5 Ways To Give Up Improper Habits

I use the word “improper” because I hate using the word “bad”. Bad sounds evil or terrible, and some habits just aren’t that bad; they might be annoying but they are not bad. What improper habits do you have? We all have improper habits that we exhibit occasionally, especially with our spouse. For this particular article, I’m not talking about sins or addictions. I’m talking about the annoying little idiosyncrasies that we carry around on a daily basis that may or may not frustrate those we live with.

1. Identify Your Habits

First, identify your habits. If you’re not sure if you have any annoying habits, ask your spouse, I’m sure they will tell you. Maybe you leave the toilet seat up after using the restroom. Or, maybe you always have to be right in an argument. Or it could be that you leave your dirty laundry lying around the house, rather than putting it in the laundry basket. Maybe you like to put the medal to the pedal and drive too fast. Or, maybe you are compulsively late for appointments. You get the idea, right?

2. Write Down Habits

Headline your habit on an index card. Next write down a short statement to yourself on how you are not going to do that particular behavior anymore. Write something along the lines of, “Today I will not leave the toilet seat up. I will be considerate of my wife and daughters and put the toilet seat down for them”. Wherever your habit takes place, in the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, car, or work, take your index card with you and tape it up where you can see it during the day, so you can defeat it once and for all! Do this for one month and watch your habit go away for good.

3. Reward Yourself

For each annoying behavior you defeat, reward yourself with something you enjoy, whatever that may be. Just make sure that you do not reward yourself with something else that could turn improper later. Ah!

4. Don’t Accept Your Habits

The biggest reason we don’t try and change our behavior is we have accepted the habits as a part of who we are. But that’s not true. Habits are not “who we are” but rather “what we make ourselves be.” We choose to make ourselves the habits that we have. If we truly believe that we cannot stop doing a particular behavior then we won’t even try to eradicate it from our lives. It is up to the individuals to change themselves if they can acknowledge they have improper habits and behaviors then they can also choose to get rid of those things completely from their lives. We have choices.

5. Talk To Your Spouse

I cannot say enough how important it is to have additional support from the person we married. Let them know ahead of time the behaviors you are trying to conquer, and show them ways, in which they can help you. If your spouse is trying to break one of their habits, be encouraging and uplifting for them. If they slip try to not nag or rub it in their nose. Help them back up and tell them to not give up! Be there for your spouse!

Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)

Angie is the author of three marriage books offering marriage tips and wisdom filled answers tackling such issues as addiction, adultery, pornography, emotions, beliefs, feelings, marriage, children, forgiveness, communication, submission and spiritual influence in the home. **Love The Man You Married** is a great teaching tool for couples. Every Christian wife and husband should read this informative book on marriage. ISBN: 1411677501 **Love The Woman You Married**This is a great book on finding and putting to work your purpose for mariage, and understanding the aspects of submission and spiritual influence in the home. A wonderful teaching guide about how God designed marriage to be. Excellent resource for husband and wife to read together. ISBN 978-1-4303-0047-2 To preview these books go here: http://www.lulu.com/AngieLewis/ **Journey on the Roads Less Traveled** A Very inspirational book! Meet Jesus Through the Author's own spiritual journey. ISBN:1-4137-8890-4 Marriage Resources-http://www.heavenministries.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angie_Lewis

5 Questions to Get Your Mind Focused

Since this is the start of a new year, many people go through the "New Year's Resolution" drill that usually never makes it thru the month of February. To help those "Resolutioners" create a realistic goals list and a plan to achieve it, I thought I would provide the first step in "The Wise Grappler" Philosophy: Getting Your Mind Focused. I think this step is key because it will set the tone for whatever goals you want to achieve, whether they're martials arts training or life goals.

When you're "getting your mind right", you're asking yourself some questions that will give you an indication of whether you'll succeed or not. So, before you write down any goals that you want to accomplish during the year, you need to ask yourself these 5 questions to get your mind focused:

Question #1: What do you want to achieve this year and have a realistic chance of achieving? I'm not talking about an unreasonable wish list that you have no chance of achieving, but things that will bring immediate improvement to your lifestyle.

