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How To Defeat Temptation And Successfully Change Habits

By: Andrea Jordan

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You decided its time to pursue your goal to change habits. You are going to be facing daily temptations to go back to your old ways so now is the time to consider how you will defeat those temptations to successfully change habits.

Replacing your old bad habits with new good habits is an important part of the habit breaking process. I believe that making a plan to exercise for only 90 minutes a week, will make you happier and help you to replace your bad habits with healthy new habits.

Any kind of exercise will do; quick walking, swimming, or a class at the gym will all work. Every lasting change costs something in terms of time, energy, and money. But if you stick with it, the payoff is a thousand to one.

Of course, it's not possible to exercise away all the temptations to fall back into your old routines. You'll have to have a plan that works 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. The best substitute for old habits is active diversion. All people who are successful at habit breaking know that keeping busy and keeping their mind off the temptation to overspend, drink, or overeat is the best strategy.

Keeping to your new goal to change habits is a way to learn something new about yourself as you are the only one who can know what will be right for you. An activity that keeps you busy and takes your mind off your craving for a shopping spree, drink or a bar of chocolate will be right for you. It does need to be something you enjoy. Reading a good book, playing your favorite music, going to a movie, spending time with friends or working on a home improvement project are all healthy alternatives.

If you are attempting to break a similar bad habit to mine - failing to put in place a regular fitness plan - then obviously you are already exercising so you need to have a different type of diversion. I can provide myself with a million and one excuses not to exercise so my plan is to go for a run etc as soon as I get up, to put my mind on autopilot as soon as I get up so that my mind does not have time to begin a list of today's excuses. Other options might be joining a club/gym so that you are accountable to someone other than yourself (sometimes a bit of peer pressure can be a helpful thing!) or doing your exercise straight after work as it can be too easy to sink into the sofa once you get home and not move for the remainder of the evening.

On those days that your temptations get the better of you (you are human after all) be sure to use that experience as a learning one rather than evidence that you can't stick to your new goal to change habits. Rather than giving up completely on your new goal rather ask yourself, "why did this happen?" and "how can I avoid it in the future?". A habit changing process is a great learning experience if you let it be so give yourself a break, readjust your plan and move forward better prepared for that next temptation.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Andrea Jordan is the Author of "Habit Breaking Facts: How to Change Your Bad Habits, Forever!" (now available electronically). Andrea is also a Corporate Lawyer and a Coach. If you would like to learn more of her coaching tips about making lasting changes to your bad habits and creating a healthier lifestyle then visit www.habitbreakingfacts.net for more information and a FREE chapter of her book. (C) 2010 Andrea Jordan. All rights reserved

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