Here's the Best Way to Break A Bad Habit

It's January 5th.  Only five days into the New Year and your resolution. How you doing?

Breaking a bad habit can be tough.  If you've stuck with it this far, congratulations!  You're in the top 15% so far.  Here's the best way to keep going and break that old bad habit.


Create a new good habit!

When you focus on what you're giving up it becomes difficult to see what you're getting. Change your focus.


The best thing you can do is focus on the creation of a good habit.  Here's a few proven tricks that can help.


1.  Treat it like an experiment.  Don't look at the new good habit (which is replacing the old bad habit) as something that is forever or long term.  When you look at the whole mountain it can be overwhelming.  Just look at a short term period like a month.  

Let yourself think, "I will give a try for a month.  If it doesn't work out, I can always go back."  This kind of thinking takes off the pressure off and allows you to continue.  Chances are likely that if you get to a month, you won't want to come back anyway.

2.  Get rid of the temptations.  If you are trying to lose weight (the most popular resolution).  Get rid of the junk food. 

Quit smoking?  This is the 4th most popular resolution.  Put away or throw away the ashtrays, matches, lighters and any other stuff that you use when you used to smoke.

Remove anything that triggers the old bad habit.  Some people have a strong association of drinking (coffee or alcohol) with smoking. Switch your beverage for a few weeks to break the association and the trigger that comes with it.

3.  Make it a daily activity.  If you are starting a diet.  Do something everyday for the first thirty days to add good foods and remove bad foods.

Starting a workout program?  It is better to do a little everyday than to do a lot three times a week.  Even, if you are just taking a walk.  Any focus on the new activity will take your focus off the old activity.

The focus on some daily effort to create the new habit will help you get rid of the old bad habit much faster and a whole lot easier.

Do you have any advice you can share on creating new good habits. Let us know about them in the comments.

Most of all, stick with it.  You will be glad you did.  If you are looking for ways to get through the tough moments see  3 Proven Ways to Keep Your Resolutions.

Best of luck!!