Question #2: Why do you want it? Why are you trying to achieve the thing you want and what's the motivation behind it? Are you doing it for yourself (your idea) or for someone else?

Question #3: How will it affect your life? What benefit will this goal bring to your lifestyle? Every thing that you focus on should add immediate benefit to your life once achieved.

Question #4: How determined are you to get it? How much do you really want to achieve the things you want? If your determination is weak, how do you expect to succeed?

Question #5: Are you REALLY going to do the work necessary to achieve the goal? Be honest with yourself, are you really going to put forth the effort to get what you want or is this another New Year's Resolution that will be gone by Valentine's Day?

If you can answer these questions, while being completely honest with yourself, you'll be on track to focus your mind on what you really want to accomplish this year. And be able to execute your plan more effectively to achieve your goals, this year and in the years to come.

(c) 2007 Paul M. Greenhill

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul M. Greenhill, "The Wise Grappler", is the creator of The Wise Grappler System and author of The Wise Grappler Ezine, a weekly ezine that provides martial arts training and personal development tips for the older (over 35) and non-traditional martial artists. To learn more about "The Wise Grappler" and to sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit his site at http://www.ihateyoungpunks.com or contact him at paul@thewisegrappler.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Greenhill

Kata-kata Bijak dari CEO Kelas Dunia

Takut akan kegagalan seharusnya tidak menjadi alasan untuk tidak mencoba sesuatu.

Kepemimpinan adalah Anda sendiri dan apa yang Anda lakukan.

Frederick Smith,
Pendiri Federal Express

**************************

Kejujuran adalah batu penjuru dari segala kesuksesan,
Pengakuan adalah motivasi terkuat.

Bahkan kritik dapat membangun rasa percaya diri saat "disisipkan" diantara pujian.

May Kay Ash,
Pendiri Kosmetik Mary Kay

**************************

Jika Anda dapat memimpikannya, Anda dapat melakukannnya.

Ingatlah, semua ini diawali dengan seekor tikus,
tanpa inspirasi.... kita akan binasa.

Walt Disney,
Pendiri Walt Disney Corporation

**************************

Uang merupakan hamba yang sangat baik, tetapi tuan yang sangat buruk.

P.T. Barnum,
Anggota Pendiri Sirkus Barnum & Bailey
**************************

Sumber kekuatan baru bukanlah uang yang berada dalam genggaman tangan beberapa orang, namun informasi di tangan orang banyak.

John Naisbitt,
Pemimpin Umum Naisbitt Group

**************************

Jenius adalah 1 % inspirasi dan 99 % keringat. Tidak ada yang dapat menggantikan kerja keras. Keberuntungan adalah sesuatu yang terjadi ketika kesempatan bertemu dengan kesiapan.

Thomas A. Edison,
Penemu dan Pediri Edison Electric Light Company

**************************

Ketika satu pintu tertutup, pintu lain terbuka; namun terkadang kita melihat dan menyesali pintu tertutup tersebut terlalu lama hingga kita tidak melihat pintu lain yang telah terbuka.

Alexander Graham Bell,
Penemu dan Mantan Presiden National Geographic Society

**************************

Jangan biarkan jati diri menyatu dengan pekerjaan Anda.

Jika pekerjaan Anda lenyap, jati diri Anda tidak akan pernah hilang.

Gordon Van Sauter,
Mantan Presiden CBS News

**************************

Hari ini Anda adalah orang yang sama dengan Anda di lima tahun mendatang, kecuali dua hal : orang-orang di sekeliling Anda dan buku-buku yang Anda baca.

Charles "Tremendeous" Jones,
Presiden Life Management Services, Inc.

**************************

Yang terpenting dalam Olimpiade bukanlah kemenangan, tetapi keikutsertaan ...

Yang terpenting dari kehidupan bukanlah kemenangan namun bagaimana bertanding dengan baik.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin,
Pendiri & Presiden pertama Komite Olimpiade
International