If you've been in a rut and feel like crap, maybe it's time to create some new habits, they might not work either but why are you so vigorously holding on to something that has failed you time and time again.
I know it sounds like a lot of work but if this isn't working, what needs to happen for you to feel better? Evolving and recreating yourself is a blessing and responsibility. Explore and discover; whatever that means to you. Learning new skills, expanding your mind will add versatility to your life, even the new bad ones.
You're not supposed to be who you were last year or week, why would you stay the same if that's hurting you. Creating new habits might be as bad as the old ones, but it's up to you to try and find which ones work for the current you.
Upgrading yourself is a privilege we should all take advantage of.
How many times do you think you fell down when you were learning how to walk? And when you learned how to walk, you grew into a runner, and as a kid you'd run everywhere, because why the hell not - it felt good and you could get there (wherever there was) faster.
Why as an adult do you have this image of not upgrading yourself as if you have arrived - arrived where and why?
I know you know this and you might not even want to hear it but I need to say it for you.
Like it or not, bad habits are bad for you - mentally, physically, emotionally and even socially. While some bad habits are harder to quit than others, it doesn’t change the fact that you need to get rid of them. Period.
Some might seem harmless or quirky, but others can really get in the way of your health and wellbeing. So let's go out there and create new ones, just to see what will stick.
Most of the time, bad habits are simply a way of dealing with stress and boredom. And sometimes the stress or boredom that is on the surface is actually caused by deeper issues, but if you’re serious about making changes and creating new habits then you have to be honest with yourself.
Is there something deeper - a fear, an event, or a limiting belief - that is causing you to hold on to something that is bad for you?
All of the habits that you have right now - good or bad - are in your life for a reason. But are the bad ones really providing any actual benefits? And how do you break a bad habit?
Choose a substitute for your bad habit. You need to have a plan ahead of time for how you will respond when you face the stress or boredom that prompts your bad habit.
Cut out as many triggers as possible. Make it easier on yourself to break bad habits by avoiding the things that cause them.
Surround yourself with people who live the way you want to live. You don’t need to ditch your old friends, but don’t underestimate the power of finding some new ones.
Visualize yourself succeeding. See yourself building a new way for yourself; what does it feel like? (I know this can sound a little hocus-pocus, but it has worked for me so many times, I have to mention it.)
So often we think that to break bad habits, we need to become an entirely new person. The truth is that you already have it in you to be that someone without your bad habits.
I'm not here to underestimate your feelings or truths and yes some have it harder than others. Our own demons, struggles and heartbreaks are overwhelming at times but let me be that light in your darkness, even for this brief moment and tell you to go out there, sign up, reconnect, find and fail again just to see if there's something worth failing for, because this current outdated situation isn't giving you life or adding to your wellbeing anymore. You need to do it for the future you, rolling over and giving up isn't the answer.
If you’re looking for the first step to breaking bad habits, I’d suggest starting with awareness.
It’s easy to get caught up in how you feel about your bad habits. You can make yourself feel guilty or spend your time dreaming about how you wish things were - but these thoughts take you away from what’s actually happening.
Instead, it’s awareness that will show you how to actually make change.
When does your bad habit actually happen?
How many times do you do it each day?
Where are you?
Who are you with?
What triggers the behavior and causes it to start?
Simply tracking these issues will make you more aware of the behavior and give you dozens of ideas for stopping it.
In the beginning your goal isn’t to judge yourself or feel guilty about doing something unhealthy or unproductive. The only goal is to be aware of when it happens and how often it happens. Wrap your head around the problem by being aware of it. Then, you can start to implement new ideas and breaking your bad habits.
Breaking bad habits takes time and effort, but mostly it takes perseverance. Most people who end up breaking bad habits try and fail multiple times before they make it work. You might not have success right away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have it at all.
And lastly please share things that have worked for you in the past so others may get inspired by something new for them; you never know who you might end up encouraging with even one simple word.