Ever heard the quote “Know yourself, appreciate yourself, and forgive yourself”? For sure, you do. These three key points can make a better you. But the first step in knowing yourself is being honest with yourself. Do you have any bad habits? Do you have anything that might be holding you back from the person you know you’re meant to become? What are your strengths? What challenges do you still face that might be overstaying their welcome? You will have to explore all of this along your path to becoming self-aware. So let’s take a look at one of the major struggles people have: changing a bad habit.
Identify It
First, to change a bad habit we must properly identify it. Sometimes people are in so much denial that they don’t realize when something is actually a bad habit. It’s up to you to decipher what you consider a bad habit. For example, let’s take a look at smoking. Some people think it’s okay to smoke and for others, they think it’s one of the worst things a person can do, and they most definitely consider it a bad habit. You need to decide what you consider negative or positive in your life, so give your current situation some thought and pinpoint what’s hindering your progress.
Eliminate Excuses and Don’t Procrastinate
If you are looking to change a bad habit, you need to eliminate excuses. It’s very easy to come up with an excuse to continue your status quo. It’s also a little too easy to procrastinate and put things off. When someone isn’t really ready to make necessary changes in their lives, they say, “I’ll do it another time,” or, “It’s okay. It’s not really a huge deal. I’ll address this later.” There are endless detours that can keep you from making positive changes. If you’re serious about changing something that no longer serves you, you must recognize it as a bad habit, eliminate excuses, and then start making the changes that will take you to the next level.
Going “Cold Turkey”?
The method you choose to overcome your bad habit is up to you. Some people go “cold turkey.” This means that they stop their bad habit overnight and force a change. The downside to forcing an abrupt shift in your life like this is that some people easily slip back into their bad habit because they couldn’t handle the sudden restriction from something that has been a part of their routine for so long. If you have ever experienced this, then going “cold turkey” may not be the best method for you.
Proper Pacing
An alternate method is to consider a gradual change—you’ll take slower, more reasonable steps towards obtaining the change. Let’s go back to the smoking example. If you want to stop smoking and you smoke a pack a day right now, perhaps set a goal to dwindle down to a pack a week, and so forth. This will also give you visual cues for the progress you’re making by allowing you to see the milestones you’ve reached as you go. Bad habits can be overcome. It took time to create the bad habit in the first place, so be patient if it takes time to get rid of it, too.
Create Positive, Upward Energy
Once you reach the goals you’ve set, you will have a higher sense of self-appreciation, and this positive, upward energy will begin attracting new, high vibrational experiences into your life that will affirm your daily choices. This will also boost your confidence and allow you to have a more balanced, happier life overall. The key to obtaining this sense of peace and harmony is to be patient and to be honest with yourself. Whatever bad habits or personal challenges you continue to struggle with, you can make a plan to overcome them all and, little by little, you can become the person you’re meant to be.
The section on self-awareness is particularly compelling. Understanding one’s strengths and challenges is essential for personal growth. This ties back to the broader theme of self-appreciation and forgiveness, which are foundational for meaningful self-improvement.
The article lays out a comprehensive approach to tackling bad habits. Identifying the habit is certainly the first critical step, and the emphasis on honesty with oneself is crucial. It’s also notable how the piece covers both immediate and gradual methods for change, allowing for flexibility based on individual needs.
The article makes a valid point about eliminating excuses and procrastination. It’s easy to fall into the trap of delaying important changes, but being aware of this tendency is the first step toward overcoming it.
The recommendation for gradual pacing in habit change resonates well with me. Drastic changes can indeed lead to relapse, and incremental progress tends to be more sustainable. The mention of visual cues as a way to measure progress is an insightful addition.
The idea of creating positive, upward energy as a result of achieving set goals is an intriguing concept. It aligns with psychological principles that suggest positive reinforcement can lead to sustained behavior change.
I agree. The psychological boost from small successes can be a powerful motivator to continue making progress.