Lately I seem to be writing alot about surfing, but since it is providing me with the most insights about my life, I’ll stick to it for a while. Last summer when I first picked up a surfboard and I got into the water, I could barely swim, and catching a wave was not even close to an option. But, I was determined to learn so I kept going out, every few days, renting a surfboard, and getting in the water. One day I decided to go grab some dinner and there was a guy sitting next to me at the bar and he told me something that never left me. He said “If you’re going to surf, go at least 50 times before you give up because at that point you’ll have way too much time invested to give up.” Although it took me a while to get to 50 times, maybe a little over a year, I think that 50 was a pretty magical number. Now, not only have I committed to it, I’m getting much better and I’m addicted to it.
Let’s look at some other examples from our lives where this could come into play. I’m going to start with something as simple as brushing teeth. Ok, hopefully, you have brushed your teeth well over 50 times, most likely 50,000 times. But, it’s interesting to note, how something that starts out as a commitment eventually becomes a habit. When I was in junior high I played on the school basketball team in both 7th and 8th grade. In 7th grade , I won an award for most improved player. Basically, I was the worst player on the team 
. But over the course of the summer, between 7th and 8th grade, I played basketball almost every single day. By the time basketball season rolled around, my commitment had just become a habit. Learning to play a musical instrument is an identical process. If you practice 30 minutes a day for 50 days in a row, you will likely start to get good, and then practicing is just a habit. Blogging is another great example of this. Write for 50 days in a row and you’ll be able to leverage the power of momentum.
Why is it that 50 times is such a great number to aim for? Well, let’s look at the essential association of 50. It’s half way to a hundred. If you are 50% of the way to accomplishing a goal, it’s often more painful to turn back or give up then it is to go the rest of the way since you’re already half way there. There’s also a certain component of self-image tied into it. Your own motivation kicks in because you don’t want anybody else or your own inner critic to see you as a half-assed person. So if you have a goal of accomplishing something, use the rule of 50 and you’ll like reach The Tipping Point that pushes you over the edge of accomplishment.
Tags: commitment, success, follow through, tipping point
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Another way to improve an habit is to commit yourself to do something for 3 weeks until you form the habit and then decide if you want to continue it or give up.