Many people struggle daily with overcoming bad habits and/or addictions.  This hits close to home for me, as I previously struggled with an addiction to marijuana.  Overcoming addiction is certainly not an easy task, but it is achievable if you follow the right steps.

OWN THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE AN ADDICTION/BAD HABIT

At first, you may not even be aware of what you’re doing.  However, once you become aware of what you’re doing and continue to do it, then it becomes a choice.  The following levels of consciousness explain this in more detail:

Levels of consciousness:

1. Unconscious incompetence – This is where you’re not aware that what you’re doing is a problem or something that you want to change.
2. Conscious incompetence – In this level, you start to become aware of what you’re doing and the fact that you’d like to change, but perhaps you don’t yet have all the resources necessary to do so.
3. Conscious competence – Here, you’re very aware of what you’re doing and are consciously making an effort to shift your identity and make a change.
4. Unconscious competence – In this state, you are taking the right actions and don’t even notice that you are doing so.  Your identity has been shifted so that it is simply a part of the new you.

Once you are aware of your behavior, ask yourself, “What is this costing me?  Who is this hurting?  How am I hurting myself?”  Project five years into the future.  If I’m still behaving this way in five years, what will that look like for me?  Is that the life I want to live?

DECIDE THAT YOU ARE DONE AND STICK WITH IT

In order to take that first step in the right direction, you must decide that you are DONE with your addiction/bad habit.  You cannot waiver.  You cannot decide you are done today and then pick it back up tomorrow.  Stand firm in your power and decide that you will not continue like this for one more day.

Of course, you are going to be tested by the universe.  You are going to be triggered, but if you are strong in your desire to change, you will respond appropriately.

SHIFT YOUR IDENTITY

Once you are able to recognize your addiction/bad habit and decide that you are done with it, you are creating a new identity for yourself.  Think about the person you want to be as a result of this new shift.  Ask yourself, “Who am I now and who do I need to become to reach the highest levels of myself?”  Surely your old identity was not in alignment with the ideal version of yourself.  Avoid counting the days of being sober—in doing so, you continually attach yourself to that old identity.  When you are living in your new identity, you are living in the unconscious competence level—where you are doing the right things simply because it is part of the new you.  The old ways of addiction and bad habits are a thing of the past and something that doesn’t even come up, because it has no alignment with your new self.

Remember, you have the power to change anything in your life, but you have to have the desire.  Perhaps you have uncovered enough pain associated with your behavior that is pushing you to make the shift.  Maybe someone special in your life can help to hold you accountable.  All of these are tools that work in your favor.  If you are able to shift your identity away from these addictions and bad habits, your whole world will shift right before your eyes.

TAKE ACTION

As you know, I’m a life coach and am trained to help people bridge the gap from where they are to where they want to be.  If you are struggling, I’d love to offer you a free 30-minute consultation.  For more info, email me at [email protected] or PM me on Instagram at @awakenedlifemovement.

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