Are bad habits & addictions preventing you from achieving your potential in life?

We are creatures of habit. According to research from Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day.

All of the habits in your life, both good and bad, serve a purpose.

In many cases, bad habits exist to keep us safe or comfortable. Hence why it is difficult to overcome them.

If you're ready to rid your life of thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that sabotage your success, read this!

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

[smart_track_player url=”https://stream.redcircle.com/episodes/3837ae0c-8e31-4e64-83de-6f39d2b5e624/stream.mp3″ background=”default” ]

Are you ready to raise your standards and master every area of life? CLICK HERE to get this full video and join my monthly LIVE Life Master Accelerator program! 

This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever endorse products that I have personally used and benefitted from personally. Thank you for your support!

What are habits and why do they matter? 

Habits are unconscious behaviors that are repeated over time. When I refer to habits I'm not just talking about actions and behaviors. I'm also referring to feelings and thoughts. As an example, you can habitually experience feelings of sadness, anger, or loneliness.

The more that you experience these feelings, the more that you allow these negative emotional states to define who you are. The same thing applies to your thoughts. Overthinking, criticizing, and judging yourself and others are habitual ways of thinking. 

Keep in mind that if you feed your bad habits, you'll breathe life into those habits. Awareness is the critical step to changing any bad habit or addiction. Willpower isn't enough. You have to familiarize yourself with your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Not only that, but you have to understand why you think and behave in certain ways. We all have bad habits. I want to encourage you to take out your journal and write down 1-3 bad habits that YOU want to change. Can you identify with any of these bad habits?

• Procrastination
• Laziness
• Sleeping in or staying up too late
• Binging on social media 
• Gambling 
• Watching pornography 
• Binging on TV shows 
• Shopping 
• Drinking alcohol
• Smoking weed 
• Overworking 
• Overthinking 

I want to teach you some practical techniques that will help you break free from disempowering habits. First and foremost, if you want to break a habit, you must make a habit. One reason why a lot of people aren't able to make lasting changes is that they don't replace a bad habit with something new.

In effect, they trade one bad habit for another bad habit.

All habits serve a positive intention in your life, even the worst of addictions. Ideally, when you replace a bad habit, you want the new habit to fulfill a similar need that the original habit provided for you. In his book, The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg wrote, “We know that a habit cannot be eradicated. Instead, it must be replaced.”

The Habit Cycle

Part 1: Trigger

This is an instant energy shift that occurs in the body after being triggered by something or someone. Triggers are biologically hard-wired. Thus, you'll always be triggered. The good news is that you can change your relationship with your triggers. Mindfulness is a great way to become acutely aware of them.

Part 2: Thoughts

Thoughts happen fast. As a result, a lot of people are not consciously aware of their thoughts, which is why they act on impulse. The thoughts that you want to pay attention to are the negative self-deprecating ones. These are the ones that lead to bad habits.

Take one 1-minute right now and write down all of the thoughts, negative or positive, that you're thinking. Write them down in quotations as they appear. This simple exercise is a powerful way to become an observer of your thoughts. By writing them down, you will become aware of which thoughts show up continually.

Part 3: Action 

This is when you take action, based on what your trigger and thought are. Most often, the action is what leads you to the behavior of whatever it is that you're indulging in. Being aware of your triggers and thoughts is what will give you the power to change your behavior.

To make any shift in your life, you must become aware of this habit cycle. You have to create space between the trigger, the thought, and the action, meaning you have to become consciously and acutely aware of what's happening. 

In his book, Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl documented his experience of being imprisoned inside of the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz. He determined that, while we can't avoid suffering, we can always choose how we respond and find meaning.

Frankl once said, “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space, is our power to choose our response. In our response, lies our growth and our freedom.” 

Strategies To Break Bad Habits 

Below I've listed some tested and proven ways to break bad habits and replace them with good ones. You can implement any or all of these into your life.

1. Journaling

I highly recommend that you journal your thoughts daily. Journaling is a powerful way to connect with yourself on a deeper level. When you understand yourself better, you are better able to avoid triggers and make decisions that best serve your highest self.

2. Mindfulness Meditation 

The opposite of a habit is mindfulness.  Habits are automatic, meaning that you engage in them unconsciously. Conversely, mindfulness involves being acutely aware of your thoughts in the present moment, without judgment.

Without awareness, you can't change anything. I'm a big believer in the power of mindful meditation. When you are fully in the present moment and not reacting to the world around you, you become less attached to your thoughts. 

3. Wrong Thought Right Thought Exercise 

The next time that you have a negative thought, say out loud to yourself, “Wrong thought” and replace it with the right thought. By challenging your negative automatic thoughts, you'll change your internal dialogue, and in turn, your life.

4. Thank You/Goodbye Letter To Your Bad Habit

Thank your bad habit for what it provided you with, whether that was comfort, security, pleasure, or a sense of adventure. Acknowledge the positive attributes and the needs that your bad habit fulfilled.

