I believe this approach can apply to any sort of habit that someone might wish to kick to the curb.

Sit down with pen & paper, you have two assignments!

#1 – Take 10 minutes (or longer) and explore a Pro vs. Con list, be honest with yourself and write anything down that comes to mind. The goal of this is to analyze (after you’re done of course) keywords that you notice. Explore how these words make you feel. Becoming more aware of your feelings about the subject will allow you to make new decisions on how you want to respond to them in the future.

#2 – Calculate your current habit, evaluate how much money you would save per week, per month, per year. Then begin brainstorming for fun and amazing things you can look forward to in your future. Start small…maybe you’d like to save up and buy dinner for someone special in your life, a new gadget, a new item of clothing. You can also think bigger…would the money savings equal a plane or train ticket somewhere in a year or so? Plan a trip! The reward system worked when you were a child and it will work again : )

Life is a crazy game of balancing everything. If you remove a bad habit, you need to replace it with a good habit. Take 20 minutes a day to work on a new hobby…drawing, painting, ceramics, knitting, an instrument, outdoor or indoor activity…anything. Before you know it you’ll be really good at something new. Good luck !