An Eleven-Step Program

Dr. Stan O’Dell, professor of psychology at the University of Mississippi, suggests the following ingredients in the breaking of bad habits: 1. Make sure the change is for you, not to please someone else. Resolutions that are made to please a spouse, friend, or parent rarely succeed.

2. Make a list of the reasons why you want to change. 1 Summarized in a news clipping in my files. 3.

Be firm, but don’t expect too much too soon. Break down your goal into small steps. 4. Announce your plan.

Make a public commitment to it. 5. Make the old habit as unpleasant or inconvenient as possible, while making the new habit easy to achieve. 6.

Plan strategies for special situations, and have a backup plan ready in case you slip. 7. Recruit help from friends. Promising to meet a friend at exercise class makes you less likely to skip class.

8. Consult an expert if necessary. Such serious problems as alcoholism, smoking, or drug abuse often require professional help. 9.

Reward yourself for small successes. 10. Hold on for ninety days-the average time it takes to establish a new habit. 11.

Once you have established the habit, take it a day at a time. Don’t panic if you have an off day; just be sure to get right back in your routine the next day.