habits are like flowing water...

easier to go with than try to swim against. Which is why it seems impossible to break the bad ones, we are pushing against a force that has a power of its own. As you know, habits are our comfort zone.

Why change the way you've done something if you know it's going to be painful and time consuming to do so?

Why not carry on doing the same things in the same way? After all they've gotten you to this point haven't they? Surely if you've gotten to this point it can't be THAT bad - after all you would have done something about it by now wouldn't you?

OK, it's time to throw down the anchor - time to stop just for a minute, stop going with the flow of your habitual behaviour, it's time to... Actually time is the key to most things. We can with time and patience do just about anything that we want to do. It takes time to learn a new skill, it takes time to build a portfolio of investments properties if you are starting from scratch. It takes time and sometimes massive action to stop going with the flow of behaviours that have not worked for you.

I used to think that "stars" who checked into rehab were cheating. But I've now come to the realisation that sometimes - going cold turkey and changing absolutely everything may be the only way to get rid of a problem once and for all. It's no good telling yourself that you are going to stop doing something and then leave temptation in full view. For example - we decide that we are not going to spend any more money - but we wander around town at lunch time and like kids let loose at christmas we are lured by the shiny baubles on display, and before we know it - we're back into debt using the store card we've just acquired.

Or we decide that we're going to clear our desks of all those problem items we've not had the courage to face up to. But we breathe a sigh of relief when someone comes to us with an issue that needs our "urgent" attention. We can conveniently forget that we've made a commitment to ourselves.

But you know what, I think getting out of the river for a while, may be the answer we have been looking for. We need to check ourselves into our own version of rehab.

So it's honesty time.

You know what your worst habits are. Decide which ones you are happy to keep - coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, other substances, retail therapy etc etc - and then decide which ones you are going to get rid of once and for all.

- Go out for a walk at lunch time without your wallet, that way you cannot buy anything.
- Take your lunch to work with you. Use with the above suggestion so that you get your exercise and a better bank account.
- Leave your money at home so you can't go and buy anything else, especially the credit cards. Better still - get the banks to cut the limit, and then keep on cutting the limit when you reduce the liability - then once you have paid off the debt - get them to cancel the cards. No card - no more problem.
- Enlist the services of a personal trainer, family friend, or other person who will keep you accountable.

Remember - With time and patience you can do anything you want.
 
(MMM1) (MMW1)
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