One of the key things that can pretty much sabotage any chances of getting success are bad habits that hold you back.
We don't just mean bad habits like smoking or tailgating the car in front on the freeway.
We're talking about bad habits that can wreck your quality of life.
The first step into breaking any bad habit, is to admit there is a problem.
How did you get into the habit in the first place? Stress and boredom are the main culprits. You might put off making a decision because you're pushed for time, that turns into a habit of putting off decisions until the very last minute, which becomes procrastinating. Likewise, you might be bored and decide to get a bag of chips and eat them to pass the time. Before you know it, you're stopping off at the store en-route to wherever it is you're going, even though it's not boring anymore.
Next, cut out as many triggers for your bad habit as possible. If you travel home from work by bus or subway, and find you're always stressed by your daily commute – to the point where you stop off at a bar to “fortify” yourself and wait for the crowds to disperse – consider talking to your boss about flexitime so you can arrive and leave an hour earlier to beat the rush.
You can also substitute a good habit for your bad one. Following on from the example above, if you can't work flexitime, why not find a gym near your workplace and work out for an hour. It's a lot better for you than getting drunk. Likewise substitute fruit for chips.
Finally, visualize yourself succeeding at breaking your bad habit. Imagine how much better you'll feel waking up every morning without a hangover or how much better you'll feel when you've lost weight. The power of the mind is quite phenomenal.