Bad habits can be very difficult to break. However, with enough inner motivation and persistence, you can emerge victorious. The first step to ditching a bad habit is identifying the excuses that make them so difficult to break.
But I tried to quit – it’s just too hard!
Trying to quit a bad habit is admirable. However, long term success is out of reach without patience. Breaking bad habits can take time and focus. It may even require more than one try. Do not give up trying to break a bad habit just because you weren’t successful on your first attempt. Focus on your goal and keep trying until you’ve conquered it.
But my habit is not hurting anyone else.
This is a common excuse for individuals battling with habits that abuse the body. It is important to realize that bad habits can have a domino effect. Regardless of the excuses you make, if a habit affects you negatively, then it also affects the ones who love you. So be proactive in breaking your habit. Enlist the help of those who care about your well-being. You don’t have to fight your habits alone.
But I have to do this because I can’t help myself.
You can only conquer your bad habits when you make it your aim to take responsibility for your own choices. At some point you’ll need to stop the carriage ride and take the reins. Eliminate “I can’t” from your vocabulary, and refuse to give in to your habits.
But since I’m still young, I have plenty of time to quit.
If a habit is bad for your health, then it is never too soon to eradicate it. Regardless of your age, you need your body to continue working properly in order to continue living! Youth is not an excuse to procrastinate. Youth is actually the best time to quit a harmful habit. If you stop while you’re still young, you won’t have to risk ruining your body and even shortening your overall life expectancy.
But I don’t even have a bad habit.
Denial is at the root of many bad habits. If you do not acknowledge your bad habit, you will not be able to get rid of it. Accepting the fact that you have a bad habit is the first step in eliminating it. Acknowledge your weakness and then strive to rise above it.
But it can’t be that bad because my friends still do it.
Do your friends know everything? Certainly not! Your friends do not know the answers to all of life’s questions. You are the expert on yourself, and you do not need someone else to dictate which habit you’ll keep and which habit you’ll break. Make it your determination to stop hiding behind your friends and ditch this excuse. Regardless of your age, birds of a feather flock together. So while your friends may very well be embracing their bad habit, but that does not mean that you must do the same thing. Do your own research and allow your findings to motivate you to break your bad habit right away.
But my habits aren’t serious.
Downplaying the importance of a habit is a very common excuse. In some cases bad habits can pose a threat on a day to day basis. Research your habit and speak to an expert. If your habit truly is serious, then the truth will come out. Recognize the seriousness of the bad habit, and be determined to eliminate it once and for all.
Excuses impede progress. Once you learn how to identify your excuses, you will be on your way to eradicating bad habits for good.
