Introduction
How many habits do you currently want to build—or bad habits you'd like to break?
Personally, I’m always highly sensitive to these two themes. I often find myself timing new attempts to form or break habits, reading related books, and studying the topic in depth. Why? Because I believe that what shapes a person is the accumulation of countless hours and repeated behaviors. The actions we perform unconsciously have a huge impact on the course of our lives.
But in reality, it often looks like this:
You get all fired up to start studying, exercising, or meditating—only to fizzle out after a few days.
Meanwhile, excessive drinking or late-night social media scrolling becomes hard to quit.
We’ve all been there.
What plays a key role here is the brain’s novelty mechanism. Our brains react strongly to new stimuli, giving us a burst of motivation. But they also quickly adapt (a process called habituation), which causes that motivation to fade.
If we design our habit systems with this mechanism in mind, we can more intelligently and effectively move toward the version of ourselves we want to become.
In this article, we’ll focus on novelty and explore two main questions:
How can we create a "track" to stay consistent with the actions we want to keep?
How can we apply “brakes” to slow down the behaviors we want to reduce or quit?
The Brain’s 3 Simple Steps
Before we dive into the topic of novelty and habit formation, let’s take a moment to understand the basic phases the brain goes through:
- The Novelty Spike The moment we encounter unexpected stimuli, dopamine is released in a surge. This phase is marked by a jump in motivation and the feeling of “This looks exciting!”
Example: The thrill of visiting a country for the first time
Example: That initial excitement when opening a newly installed app
- Habituation (a.k.a. Boredom) When the same stimulus is repeated, the brain quickly decides, “This is no longer surprising,” and puts the brakes on. After just a few repetitions or days, the initial excitement fades, and motivation starts to drop.
Note: The speed of habituation varies significantly depending on stimulus intensity, frequency, and individual differences.
- Autopilot If the behavior continues, the brain enters a stable “autopilot” phase—doing the action becomes second nature. According to field studies in behavioral science, the estimated time it takes for a behavior to become automatic is:
Minimum: 18 days
Maximum: 254 days
Average: 66 days (about 2 months)
Note: This “66-day” figure comes from a practical study conducted at University College London, where they found that on average, habits became automatic after about 2 months.
However, simple behaviors like “drinking water after brushing teeth” were formed in less than 3 weeks, while more effortful actions like “30 minutes of jogging” sometimes took several months.
In short, 66 days is just a rough average—if you're curious, try searching for “habit 66 days study” to learn more.
Two Key Strategies
By now, some of you might already have a sense of how to apply what we've covered to your own “habits you want to build” or “behaviors you want to quit.”
To recap and clarify, let’s lay out strategies for both goals.
1. To Build a Habit: Lay Down the “Tracks” to Keep Going
Fix the Trigger
When your brain learns a set pattern like “A is always followed by B,” it no longer needs to expend conscious energy to recall B.
For example, if stretching always comes after brushing your teeth, there’s no room for forgetting, hesitating, or procrastinating — making the behavior easier to automate.
Example: Create a When X, then Y rule, like “After brushing teeth, stretch for 30 seconds.”
Make the Action Ultra-Small
Lowering the bar reduces the brain's “ugh, too much effort” reaction.
A task that takes an hour feels daunting, but if it only takes 30 seconds or 1 minute, the brain thinks “this won’t be a burden,” making it easier to follow through.
Once you start, a bit of dopamine is released, which often leads to “I might as well keep going.”
On the flip side, failing to start can create a negative memory that makes the next attempt harder — whereas completing even a tiny version builds a foundation for habit formation.
Example: Break tasks down to the smallest unit possible — “30 seconds,” “1 page,” or “1 sentence” — so there's no excuse not to do it.
Hack Your Environment
When the action is physically present, you don’t need to rely on willpower.
For example, if a mat is always laid out in your bedroom, it’s easier to stretch than to put it away — reducing friction to almost zero.
This is especially effective for habits involving tools (like dumbbells or guitar practice) where taking out equipment becomes a hurdle.
Keeping things out and ready for a one-step start makes a big difference.
Example: Leave your stretch mat laid out, or pre-set a timer to cue your action.
Pro Tip: Try to set up these “tracks” during week 1–2, before the initial excitement fades. This makes it much easier to glide into the “auto-pilot” phase.
2. To Break a Habit: Add Friction to Slow It Down
Remove the Trigger
Habitual urges become powerful the moment the object is seen or touched.
By distancing yourself from triggers like phones or snacks, you dramatically reduce the chance of an impulse taking over.
Example: Don’t bring your phone into the bedroom. Don’t stock sweets at home.
(If you tend to drink, consider leaving your ID behind so you can’t buy alcohol.)
Insert a Delay
Impulses usually peak and fade within a few seconds.
If you can delay the action by even 10 seconds using a timer or app lock, the desire often fizzles out.
Adding friction gives your brain time to cool off.
Example: Add a 10-second timer before opening your social media app.
Offer a Replacement Reward
It’s tough to suppress urges entirely — instead, offer your brain a satisfying substitute in the same situation.
Open your Kindle, sip sparkling water, or do something neutral but pleasant.
When the brain learns “this also feels good,” it becomes less attached to the original behavior.
Example: Set it up so the Kindle opens when the timer ends. Keep a fizzy drink nearby as a go-to replacement.
Pro Tip: If a habit is already getting boring, just a tiny inconvenience can drastically reduce how often you choose it. Add some friction, and you’ll often see instant results.
Roadmap Based on the 66-Day Model
| Phase | Good Habits | Bad Habits |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Boosted by novelty — easy to take action | Friction feels annoying — resistance kicks in |
| Weeks 2–8 | As novelty fades, the “rails” start working | Friction starts to work — frequency drops |
| After ~2 months | Habit continues even without willpower | Becomes “normal” not to do the behavior |
Conclusion
“Even though I have time and energy, I still can't take action.”
“I want to quit, but I keep falling into the same habits.”
— We've all been there.
But by understanding the brain’s natural algorithm — “Novelty → Habituation → Autopilot” — and strategically adding rails (to support good habits) and friction (to disrupt bad ones), the chances of success increase dramatically.
Of course, I’m not perfect myself — I still struggle with some habits.
But ever since I began working with this mechanism instead of against it, I’ve noticed real changes: it’s become easier to stick with what I want to do, and easier to stop what I want to avoid.
If this article sparked even a little interest, try laying just one rail or adding one piece of friction to start.
Design your behavior in line with how your brain works — and building habits will become far more manageable.
Thank you for reading.
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