiences. It is nice to see the confirming scientific evidence.

To fully implement God’s truths in your mind, you want to use His process of scriptural meditation to successfully complete the process. So take Scriptures and meditate upon them for two to three months, so that the revelation God is asking you to walk in becomes fully yours!

When you renew your mind, you are removing treelike substances from your brain and  growing new treelike substances in your brain. Watch these two amazing online videos and get excited about the science, simply explained, concerning what takes place within your brain as you renew your mind by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So the question for each of us now is, "Am I prepared to put in daily practice for two to three months to develop a new godly discipline which leads to life?"

Ask the Lord what new habit He wants cultivated in your life or thought process, and then pursue it!


I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live! (Deut. 30:19)


 

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4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 305 Pages | Retail: $16.99

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond?


Price: $14.95

Dialogue with God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 296 Pages

This top seller for 30 years from Bridge Logos provides a narrative, right-brain presentation of the principles of how to hear God's voice. Especially enjoyable for personal use, it makes a great gift for introducing a loved one to the voice of God. This book teaches the four keys to hearing God's voice in readable style, and also devotes two entire chapters to moving samples of people's journaling (i.e. their two-way dialogue with God).

Price: $17.95
Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

9 Books | 10 CDs | 10 DVDs | Save Over 20%

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond? When things don't seem to be going your way and your prayers aren't answered the way you had hoped, wouldn't it be great to hear Him tell you where He is in the midst of it, and what He is working out in your life? Are you ever just a little bit jealous of others who say with such confidence, "The Lord said...."?

Price: $175.00

How to Hear God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 317 Pages

We recommend that you order the newest revision of this book titled 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice. It includes 95% of the content of How to Hear God's Voice but is reorganized so it fits perfectly with the 10 DVDs on this subject by Mark Virkler. In addition, it gets you started using the four keys earlier in the book and gives you more journaling samples and exercises. Since we have removed the large margins, it is a smaller and less expensive book.

Price: $24.95

Prayers That Heal the Heart - Revised & Expanded 20th Anniversary Edition

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 320 Pages

Prayer counseling that breaks every yoke! Everything you need to experience deep healing of your soul and spirit.

Did you know that you don’t need to be continually plagued by negative thoughts, feelings, pictures or memories?

It is not part of the "human condition" to feel the constant nagging of doubt, insecurity, or anger. No matter what sin you are trying to overcome, what lie you think you’ll always believe, or what traumas your heart has suffered in the past, you will receive total freedom and restoration by praying these prayers in faith. 

Price: $19.95

Twelve Weeks to Spiritual Mastery - Group Coaching

A group coaching experience with Mark Virkler

Because I could not find a Spirit-anointed teacher/coach, I spent ten extremely frustrating years seeking to hear God’s voice!!! Suggestions offered did not help me, things like: “You just know that you know. It is a still small voice. He speaks from your heart.” No one could give me the answer I needed which was: Hearing God’s voice is as simple as quieting yourself down, fixing your eyes on Jesus, recognizing His voice as spontaneous, flowing thoughts and writing down His flow as it is coming. Test what you have written after the flow is done, NOT while it is occurring.

Price: $1,200.00

Counseled by God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 146 Pages

Have you ever been defeated by negative emotions such as anger, fear, guilt, inferiority, condemnation or depression? Have you tried to fight them off unsuccessfully? Is there an answer that is deeper than simply trying to mentally reason yourself out of these emotions? Is there a way that Jesus can speak a word of life into the depths of your emotional despair and bring healing on a deep level? Is there a form of Christian counseling that begins and ends with the movement of Christ within your heart, rather than simply with the words of man?

Price: $10.95
Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook Cover

Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 92 Pages

A newer book has been released that accompanies this workbook: Click here for Hearing God Through Your Dreams by Charity Kayembe and Mark Virkler (featured on Sid Roth's "It's Supernatural", with almost a million views just on YouTube).


Do you often wake up feeling there was a significant message in your dream, but you’re just not sure what it is? Like Daniel and Joseph, do you long to be able to help others understand their own dreams and win them to Christ as you explain His night messages to them? Wouldn't it be nice if you could receive mid-course corrections from the Lord while you sleep? Do you wish you could be receiving divine inspiration, creative solutions to problems, and direction from the Lord during that third of your life that you’re “just” sleeping?

Price: $11.95

Hearing God Through Your Dreams

by Mark Virkler and Charity Virkler Kayembe | 292 Pages

Learn How to Hear God’s Voice, Even When You Are Sleeping

It is always fun to be on the winning team. Well look what God has done with Charity's new dreams teaching. It has taken off like a rocket with a live TV interview on Cornerstone Network and her Sid Roth interview which has almost a million views on YouTube!

Price: $16.99

Everyday Angels

by Charity Virkler Kayembe and Joe Brock 289 Pages

You can partner with Heaven’s angelic hosts!

Do you have guardian angels? Does God want you to know them? Find out what Scripture reveals and how YOU can interact with the company of Heaven!

The supernatural realm permeates our natural world! Therefore, experiencing angels should be an everyday occurrence–we simply need to open our spiritual eyes to their reality and role in our lives.

Price: $16.99

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