Many people seem to fall into the same old day to day bad habits which, in many cases turn into additions.

However, in order to break bad habits and get a more positive result, you are obviously going to have to change because, it is your bad habits and additions that are currently creating your reality.

Of course, the ultimate question is how do you change? Here are five ways that I use to break bad habits and develop more empowering habits all at the same time:

1. Acknowledge that you have a bad habit. Whatever it may be, whether that is workaholism, alcoholism or television, ask yourself; are these things moving me towards my goal? The simple act of recognizing that you need to break bad habits begins the process of change. You can’t change what you can’t acknowledge.

2. Then, as soon as you recognize that your habits are not getting you what you want, you must ask yourself; if I am going to create a new habit, what is it that I want?The number one reason why people do not get what they want, is that they simply do not know what that is. This misses the point entirely because, the goal is the actual motivation that you need to break bad habits.
3. Set yourself a goal and give yourself 90 days to achieve it. Why 90 days? Because it is commonly accepted that it takes at least 90 days to create a new more empowering habit so that it becomes part of your everyday life.

For those of you who are practiced at creating good habits already, it will take a lot less time because you are more familiar with the system of change.When you choose a 90-day goal, make sure that it is risky, it is something you have never done before, and make sure the results are measurable. As much as you love world peace, how can you measure that in 90 days? So, pick something that you can measure.

4. If you are going to break bad habits and create new habits, my highest recommendation is that you find someone who has already created the habit that you want and has got the result that you are looking for.

For example; if you need to, or want to lose weight, you’ll have to find a trusted and credible source. Then you must study, learn and practice their system.

There are many of them out there and how you choose one is ultimately important. Find one that is not only trusted and credible but also FEELS right. Ask yourself: do I feel like following this system? If it is a difficult system, you likely will not follow it. Find a system that saves you not only time but money as well. That will make it easier to follow.

5. You will have to practice your new habit; that is how it becomes a habit. The best way that I have found for practicing a habit is of course to do it everyday. Some of you may not want to do it every day and it does not need to be every day, but it definitely works the best.

Start with something simple like three times a week. What is it that you are going to do differently three days a week that you currently do not do? Do that for 90 days and it will become a habit, and in many cases it will increase from three days to five days, and sometimes even to seven days a week.For example, I am writing this article while I am walking and I am speaking it into a portable digital recorder.

Why did I create the habit of walking? Because, I did not like being slightly overweight and I did not like having a constantly aggravated sore knee.The last time I was slightly overweight and had a sore knee, I walked across Spain back in 2004. I simply decided one day that I needed to re-develop the good habit of walking.

Of course, I had to carve out time out of my day to do it. So early morning it is! This article is being written at 7:30 in the morning, on the coldest winter day of the year so far. It seems to me that I have taken to this habit pretty well.

I really believe that last word on this is possibly something that you have heard before: do not put of until tomorrow what you can choose to change today; the essential word in that phrase being the word CHOOSE.

The bad habits that you have developed have been a choice, and the habits that could empower you, are also a choice. If you are going to bread bad habits then you must first choose to do so. Then, simply follow a proven system and before you know it, you’ll have much better habits than you do now.

Have a great day,

Paul Tobey

P.S. If you need more information on how to break bad habits, click here to read about the Art of Deliberate Creation.