Breaking Old Habits

Something we have been taught our whole lives is that old habits die hard. We have been taught that just because we've been doing something for so long, means that it must be really difficult to stop doing it when we discover that that action isn't what we prefer. This couldn't be further from the truth. In reality once you know something is a habit of yours, the habit disappears and it becomes a choice. This is true about addictions as well as habits. Once you realize that you would rather not smoke, you can then choose to stop. We know this, yet we make up an endless list of excuses as to why we can't. We tell ourselves that we'll get headaches, or that we'll become more stressed out, lose sleep, and so on. These are all excuses that we've made up. Instead of telling ourselves about all the bad things that will happen if we quit a habit, how about we change our language to start telling ourselves all the benefits of quitting? We could start telling ourselves that if we quit smoking we would breathe easier, our breath would smell better, our teeth would be cleaner, we would decrease the risk of cancer, we would save a ton of money every month... the list goes on and on, yet we always convince ourselves that the bad things that will come up temporarily will outweigh the benefits of quitting.

This goes for bad habits as well. If we know we have a habit of hoarding, or eating too much junk food, or whatever your vice may be, you can list out the pros and cons of quitting that habit. Once you list out your pros and cons, you'll find it turns out to be a much easier task than you once thought. Suddenly the balance will shift and you'll realize that the cons are all things constructed in your head, and they're really just smoke and mirrors, yet most of the time the benefits will be very substantial. 

Question: What's your habit that you need to let go of?