Why Habits Feel Hard Before They Feel Easy

How Long Does It Really Take to Form a Habit?

At some point, we all start something new.

A habit. A rhythm. A reset.

And not long in, the question creeps in:

Should this feel easier by now?

If you were hoping your habits would be sticking more smoothly at this point—and they’re not—hang tight. There’s actually a very real reason it still feels hard.

When you start a new habit, it often feels awkward, clunky, and slow.

And hard.

That’s because your brain is literally building something brand new—neural pathways.

Neuroscience research shows that these pathways are strengthened through repetition. Each time a behavior is repeated, the brain reinforces that route, making it smoother and more automatic over time—much like paving a well-traveled road.

Years ago, my family would vacation in Colorado. Each time, we’d drive through the Eisenhower Tunnel—1.7 miles of roadway cut straight through solid mountain. We’d cruise through it at highway speed, and I was always amazed that we were traveling right through the Rocky Mountains.

What fascinated me most was imagining what it took to build that tunnel.

It took 11 years to build (1968–1979), cutting straight through solid granite. It was slow, exhausting, and expensive—but once finished, it made travel effortless for millions of people.

That’s exactly what forming a new habit is like.

At first, it’s all excavation—resistance, friction, and effort. You’re carving a brand-new pathway in the brain. It’s energy-intensive and uncomfortable. But once that pathway is established? You can cruise almost effortlessly.

Here’s something important to remember:

You don’t break habits—you replace them.

Old pathways don’t disappear overnight, but the more often you travel a new route, the stronger it becomes.

Each time you choose the positive action over the negative one, you strengthen that neural connection. It may feel insignificant in the moment—but it isn’t.

Research from University College London found that habits take an average of 66 days to form—but the range was 18 to 254 days, depending on the habit and its difficulty.

And this is exactly why I love Low-Hanging Fruit habits.

Because they’re small and simple, your brain tends to resist them less.

Less resistance means less mental load on the brain—which, simply put, makes the habit easier to repeat. And when repetition is easier, neural pathways strengthen faster—often much closer to the 18-day end than the 254-day end.

So if you’re three weeks in and things still feel hard, remember the tunnel.

The work you’re doing now is laying the foundation for something that will eventually feel natural.

And give yourself grace in the process. God isn’t after perfection—He’s after transformation rooted in dependence on Him.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” —Galatians 6:9 (NIV)