***Habits: We first make our habits, and then our habits make us. John Dryden

We first make our habits, and then our habits make us. John Dryden

Conquer your bad habits, or they’ll eventually conquer you. Dr. Robert Gilbert.
Constructive habits support us to resist temptations such as the temptation to procrastinate or to avoid a challenging situation. When we exercise constructive habits, we develop an internal muscle to support our Will and support our true intentions. When we allow ourselves to be complacent with unconstructive habits, we allow ourselves to stay put right where we are.

Don’t like where/how you are? Develop a few new habits. I suggest just one or two at a time. Give each new habit at least a month to take root. Then add one more new habit. Keep adding one new habit each month as long as you don’t feel overwhelmed. If that happens, don’t add anymore until you feel stable. You may even need to place some on the back burner if you’re seriously overwhelmed. That’s ok; it’ll happen in good time. Trust this. The important thing is for each new constructive habit to root firmly.

Adopt the practice of observing your behavior and your mind and of catching yourself being tempted to do something or not do something that isn’t constructive for you. It may not be easy at first to notice and observe much less to resist the temptation to fall back into old behavior, but if you are diligent and consistent about it, you can not only break a bad habit, but even form a new positive habit.

What is one habit that is holding you back? Which habit is holding you back the most? Which habit, if it were eliminated, would improve your life the most? What constructive habit would best replace it? How can you put a plan in place to overcome that bad habit? Smoking cessation experts have used things like snapping a rubber band on your wrist, moving one of those silicone wrist bands from one wrist to the other each time you notice the inclination for the old habit, positive affirmations on the mirrors or make an arrangement to call a friend for support. What can you put in place today to transform the most critical habit you identified? Take the first step right now. Let me know how it goes.