A Tip to Get Started
Question: Everyone knows they should stop doing things that aren't good for them.
But knowing isn't the same as doing. The question, then, is this: how do I get myself to
take corrective action when all I've been doing is putting it off?
Answer: Motivation is a matter of reasons. With a big enough reason, you can get
yourself to do anything. So the key here is to uncover your reasons you want to change.
There are many angles to take here, but for this clinic I want to talk about pain.
Pain? As scary as it sounds, it's a good thing. In the most basic sense, you are driven
to do things because they give you pleasure or they help you to avoid pain. Wearing a
seatbelt is a good example.
Although you personally may wear it because you look good in gray, most do it to avoid
injury: they are motivated to put on the belt to keep themselves from getting hurt. You
can use the same psychology with your habits.
What is the worst thing that your habit is doing to you? Go beyond physical pain and
add in all its brothers and sisters: mental, emotional, spiritual, financial, etc. What
is it costing you right now?
Further, what is it going to cost you if you keep it up? If you don't make the change,
what will happen to you or your family?
As you make your written list (yes, I want you to write these down) be specific. If
you're a smoker, noting that you'll get sick isn't as powerful as getting lung cancer
and dying thirty years early and leaving your family behind to fend for themselves.
A bit morbid, I know, but the point is to help you change and avoid those nasty
consequences. The scarier, the better.
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