Have you ever wondered why breaking a habit is so very difficult? Are you like so many of us who wake up and decide that today is the day to make changes to your lives. You either decide to quit something or include something new into your life.
You are enthusiastic about it, and you are rearing to go. You start out well and within a day or two you are exhausted or it doesn’t seem like such a great idea anymore.
Every one of us has at some point in our lives made a commitment to do something and find ourselves in a short while back where we started. We have either given up and have gone back to the same old habits we’ve tried so hard to break or struggle to keep going.
There are several reasons that make breaking a habit so very difficult for most of us:
Innate human defiance
Many of us are just stubborn and no matter how dangerous our habits are to our well being it makes little difference at all. Some of us honestly do not care about the consequences of our actions and nothing can be done to cause us to want to change. You need to commit to breaking the habit and do whatever it takes to become better.
Need for social acceptance
Breaking a habit is hard to say the least. It is even worse when you are in need of social acceptance and feel that you are not a part of something special. We all need to feel that we are accepted and if the habit goes against what the people with whom we want to associate believes we are less likely to break that habit.
The inability to fully understand the nature of the risk
Unfortunately, many of us do not fully understand the risk to us when we practice certain habits. Even when told of the risk and consequences, we tend not to believe it can happen to us. We see it happening to other people and not us. Even if someone we know has had bad experiences because of similar behaviors we tend to blame them for doing something else just to limit the risk, it could cause to us.
Genetic disposition to addictive behavior
Unfortunately, some of us have a genetic disposition to some of these behaviors, and so it is very hard to break. People with such conditions most time need professional help to be able to break some of the most dangerous habits. If you are such person, remember you need to get professional help to become better.
Our views of the world and the ability to rationalize things
We tend to rationalize the reasons we do the things we do to make it seem less dangerous. We are then able to feel less guilty when we do. Human beings are great at rationalizing. We try to reduce our role in maintaining bad habits.
It takes commitment and dedication. It doesn’t matter how many times you have to start over if you are committed to that goal you have set for yourself do not let the habit win. Keep going at it day after day until you get it right.
You are going to fail; you are only human but if you put your mind to it like all of us have done before you can break it. You must be committed and no matter how many times you fail keep working at it.
To break any habit, you have to be committed and disciplined but you can do so if you take into consideration the list below.
You must be committed. You must first be committed to breaking the habit. You must list all the advantages of letting go of that habit and why it is so important for you to desist from continuing with it. Either it is because of your health or keeping your family together you have to decide. You should also write everything down so you can refer to it later to remain motivated.
You must be honest. You must first admit to yourself that you have a problem. Being honest with yourself will make it much more easy to break any habit.
Tell your friends and family. To stick to your plan, you must let your close friends and family know of your intentions. They will act as a reminder, enforcer and will also help you to remain motivated. With a few sets of eyes on you, you will want to work hard to prove you can do it.
Be patient. You must also be patient with yourself. You have to remember you have spent so many years developing those habits and so it will take you some time to get rid of them. You didn’t develop them overnight so do not expect that you are going to break a habit overnight. It will take some time to develop the discipline to get things under control.
You must be discipline. To break any bad habit, you must develop discipline. You must be disciplined enough to be able to weather any storm. You are going to be tested, and only someone who is disciplined will have what it takes to see it through.
Avoid certain social settings. Stay away from people who practice the habits you are trying to break. You might have to get rid of some of your friends and even stay away from certain family members. Those friends and family members that love you enough will not practice the habit you are trying to break around you.
Do not quit. You must never quit. You are going to fail, and everyone does, but you should never quit trying. It doesn’t matter how many times you have to start over keep going until you get it right.
Stay away from temptation. To break your bad habits, you must stay away from the temptation. If you want to break the habit of drinking you will have to stay away from the places that sell alcohol. If it is your favorite cookies and you are trying to lose a few pounds do not try keeping them in the cupboard as the temptation will be too great. Do not go where the temptation is and do not take it into your house.
Reward yourself. You must also reward yourself when you’ve reached a milestone. It is important that you stay motivated and one way to remain motivated is to reward yourself. It doesn’t have to be anything major but just treat yourself for your effort.
It all boils down to you wanting to break the habit so badly that you will do whatever it is to change. Change is never easy, and it does take time. You must be committed and willing to work to make sure that change happens. We have all tried and failed, but many of us persevere and have succeeded. If you refuse to give up you too will gradually overcome and succeed. It is never easy but with hard work, patience, and commitment you will break any habit and soon you will be feeling better about yourself.
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Author: Rose Costas
Rose Costas is a big believer in the power of facing your challenges head on, then boldly showing your scars to motivate others. You can join her on twitter, FB, or www.positiveattitudesforlife.com
