This post originally appeared onZen Habits.
We dont think we can quit, so we dont even try.
Or if we do try, we give ourselves an out, and dont fully commit ourselves.
Let me tell you this: quitting a bad habit takes everything youve got.
Its hard, but doableif you put your entire being into it.
But if youre ready to finally quit something, heres a short guide to doing just that.
I recommend all of them if you want to be all in.
Have a big motivation.
Lots of times people quit things because it sounds nice: It would be nice to quit caffeine.
But thats a weak motivation.
Know your Why, and connect with it throughout your quit.
Write it down at the top of a document called your Quit Plan.
Make a big commitment.
Now that you know your motivation, be fully committed.
Instead, tell everyone about it.
Ask for their help.
Give them regular updates and be accountable.
Have a support partner it’s possible for you to call on when you need help.
Ask people not to let you off the hook.
Be aware of your triggers.
What events trigger your bad habit?
Know what need the habit is meeting.
We have bad habits for a reason they meet some kind of need.
For every trigger you wrote down, look at what need the habit might be meeting in that case.
The habit might be helping you cope with stress.
Write these needs down on your Quit Plan, and think of other ways you might cope with them.
Have a replacement habit for each trigger.
So what will you do when you face the trigger of stress?
Watch the urges, and delay.
You will get urges to do your bad habit, when the triggers happen.
These urges are dangerous if you just act on them without thinking.
Delay yourself, if you really want to act on the urge.
Call someone for help.
Go for a walk.
Get out of the situation.
The urge will go away, if you just delay.
Do the new habit each time the trigger happens.
Be aware of your thinking.
We justify bad habits with thinking.
Dont believe your rationalizations.
That means cut back from 20 cigarettes to 15, then 10, then five, then zero.
We all mess up sometimesif you do, be forgiving, and dont let one mistake derail you.
See what happened, accept it, figure out a better plan for next time.
Write this on your Quit Plan.
Your plan will get better and better as you continually improve it.
In this way, mistakes are helping you improve the method.
Dont be one of them.
Read more about him:My Story.
Image byFairmacy(Shutterstock).
