Subject: My stupid bad habit... (you might have it, too)
We all have bad habits that we'd like to get rid of.
Me, I have a really bad habit going to bed WAY too late (2-3 am is not unusual).
It cuts into my quality of sleep, it cuts into my productive time the next day...it's something I need to fix and I've been working on fixing it.
I'm sure I'm not the only one with that habit...you might have the same thing, or a whole different one.
In that vein, I've got a couple of excellent tips for you from Chad Howse, author of The Lost Art of Discipline (on sale now for $9).
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HOW TO CURB A BAD HABIT
First, it’s on you. Don’t look around for someone to blame, to depend on, to lean on. This is on you, and you can do it.
Start with this:
REPLACE the habit.
As soon as you get the urge, whether it’s the urge to light a cigarette, or eat something unhealthy, or watch TV, replace it with a physical action.
This brings the habit to the choice level, and we can all make the correct choices. The simplest replacement is something like push ups. Any time you get the urge to do the thing you no longer want to do, drop down and do 20 push-ups.
Try it, such a little change but it’ll do wonders.
HOW TO DEVELOP A GOOD HABIT
Do anything.
If you want to get in the habit of doing 500 push ups a day, start with one.
If you want to get in the habit of working out 5 days a week, start with one day a week.
Create a baby habit first. It will lead to the bigger habit, but where most people fall off the wagon is in attempting something so dramatically different than what they’re used to that they just don’t do it.
Start INSANELY small. Do it for an entire month, then and only then, add.
How to determine the habits you need to create to reach the goal you’re trying to accomplish.
You can learn a lot about this and the previous steps you need to take to reach whatever goal you have for the year here:
The Lost Art of Discipline: the fastest path to your ideal life
Nick Nilsson
The "Mad Scientist of Muscle"