Identifying and Altering Your Bad Habits

Despite what some might think, everyone has bad habits. Many people have bad habits that have plagued them in many areas of their lives, but they need to understand that the first step is to admit that they have these bad habits. People don't realize when bad habits are sneaking up on them. They think that they can stop whatever it is that they're doing at any point.

For example, bad habits can include eating more than what is required, or eating foods that you know might be bad for you. A bad habit can be something like trying drugs or smoking, and then finding a way to rationalize this, such as the fact that you're not an addict. If you want to get control of your life, you first have to admit the fact that you have these bad habits. Take inventory of the things that you'd like to change. Start paying attention of how you function in life, and to how you function around others. When you find the things that are causing you to distress, or that are dysfunctional in your life, write them down. Make sure to get extra explicit about this. Get in deep with yourself, and ask yourself how these bad habits that you formed are affecting the outcomes of your life. If they're costing you time, money, energy, or relationships, then these are something that you certainly need to get out of your life as soon as possible.

Next, write down some good habits you'd like the form, think about the characteristics and the good qualities that you'd like to have in your life. Think about what it's going to take to get there. Know that bad habits don't form overnight, and that good habits take even longer, but if you recruit the help of family, friends, or some other support system, you can start to implement the things that you'd like to have controlling your life. You can reinvent yourself.

The key to overcoming bad habits and implementing good habits, is to hold itself accountable. Be sure to look at your list every day. Practice things that will give you positive reinforcement to begin to make these positive changes in your life. It'll feel strange at first, but as time goes on, implementing healthy behaviors will be second nature as you constantly replace negative behaviors. To this end, stay away from anything or from anyone that's going to make you regress into the person that you used to be. If you need professional help, then by all means do so. It's up to you to become the person that you'd like to be.