21 days to good habits🙃

😄 The 21-Day Habit Theory (and My Ongoing Negotiation With It)

There’s an article I once read while prepping for a talk I gave to a struggling restaurant staff I was brought in to “fix.”

Yes—fix.

No pressure or anything. Just casually walking in like, “Hi, I’m here to improve morale, performance, and possibly your will to live.” 😄

Anyway, this article claimed that if you do something for 21 days, it magically becomes a habit.

Did I fact-check it?

Absolutely not.

It sounded official. It had numbers. It felt science-y enough. And more importantly—I was on a deadline.

So I said, “Perfect. We’re going with this.”

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🍽️ The Experiment (a.k.a. Smile Like You Mean It)

I challenged the staff to do one simple thing for 21 days:

Smile. Be friendly. Act like you enjoy being there—even if you don’t.

Groundbreaking, I know.

But guess what?

It worked.

• Tips went up

• Attitudes improved

• Customers were happier

• And suddenly… work didn’t feel quite so painful

Whether it was actual science or just common sense in disguise—we got results.

And I walked out of there feeling like a genius.

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😬 Meanwhile… Back in My Own Life

Fast forward to me trying to follow my own advice.

Let’s just say…

I’ve attempted.

And by “attempted,” I mean my willpower has historically been… unreliable.

Not gone. Just…

on vacation. Frequently. Without notice.

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🔄 But Something Has Shifted

Lately though, something has changed.

Not overnight. Not dramatically.

But enough to notice.

With my health and weight finally heading in the right direction, I’m starting to build better habits—slowly, imperfectly, but consistently.

Here’s what that looks like in real life:

• Eating three actual meals a day (who am I?)

• Choosing protein snacks instead of whatever’s closest and easiest

• And soda? Down to about two a week

Which, for me, is basically a full personality rebrand.

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🐶 The “Old Dog” Situation

Now let’s talk about the phrase we’ve all heard:

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

Some days?

I feel like that dog.

The one sitting there like,

“Yeah… I hear you. I’m just not going to do that.”

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💡 But Here’s What I’ve Learned

Habits don’t magically appear on day 21.

There’s no confetti. No announcement. No sudden transformation where you wake up craving grilled chicken and water.

It’s more like:

• You try

• You mess up

• You try again

• You do slightly better

• You repeat

And somewhere in all of that… something starts to stick.

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💕 Why It’s Worth It

Because this isn’t really about habits.

It’s about:

• your health

• your mindset

• your quality of life

And those things?

They’re worth the effort.

Even if you don’t get it perfect.

Even if you start and stop.

Even if your willpower still takes the occasional vacation.

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😄 Final Thought

So go ahead—try your own version of the “21-day habit.”

Smile more.

Move more.

Eat a little better.

Be a little kinder (to yourself especially).

Worst case?

You’re the same person you were yesterday.

Best case?

You surprise yourself.

And honestly… I think that’s worth 21 days 💕