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It generally takes at least 20 repetitions to form a new habit. This means that if we want to make daily planning a real habit, we’ll have to go through it each morning before work for a month to anchor it in ourselves. Weekly habits take even longer (about half a year) to form. Forgetting a habit for a few days, even one day, can set us back significantly.

There are a few things we can do to compensate for our natural tendency to forget and hinder new habits. A reminder card or a spoken reminder are two things that work well for most people. The reminder card is just a small card, such as an index card, that fits into a wallet or any thing you look at regularly. You can use this card to note not only what you wish to make a habit, but your goals as well.

If you are a commuter, then the morning ride is a perfect time for reviewing a written note for habits, or for listening to a pre-recorded self-reminder. It’s easy to create an mp3 or CD track for a recorded reminder: Simply listen to it before listening to your regular music or audio book.
Some people may even want to combine these methods.

→ Related term at Wikipedia: Habits
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