Breaking Bad (Habits) – 5 Essentials For Breaking Bad Habits

Breaking Bad (Habits)

I have two confessions to make.

First, I’ve never seen an episode of Breaking Bad.  From what I understand, this is a pretty popular show that ended a couple of months ago.  Maybe, I’ll catch it on Netflix.

Second, I have bad habits.  I know this is shocking, but it’s true.  One of my bad habits is nail-biting.  That’s right, I clip my finger nails with my teeth.  To many, this habit is disgusting.  I’ve been chewing on my finger nails as long as I can remember.  To steal a line from Chicago, it’s a hard habit to break.

Part of stretching myself and making myself a better person is working to remove bad habits.  This even means conquering my nail-biting habit.

Do I think it’s possible?  I guess so, but I know it’s going to be extremely challenging.

As I thought about overcoming this habit, I started thinking about what it requires to overcome this kind of habit.  I have some ideas, but I would appreciate your feedback as to how I can overcome this bad habit.

5 Essentials For Breaking Bad Habits

1. Recognize the bad habit.  If you’re going to overcome a bad habit, you’ve got to realize you have a problem.  I’ve been biting my nails for so long, it happens without me realizing it.  The first step in overcoming this bad habit is to recognize the problem.
2. Commit to removing the bad habit.  You have to be serious about breaking the bad habit in order to address the problem.  I want to break this habit before the summer.  I’m going to do it!
3. Create a plan to remove the bad habit.  What can you do when you feel tempted to fall back into the poor pattern.  I’m still working on this plan for myself, but I make start wearing gloves more often or putting something nasty on my fingers to discourage this habit.    For me, my plan is intended to make sure I’m aware of the problem.
4. Find someone who will hold you accountable to overcoming the bad habit.  I’m going to ask my wife, my kids, and a close friend to hold me to this commitment to break this bad habit.  By writing about it here, I’m giving you permission to hold me accountable to breaking this bad habit.
5. Reward yourself along the way.  Start small.  Did I make it through one day without chewing my nails?  If so, let’s celebrate with a small reward – maybe a coffee at Starbucks.  As the time gets longer, use a larger reward.

Some have said it takes 21 days to break a bad habit.  I think it’s worth a try!

What is one bad habit you’d like to break?  What tips do you have for breaking bad habits?