NOTES ON BREAKING A HABIT

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The day after I published my post on habit building, a close friend drew my attention to some issues:

1. It is equally important to break a habit as it is to build one. 

2. Breaking a bad habit is the beginning of picking up a new habit (good). 

3. Switching habits isn't as easy as it seems. 

Now, I do agree with him completely on all 3 points though I have my own reservations especially about the second one.  

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Compare these two situations, which would be easier? 

Attempting to break the habit of watching erotic movies at night before bed by reading inspirational books at that time or lying in bed until you fall asleep. 

I believe that with the idleness, you will be tempted to watch an erotic movie since you will be remembering all the times you did and the 'satisfaction' you got from it. 

There are two opinions here: 

1. A new habit makes you see the irrelevance of the previous habit. 

2. In the absence of the new habit, you might fall back to the old habit. 

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Opinion 1 Analysis: It's true. Volunteerism can make you perceive clubbing as a waste of time. Spending quality time with friends, family and loved ones can make you dislike the way you used to bury your head in work on weekends. I feel it allows a smooth transition, before you realize it, you no longer do something you used to and you now do something you absolutely love. You have to ensure that whatever new habit you try to adopt which will help to subconsciously stop the old habit must be one that is opposite in nature (if possible) and utterly beneficial to you and loveable by you. You have to grow in it so that it eliminates every desire for the previous one. You must still have the mindset of breaking the habit because of one or two reasons that are substantial to you and those around you. You have to consciously shun away from anything or anyone that will make you fall back to the old habit. 

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Opinion 2 Analysis: This is also possible. When you are not well vested into the new habit, in the cases where you cannot engage in it, you will probably want to venture into the old habit instead of getting a 'temporary' one. If you feel this will happen to you, you may decide to completely break away from a habit before picking up a new one. Your passion to break that habit must faulter as little as possible. You have to be strong willed. Your reason or basis must be something your heart absolutely believes in. It will most likely take a long time per usual but it is ever possible.  A lot of deep thinking and reflections on what triggered the habit, why you stuck to it and why you want to stop must take place. A change of environment including the people you walk with might be in order (eg. staying away from friends who do drugs helps you break the habit of doing drugs as well. 

Again, If you hate studying and those around you don't encourage you to study then go surround yourself with people who will). This is applicable to opinion 1 as well. 

NB: Do what suits you and do it to the best of your capabilities, don't forget that we are all different including twins. 

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Thank You for Reading & All the Best!!!