How to Outsmart Bad Habits
Feed me! Feed me! Bad habits scream for attention like hungry babies. When you break a bad habit, you wrestle to quiet self-defeating comforts.
5 dark truths about bad habits:
#1. Bad habits develop easily because they provide quick reward.
#2. Destructive patterns get worse as time passes. Consequences accelerate with time.
#3. Bad habits have a life of their own. Good habits need constant attention. Wouldn’t it be great if good habits pursued you like bad?
#4. Self-defeating practices are like old jeans – they look like hell, but they feel like heaven. You might feel good interrupting people. It moves conversations forward. You say what you want to say. Self-expression is easier than restraint.
You can’t inspire people and disrespect them at the same time.
#5. Unhealthy practices are bondage-makers. The longer you do them, the easier they become. Wouldn’t it be great if the desire to get out of bed and exercise was as powerful as nicotine? When left unattended, self-sabotage dominates life.
The Golden Rule of Habit Change:
Bad habits aren’t defeated, they’re replaced.
“We can never free ourselves from habit. But we can replace bad habits with good ones.” Steven Pressfield
When replacing a habit, you identify three things, the existing cue, a new routine, and the existing reward.
Charles Duhigg describes the golden rule of habit change. “If you use the same cue, and provide the same reward, you can shift the routine and change the habit. Almost any behavior can be transformed if the cue and reward stay the same.”
For example, stress is a cue, eating sweets is the behavior, and comfort is the reward. The golden rule says replace eating sweets with something that provides comfort. It could be healthy food, calling a friend, taking a walk, or breathing deeply.
What are some simple replacement behaviors for self-defeating practices?
Still curious:
