Break Your Worst Habit and Be Better for It!

Everybody has a bad habit. You are no exception. You've probably had one habit or another that has been plaguing you for years and you keep meaning to kick it but for whatever reason, you haven't. It could be smoking, biting your nails, spending frivolously or even chewing gum with your mouth open. Whatever it is, this month, you're March-ing forward in life, so it's time to beat that habit.

The first step is to understand that a habit is something that you've done so frequently that you actually do it involuntarily. It has become automatic. This is why breaking a habit is such an effort. Consider reading. It's something you've done so frequently that it is natural to you. You don't even have to think about doing it, you just do. Could you look at a printed word, for example, a "STOP" sign and not read it? Of course not, it's a habit. You've worked it into your regular way of functioning.

There are good habits and there are bad habits that you have built throughout your life. It's the bad ones that you need to concentrate on culling in order to better your quality of living.

To break your own bad habit, follow these steps:

- Decide whether you are truly serious about breaking your bad habit and whether you are prepared to commit to the time and energy you'll need to change your behavior.

- Monitor the times when you are prone to doing the bad habit. You may want to keep a little pad of paper with you to write this down for the first few days. You may also want to note how you were feeling at the time. By writing things down, you become much more aware of them and then it becomes easier to change them.

- Consider an alternative behavior to the bad habit you have. Brainstorm for ideas on paper and then choose one that you want to give a try. If that doesn't work, choose another one.

- When you catch yourself doing your bad habit, try to stop yourself as soon as possible. Then, begin the alternative behavior instead.

- Get support from others. Let your friends and family know that you're trying to break the habit, and have them help when they can.

Of course, this doesn't just go for one habit. As soon as you've broken one, you can move right on to the next habit that you've been meaning to break. By using these steps, you'll be gradually and continually experiencing self-improvement that you can actually see. Don't forget to reward yourself when you reach your goal!