Habits makes a man. The little things we do day after day, creeps gradually into our subconscious and manifest in who we are and what we intimately do. We are all products of our choices, choices that over time weaves into us and refuse to go away even if we want it too. It is frustrating if you don’t know how to kick a bad habit.
Useful habits are cultivated the same way as bad ones. It is by learning. It would take a series of unlearning to be free of a bad habit.
Everyone has a bad habit!
Maybe not totally a bad habit but at least we have that one habit we wished we could be rid. We know this habit is killing us or at least restricting us from becoming the best version of whom we are. We know we must purge ourselves of it, for growth and transformation to occur.
How can you kick a bad habit out of your subconscious. Let’s find out shall we?
Habits Are 100% Learned
Scientists believe when we were born we were just an empty table, void of any thoughts, choices and sentiments. Choices and habits, likes and dislikes, they say come from the people we mingled with, the environment we lived in and from experiences and interactions. They are totally right!
What you like or don’t like are as a result of judgements you made consciously or subconsciously and the programs you were subjected to. It’s from these you developed your habits.
Everything you do, even subconsciously is as a result of these habits learnt from age one to eighteen. Unlearning is equals freedom. The speed at which you unlearn them is totally up to you. The good news is that it doesn’t have to take the same time with which you learnt an habit to unlearn it. It’s totally up to you. If you want to kick it in less time, you can.
Do you want to kick that habit? Really want to! If your answer is yes, there are some characteristics you need to possess.
1. Believe
One of my favourite quotes ever comes from automobile mogul, Henry Ford. He said “If you believe you can do something or cannot do something, you are right”. This means you are the architect of your own success or failure. Sure, there are some external factors that are involved too, but chiefly it’s up to you. Do you believe you can stop this habit?
2. Have A Killer Determination
There is nothing else you will need if you can cultivate a strong dogged determination to change your life and destiny. You got to wake up, look at yourself in a mirror and decide to change. No matter what comes your way, no matter what discouragement and obstacles that could rise to block your way, you have to be determined to either go through them or around them. Pick a star on the dark horizon and forge on to your destination.
3. Set Your Goals and Focus On Them
What are your goals? What have you set your heart on? In this case your goal is to kick this bad habit off your life. Set it and put a time frame on it. You can say “By the End of August, I should have reduced this by half or a quarter” whatever. Something about goals however is to be realistic about them. You can’t expect an easy ride or expect to stop what has been part of you for a long period of time to just disappear like that. It would take time.
Never let go of your focus. Look at where you are going constantly, don’t listen to the noise of the market.
“Obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goals” says Henry Ford again. I think you should listen to Henry. He knows better.
4. Write It Down Where You Can See it
Plaster your goals and your determination all over your house, in your car, in your little jotter, everywhere you can see it. Seeing it will constantly remind you of what you are about now and never let you slack off. There is a reason who they say, old habits die hard.
5. Celebrate Millstones
Celebrate yourself as you get it done. Imagine you have a temper and you have decided to kick it out since it has ruined many a relationship of yours. If you have managed to go a week without being angry, it is up for celebration. Take your self out and enjoy. Know that you are winning and of you put more efforts you will be a champion very soon. But do not slack off one bit. Remember, you have just won a battle and not the war. You should set a higher goal now and work doggedly at it.
6. Avoid Triggers
I don’t know what bad habits you are about, boy to kill a thing you must feed it. To successfully conquer this habit, you must stay away from what triggers it. Avoid what could makes you angry if you have a temper, don’t carry a match if you want to quit smoking.
What You Must Know
1. Habits Don’t Die Easily
You will, I repeat you will never kick out an habit t one try or even at two tires. There is a reason why it has become an habit, you have done thins too many times it has registered its own blueprint in your subconscious. Kicking it out will to be remove its program from your system and never let it regenerate. So you are on for a battle but like all battles, you can win if you never give up.
2. You Wont Always Win
Yes, that’s true too. You can not always beat the habit when you are about it kicking it out. There will be days you are going to lose and indulge. Indulging is not however the crime, it is what you do after failing that matters. If you crash and accept defeat then you would undo what ever process you have gained. The best thing to do is to pick yourself up and continue. Set new goals and work at them.
3. Success Comes At the Darkest Hour
Everything that succeeded got to a point in which everyone thought it would fail. Your success is sure but only if you don’t quit. Things might get bad and though and seem the habit would never let of you. But it is at this darkest hour that your victory comes around the corner. Don’t forget that. Many that failed quit just before their glory.
Shisdulo 😊
