The CEO Code

Stopping Habits

When you want to change a habit or stop doing something that you currently do habitually, you should start with some analysis. You first have to figure out what need that habit is fulfilling. This need will crave to be fulfilled another way or to be replaced with a more attractive solution and reward. A simple illustration is smoking. Smoking becomes addictive because it causes a chemical reaction in the brain that gives the smoker a good feeling or a boost in energy. The emotional benefit is similar to drinking coffee or eating chocolate. Additionally, a smoker will develop certain behavioral patterns that, in time, actually change the memory pathways. Often smokers light up after a meal, when they get in a car, or when they ...