Break Your Negative Habits

A habit is a conditioned response we have programmed into ourselves by continually doing a particular action until it becomes a second nature. It is not an instinct, it is a reaction, and a reaction is caused by repetition. The problem is we are conditioned by our environment from childhood to think, act, and feel the way we do. A parent who has, for example, been conditioned to negative responses can pass on those same attitudes to a child, despite the fact that the child may have far more hidden talents than the parent ever had.

For example, as a child we are often conditioned by influence rather than some act or experience. When someone remarks that “the child certainly has his father's temper" it is not because the child inherited it, it is because the child was conditioned to it, he learned it. If we see that a fit of temper results in someone else getting what he/she wants, or gets satisfaction from such a display, we attempt to express ourselves similarly. If it works we continue until it becomes a habit. 

One way to solve this problem is to use new conditioned beliefs that will make you unstoppable. In order to do this, you have to become conscious of your habits first and see what satisfaction you derive from it before you can "replace" with another habit. Conditioning statements begin with the word “You”. For instance, you are more motivated and positive, you meditate on clean thoughts, you are a positive thinker etc. Also, practice self-observation and start by writing down at least five positive and five negative habits that you have and then write down five new positive habits you want to develop.

Application

1. List each of the different key areas in your life on a piece of paper.

• Business / Financial / Career
• Physical / Health
• Family / Social/ Relationships
• Personal / Fun / Adventure
• Mental / Emotional
• Spiritual / Ethical

1. Take time to analyze each area and identify your negative habits.

i) How do these habits hurt you?

3. Identify your positive habits.

i. In what way do these good habits help you?

2. Identify new habits you want to cultivate.

i) How will these new habits help you?

Of course, it takes some degree of discipline in building new habits but by following your "desires" to improve and become what you want to become you will automatically be sowing the seeds for new positive habits which will in turn highlight your bad habits and effectively root them out by displacement. For example, anyone can unconsciously slip into the habit of thinking negatively. This can be overcome when you view yourself objectively, recognize you are doing it, and discover the underlying cause of negative thinking. Once this is achieved, you can replace a negative thought with a positive one using visualization.

Moreover, it is not easy to think in new ways and it requires a great deal of work to unlearn all your negative habits. As a result, you may strive to remain consistent with what we are familiar with, even though the habit is leading you away from being successful. All you need to do is continually take action towards what you want, not what you don't want, and your negative habits will be substituted for your positive habits. 

Yes they will become a habit with time but good habits are hard to form although easy to live with whereas bad habits are easy to form although hard to live with. For this reason you will have to work harder at them. To change a habit requires work. Good habits are the end product of right mind food together with repetition.


Gerard L. Ndzebir