Switched-On Magazine

The start of a new year is cause for celebration for two particular reasons: surviving the past year in one piece and a fresh start to a whole new year. This grace period between two separate years calls for reflection and improvement. As the year 2010 commences why not develop and progress as a person by kicking those bad habits. A new year entitles people to a better self and those bad habits are just holding them back. A bad habit is any behavioral pattern that negatively affects a person, however, with enough willpower it can be overcome. Kicking any bad habit comes down to organization and determination for improvement.

First of all, do not try to list everything thing that might be wrong with your behavior. Any rude, harmful, immature, disruptive behavior can be categorized, as a bad habit the difference between them is the severity of which they affect everyday life. As a human being, you are not perfect and should therefore cut yourself a break. Instead of causing a mental breakdown by tackling them all at once, make a list in order to divide and conquer. Pick what you would like to work on. Is there anything that is affecting your health (unhealthy eating, smoking, lack of exercise), a nervous tick (nail-biting, cracking knuckles, twirling hair), or something that is negatively affecting you socially (not thinking before speaking, being inclusive/antisocial, lack of manners)? Start with the bad habits you feel are negatively influencing you the most and work your way down from there. Remember not to sweat the little stuff and that this is about self-improvement, not about acquiring complete perfection. 

Since there are a variety of bad habits, sometimes unique to only a handful of people, there exists an assortment of methods to break those bad habits. This requires a fair amount of research when deciding to break a particular habit, as well as, some trial and error on different methods. A common factor to almost all methods when ridding one’s self of a bad habit is patience and will power. Once you have surely kicked a habit, you can move on to the next one, but do not expect it to be done overnight. The year 2010 has just begun so allow room for some hiccups along the road to self-improvement, and if by 2011 only one or two of those bad habits have disappeared, well, it is not the end of the world, at least not until 2012. Just kidding!