You may have heard the popular saying that it takes 21 days to form a habit. That’s just three weeks of doing something every day to make it an automatic part of your life.

Sounds great, right?

Well, if it were actually the case, that would be golden, but the nearly half and half split in this week’s poll begs to differ. A quick search shows psychologists who are quick to point out that the common myth of three weeks to a habit comes from an older, now shortened phrase that says it takes a minimum of 21 days.

Now the consensus among psychologists, such as those from Psychology Today and LiveScience.com, is that — depending on the behavior and rewards of the habit — it truthfully takes anywhere from two to eight months for people to make their goal an automatic part of their everyday life. Often it takes 21 days to adjust to the habit and then at least 90 before it becomes automatic.

So, Limestone County, if your gym record is a little weak or your high aspirations for an organized life fell apart around January 22, don’t give up on your plans to create a better and more fulfilled life for yourself.

We asked you in a poll if you’ve kept your resolutions, and about 54 percent said “no” while 46 percent said “yes.”

Take March as the chance to start over with a more realistic expectation if you were part of that “no” crowd.

Habit forming is no easy task. When you have goals, you must be just as disciplined and committed to the action it takes to reach your goal as you are to the idea of the goal itself.

Start where you are at now and push yourself to continue putting one foot in front of the other everyday so that you’re focusing on what you must do today to form that habit in the future. Forming habits is often a mindset shift. Rather than telling yourself you’re not there yet, start looking at the small steps you’ve taken to get yourself further along in your goal. And, if you haven’t kept those resolutions this go around, start over today. No one said the new year was the only time you could choose to go after a new goal.

Keep heart through day 22, 33, 44, and even 66. Keep showing up for yourself so that your goals do become a part of your daily life instead of falling by the wayside until next January.