This is your reminder to stay true to quitting whatever you promised you’d leave in 2023. It’s also a heads-up on what you need to know if you still need to commit to the big quit. Here’s to saying goodbye to the habits that no longer serve us:
Global (09 January 2024) — Beating a ‘bad habit’ is a lot like going to a party you’re only going to out of obligation. There’s a lot of motivating yourself involved. You’re going to want to turn around and go home, a lot. And when you are almost at the door, you might just ditch every effort you’ve made to come this far in exchange for your comfort.
Here’s the thing: it might just be the best social extravaganza of your life. Or the place where you meet the love of your life. At the very least, you might just dance a lot and feel twenty-one again.
That’s what the other side of a bad habit is supposed to feel like. It’s also why all the people who love you turn into David Goggins and try with every motivational speech possible to help you kick that habit to the curb.
You won’t know it when you’re on your way to the destination that is the other side of the habit (unless what you’re trying to kick is predicting the future like it’s your day job), but what’s on the other side is probably a big part of what you need to unlock a you that can do even more ‘impossible things’.
Whether it’s vaping, being a slave to social media, coffee controlling your life or sugar’s chokehold on you, here are 5 ways to leave that habit in 2023:
1. Make Sure You Have a Road Map
The party that is the other side of what you’re trying to kick does require some effort beyond just stopping and hoping for the best. Like any journey that you don’t want to be difficult, you need a roadmap.
A little research and a bit of time can go a long way when it comes to parting ways with a bad decision that’s gone on too long. As such, your roadmap should have all the landmarks present:
- What to expect for certain milestones (ie: withdrawals or cravings)
- When to reward yourself
- When you might need extra support
- When you need to dig deeper for motivation
2. Expectations are Everything
Having an idea of where you’re going is one thing. Making sure you know what to expect along the way is another.
When it comes to expectations, it’s your responsibility to manage them. This means not being delulu (delusional) and thinking all it’ll take to quit vaping is one day. Or thinking you won’t be impacted by triggers.
Managing your expectations will help you make peace with the hard parts so that when you get there, you at least won’t have to deal with any stressful surprises from your body or mind.
3. Let Your Loved Ones Know Your Habit No Longer Lives Here
You need to tell the people you care about (and chat with frequently) what your grand plan is. Firstly, it holds you accountable to people you respect. Secondly, they can only support you if they know where you need support. Last, but very much not least, they need to know why your mood is going to change and why you might not be the best person to be around (especially for the nicotine fiends).
4. Find a Replacement Fix
It’s going to be very tempting to go cold turkey. But the reality is, as much as it takes time to form a habit, it also takes time to release it. Having a replacement ‘fix’ is not essential, but it goes a long way.
For some, this could mean switching to non-caffeinated beverages in the morning at the exact time they’d have their daily ‘cuppa. For others, it might mean looking to healthy sugars (found in fruits and veggies) instead of giving in to candy cravings.
It’s not going to be the same, and you’re probably going to feel disappointed every time you don’t get the dopamine kick or sugar high you’re used to. But, after enough time, you won’t even remember what your ex habit felt like.
5. Be Kind to Yourself, But Not Enabling
Being kind and loving yourself is why you’re quitting in the first place! So, in the challenging moments, you need to remember that what you’re doing is not a punishment, but an act of deep, self-love.
Enabling yourself looks like giving into a quick fix. Being kind to yourself is sticking out the long run because you know there’s a big party on the other side and there are a pair of liberated dancing shoes with your name on them.
Sources: GTG
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