Stop Bad Habits
and Engage Will Power

If you haven't already, I recommend that you read the first two articles in this section on Self Discipline and Self Restraint before reading on. Great!

Alright then, in order to stop bad habits you obviously need strong determination. But did you know that your will power comes in limited quantities? That's right, you only get so much at a time.

You might think of your will as a kind of muscle. It needs energy to function and it gets tired if you over-use it. At the beginning of the day, it's ready to go with whatever you assign to it. As the day continues, other tasks slowly drain the energy from it. By the end of the day, there is rarely enough will power left to take on anything major.

Changing your behaviour requires a good amount of will power, so it makes sense to establish your commitment at the beginning of the day when your 'energy tanks' are full. Remember, all habits develop through repetition, so to stop bad habits, choose to start each day on a positive and empowering note:

If you are giving something up, allow yourself to remember why you are doing this and spend a few minutes focussing on the wonderful outcome you will achieve. Imagine how happy, healthy and alive you feel, now that you're free!

If you are changing your lifestyle by adding a new behaviour, make time to do it as early as is reasonably possible. You could even set your alarm clock to wake you 30 minutes earlier than usual so it can become part of your morning routine.

Be strict with establishing and reinforcing your new habit every day, and within a few weeks you won't even have to make an effort - it's part of the new you.

Now, an important point to remember is:

Don't try to change too much at the same time...

As well as being realistic with the time-frame for your goal, realise that your limited will power works best on one major change at a time. Change one thing, allow it to become part of your life, THEN move onto changing something else. If you try to be too radical, you risk running out of precious commitment reserves, disillusionment, and ultimately no change... what a waste!

When you pace yourself, knowing change is coming, you are actually exercising your will and strengthening your resolve for the future, just as physical training builds and enhances muscles. Success proves that you can do it, which will make the next lifestyle adjustment even easier.

To recap:

1. Appreciate that your will power is in limited supply
2. Use it wisely - set yourself up for success at the start of the day
3. Change one thing and allow it to become part of your lifestyle
4. Build on your success as subsequent changes become easier

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