Once you've done this, you want to remind your bad habit of all of the reasons why you are letting them go. Write the letter as if you're breaking up with your bad habit.

This is how to break bad habits & addictions.

Identifying which bad habits you are ready to break free from is the first step to overcoming them. Strive for progress, not perfection.

Making mistakes is a part of the journey that comes with breaking bad habits. Stick with the process and remember that when you change your habits, you change your life. 

Are you ready to raise your standards and master every area of life? CLICK HERE to join my monthly LIVE Life Master Accelerator program! 

Why do bad habits feel so good?

Whether it's eating junk food, smoking, playing video games, binging on Netflix shows, or incessantly scrolling on social media, the goal is usually to numb out and self-soothe.

Our brains are constantly bombarded by stimuli created to make us crave and consume. However, when these behaviors become automatic, we enter into the dangerous territory of self-sabotage.

The best way to break bad habits is to first become aware of them.

Keep reading to discover the 3 bad habits that are sabotaging your success and how you can stop these habits altogether.

Watch the video below:

(Click here to watch on YouTube)

[smart_track_player url=”https://www.buzzsprout.com/9299/8050468-plm-847-these-bad-habits-are-sabotaging-your-success.mp3″ background=”default” ]

Are you ready to build empowering habits that will help you create the success that you desire? CLICK HERE to join my Morning Ritual Mastery program!

What is a bad habit?

A bad habit is a frequent behavior pattern that you deem to have a negative impact on some aspect of your life. We all have bad habits. If you're ever tried breaking a bad habit you know how difficult and frustrating it can be. Habits (both good and bad) are formed through repetition until they become automatic behaviors.

Before you can change any behavior, you need to learn to recognize the automatic habits that rob you of your mental and emotional strength. Once you have that awareness, you need to commit to changing what is no longer working and replacing it with something that does.

When your habits no longer serve you and lead to bad outcomes, you know it's time to reboot your internal software. Let's face it – we can be our worst enemies. It's a lot easier to blame others or the external world for our circumstances in life. The truth of the matter is that we tend to be the one who sabotages our potential.

If you are someone who struggles with self-sabotaging behaviors, I want to help you change these disempowering mental scripts once and for all. Let's talk about 3 bad habits that are sabotaging your success.

Bad Habit #1 – Adopting An “I Know That” Mentality

The three most dangerous words in the human vocabulary are, “I know that.” When you speak these words you close off your mind from learning anything new. This way of thinking cripples your mindset and sabotages your ability to create success.

Here's how I see it… if you're not taking action on something that you know, then you don't know it. You've got to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new. This is why you must drop your ego, humble yourself and be a student of life.

The most successful people in the world commit to constant and never-ending improvement. As a result, they expose themselves to a world of new possibilities and opportunities.

When you drop the “I know that” mentality and adopt an attitude of curiosity, it drives you to discover who you are and what matters to you, rather than trying to merely impress others.

Bad Habit #2 – Settling For Mediocrity

I don't want to come to the end of my life and have a feeling of regret. A lot of people settle for mediocrity, whether it's in their job, relationships, or lifestyle choices.

They accept less, let their dreams fall by the wayside, and follow what everybody else is doing. In the words of Henry David Thoreau – “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” 

I don't know about you, but that's the last thing that I want to be written on my tombstone. I want to be remembered as someone who maximized their potential and lived life to the fullest. Do you?

Living a mediocre life takes a toll on one's mental and emotional health. In my opinion, this is no way to live.  I want to encourage you to NEVER settle for a life of mediocrity. Life is way too precious to play small. You have dreams, goals, and desires that deserve to be awakened and manifested. Dare to be different, carve your own path, and live life on your terms.

Bad Habit #3 – Being Indecisive 

The decisions that you make shape your entire life. Everything in your life exists because of the choices that you've made. If those choices have taken you down a road that no longer makes you happy, it's time to make different decisions.

People tend to be indecisive because they are terrified of making the wrong choice, for fear that they will fail. Guess what… there is no perfect decision. Sometimes making any decision is better than making no decision, as long as the choice you make is a healthy and empowering one.

Keep in mind that the big decisions aren't what change your life. Rather, it's the small decisions that you make each day. From what you put in your body, to the thoughts you think, to where you work, to the people with whom you surround yourself with.

When you commit to changing bad habits and replacing them with good ones, give yourself a small reward for doing so. This will help to reinforce your motivation and make the new habit habitual.

These 3 bad habits are sabotaging your success.

Knowing that you have bad habits isn't enough. That isn't what is going to change your life. It's only the first step to change. The next step is to take massive action.

The best way to break bad habits is to replace them with more empowering ones. To maximize your chance of succeeding with this, make sure that you avoid the triggers that cause the bad habits in the first place. More importantly, practice engaging in your new healthy habits every single day.

