| "Good habits are hard to develop but easy to live | | | | not exercising, drinking coffee or other beverages |
| with" and "Bad habits are easy to develop but hard | | | | with caffeine in them, eating too much sugar or fat, |
| to live with", according to Brian Tracey, a well-known | | | | drinking alcohol, procrastinating, etc. |
| motivational teacher. You may recognize that to | | | | 4. Consistent Action: It is important to focus on |
| successfully manage habit changes, breaking bad | | | | changing just one habit at a time. Then, take |
| habits may be required in order to develop new ones. | | | | consistent daily actions for breaking the bad habit |
| Breaking bad habits takes at least 21 days. Of | | | | that has been causing problems and take the actions |
| course, in difficult cases, it can take as long as a | | | | to develop a new one. We suggest doing this |
| year. Here's an example of the process of how to | | | | process one step at a time rather than trying to do |
| change an unhealthy habit to a healthy habit. Suppose | | | | it all at once. Sometimes changing a habit can be |
| you've decided that coffee is not good for you and | | | | done "cold turkey" like smoking and sometimes it |
| right now, you drink coffee with sugar daily. The new | | | | works better to make a gradual change. |
| habit you would like to institute is to drink herbal tea | | | | Be sure to give yourself positive rewards often for |
| without sugar. | | | | taking small actions toward changing a bad habit. |
| At first, it may be challenging to break the bad habit | | | | Continual day-by-day actions are what are critical. |
| of drinking coffee. You will have to use self-discipline | | | | This is NOT about an occasional action or step. It is |
| for the first few weeks but gradually it will get | | | | about being consistent every day. |
| easier. Once you are able to change the old habit to | | | | 5. Perseverance: There will be times when you |
| a new healthier one, it will serve you very well. Habits | | | | question whether it is all worth it. You'll say to |
| are remarkable because they don't require thinking. | | | | yourself that breaking these bad habits is too |
| You just "do it" for years until you find yourself | | | | difficult; that you are too "weak" to change. Your old |
| changing the habit again. | | | | self, often so comfortable living with the bad habits, |
| Here are 5 easy steps for changing habits: | | | | is trying to hold on. Breaking your old patterns may |
| 1. Awareness: You must become aware of your | | | | require meditation and prayer. |
| habits. What is this habit exactly? How is this bad | | | | Visualize regularly the rewards for following through |
| habit or group of bad habits affecting you? How is | | | | and the costs of not following through on breaking |
| this habit affecting others? For example, smoking | | | | the bad habits and especially the value to your future |
| often has negative effects on others as well as on | | | | of building new better habits. |
| you. | | | | Get support from others, especially other people |
| 2. Wanting to Change: As someone with a health | | | | who want to make changes in their lives and read |
| problem, you must decide that breaking bad habits | | | | about people who have been successful in breaking |
| through a conscious effort is a worthy goal. You | | | | bad habits. Affirm that, no matter what, you will not |
| must convince yourself that the change in the habit is | | | | backslide into your old bad habit patterns. |
| worth the effort involved. | | | | Now, you are armed with a 5-step process for |
| 3. Commitment: You must be determined to do | | | | breaking any bad habit or other condition that |
| whatever it takes for breaking bad habits so that | | | | requires changing. If you have an addiction to |
| you can better control your life. You make a decision | | | | something such as alcohol, these steps alone may |
| that "no matter what" you will change the habit. You | | | | not be enough. You may require additional |
| do the work required to stop. Here are some | | | | professional help or a support group, but for most |
| examples of habits you might want to change: | | | | cases this 5-step process will do the trick! |
| Smoking, eating too much, eating processed foods, | | | | |