How to change a bad habit

[Stephen]

I was thinking and reading about this recently and came across a simple analogy which suddenly clarified things for me on how to change a bad habit into a good one. (the good and bad being subjective of course)

Think of a habit as a steam which finds the shortest route possible always (gravity allowed for)
The habit is the stream. Over time doing anything consistently will cut a deep gorge into your psyche, just as a steam cuts into even the deepest rock over time to find its way.
This is how powerful habits become.
To change a deeply ingrained habit, you must take steps to divert the stream.
Just as you would on diverting a real stream, you must help to change the flow of water initially be adopting a new route. On a stream you might dam it. On a habit you would consciously form a new habit.

But here's the crux. By consciously diverting the stream/habit, you will find that the new route/change will start to dig a channel into your psyche and begin to take that new course on for itself.

On reflection, I have found this to be the case when removing tobacco, alcohol and Television from my life.

Just a wee thought.

[smartile]

Hi Stephen,

It's true! If you make physiological changes to your patterns throughout the day ('doing' changes), your neurons will create entirely new neural pathways in your brain. The new neural pathways make it easier to initiate that action the next time - it gets easier every time.

[dave marshall]

Hi stephen,

have you explored NLP, it has some great mind tools that may help,

check it out on google if you have time,

dave

[Stephen]

I havent actually.

Since reading my very first PD book back in late 1996.."Selling for Dummies" by Tom Hopkins, I must say I havent read anything on NLP at all.

Strange when I come to think about it.

On self analysis, I am most powerful when I can find a morally compelling reason to do something.

During my Philosophy degree I discovered arguments from Philosophers against the use of animals as human property. I was knocked sideways. I immediately became vegan and couldnt consider another lifestyle.

After I read Allen Carr's book on Alcohol, I immediately stopped drinking alcohol, again due to some compelling arguments.

There are other areas of my life I continually try to improve but cant find that same 'golden combination' like in the above to cases to move me in that direction.

Is NLP the tool that can perhaps help me here?

[maxdof]

Originally Posted by Stephen

I was thinking and reading about this recently and came across a simple analogy which suddenly clarified things for me on how to change a bad habit into a good one. (the good and bad being subjective of course)

Think of a habit as a steam which finds the shortest route possible always (gravity allowed for)
The habit is the stream. Over time doing anything consistently will cut a deep gorge into your psyche, just as a steam cuts into even the deepest rock over time to find its way.
This is how powerful habits become.
To change a deeply ingrained habit, you must take steps to divert the stream.
Just as you would on diverting a real stream, you must help to change the flow of water initially be adopting a new route. On a stream you might dam it. On a habit you would consciously form a new habit.

But here's the crux. By consciously diverting the stream/habit, you will find that the new route/change will start to dig a channel into your psyche and begin to take that new course on for itself.

On reflection, I have found this to be the case when removing tobacco, alcohol and Television from my life.

Just a wee thought.

What if an habit was the intersection of knowlede (what to, why to), skills (how to), and desire (want to) and you focuse on the 3 aspects to implement a new habit ? Of course the habit has to be motivated by an higher process.

[Kevin Givens]

Thanks Stephen, that's a great way to think about it. I have a couple of questions for you.

Originally Posted by Stephen

On a stream you might dam it. On a habit you would consciously form a new habit.

On reflection, I have found this to be the case when removing tobacco, alcohol and Television from my life.

If I understand correctly, the key to diverting the stream is to consciously replace a bad habit with a good one. I would like to know what habit you used to replace tobacco use (for example).

If I were a smoker (which I'm not) would I just substitute 10 pushups every time I got the urge to smoke (to develop the habit of regular exercise)?

Also, what arguments led you to give up alcohol?