I'm not going to lie… breaking bad habits takes a lot of time, patience, and willpower. However, once you stop sabotaging yourself you'll attract more of what you want in life. When you change your habits, you begin the process of improving every area of your life. You can do this. Believe!

Are you ready to build empowering habits that will help you create the success that you desire? CLICK HERE to join my Morning Ritual Mastery program!

I want to share with you 5 steps to setting life-changing intentions. Are you feeling stuck or not sure how to achieve what you desire in life? If so, you need to start harnessing the power of intentions. Everything that happens in life begins with an intention. It is the starting point of every goal or dream.

An intention is a mental state that reflects a commitment to achieving an action in the future. In essence, it is the creative fuel that satisfies every one of our desires; whether that is for a loving relationship, more money, spiritual guidance, or best of all self-love. When you set an intention, you are utilizing the power of the Law of Attraction so that the Universe can work its magic.

Everything you need and desire is inside of you. Get out of your own way and learn how to tap into the finite potential that resides in you. In the words of Wayne Dyer, “By banishing doubt and trusting your intuitive feelings, you clear a space for the power of intention to flow through.” Are you ready to create the reality that you desire?

Do you want to learn how to create a morning ritual that will help you manifest your intentions? CLICK HERE to purchase my Morning Ritual Mastery course!

By setting intentions, you pave the way for success and happiness in your life. Here are 5 steps to setting life-changing intentions:

1. Create a Morning Ritual

Morning rituals are an amazing way to connect to your inner self and set your intentions for the day. Someone once said, “Some days I feel like I can conquer the world. Other days it takes me 3 hours to convince myself to have a shower.” Can you relate? If so, you aren't alone. Bad habits are hard to break, but if you want to be successful in life, you need to be consistent, because we are defined by what we do every day.

If you don't wake up every day feeling energized, passionate, and excited about your life, it's time to create a ritual. I am living proof that a morning ritual is one of the most powerful ways to manifest your intentions and transform your life. Research shows your mood in the morning affects your productivity all day (Cooper, 2016). When I take time every morning to honour myself and my needs, it sets the tone for how I feel for the rest of the day.

2. Surrender to Resistance

Many people associate surrendering with giving up, but it's actually the opposite. Control is rooted in fear. Nothing positive grows in that space. If you want to manifest your intentions, you need to surrender to what is and let go of control. Always remember that whatever you resist, persists.

Don't try to fight the Universe, because it always wins. Detach yourself from the outcome and find your flow in life. When you do, you will attract what you desire most. In the words of Mooji, “Surrender is not a weakness; it is a strength. It takes tremendous strength to surrender life to the supreme – to the cosmic unfolding.”

3. Think Less, Feel More

When you are too attached to your thoughts and ‘in your head', you aren't able to make authentic decisions from your heart. When you feel as if you have already manifested your intentions, that is when the real magic happens. Why? Because the Universe responds to your thoughts in conjunction with your feelings.

You will not experience true alignment until you listen to your heart. That is where the truth lies. Following your heart is the secret to a fulfilled life. In the words of Denise Linn, “Shift the focus from what you want to do, to how you want to feel.”

4. Get Clear and Be Specific

If you aren't clear and specific about what your intentions are, how do you expect to bring it into your reality? This is where a lot of people get stuck. Are you attracting what you want into your life? If not, you need to be more aware of your thoughts and tailor words in a more positive way. For example, the words, “I will” are more definite than “I hope to” (Schwartz, 2017). The first attracts what you will do, but the second keeps you hopeful.

Know what it is that you want and make a plan to achieve it. If you’re not attracting what you want into your life, you need to monitor your thoughts more and use more positive, affirming language. Clear intentions lead to clear results. The Universe responds the best to certainty.

5. Visualize

One of the best ways to manifest your intention is to visualize yourself actually already having what it is that you want. Psychologists and therapists highlight the importance of VAK — visuals, audio, and kinesthetic modalities — in shaping our mind (Nguyen, 2015). Visualization is a powerful intention-setting tool that helps us align with our purpose and create the life of our dreams. The power of the mind is beyond recognition. When you start to visualize what you want in your life, you begin to see the possibility of achieving it. It creates momentum and inspiration to take massive action. There is no better recipe for success.

I challenge you to follow these 5 steps to setting life-changing intentions. Anything of value in this world requires intention. Setting goals isn't enough. When you set intentions, it allows you to focus on and be in alignment with your values. Furthermore, it raises your emotional energy, which in turn raises your physical energy (Tabaka, 2016). If you want to master your life, commit to setting life-changing intentions. Your dreams will thank you for it.

Do you want to learn how to create a morning ritual that will help you manifest your intentions? CLICK HERE to purchase my Morning Ritual Mastery course!