Some may think that this is a cruel and narrow-minded approach. In the short run, this may be a difficult concept to embrace. But if you have an addictive habit and really want success, you will need to make a clean break with it. The amazing thing is that in the long run, committing to an immediate change is actually the easiest approach. We actually have the capacity to choose what we will enjoy. If we habitually engage in certain behaviors, especially if they give us some reward (such as better health or increased feelings of satisfaction), we will tend to develop an enjoyment for those new habits; that is, we free ourselves to develop new enjoyments and new behaviors. If, however, we "reward" ourselves with the "bad habit" periodically, as some people advocate, we undermine our ability to develop enjoyment for a lifestyle that is free of that agent.
Let us draw another lesson from the person with a chocolate addiction. That individual may break free from daily use of chocolate and experience a loss in weight, better control of blood sugar, and may feel better as a result. However, if a "reward" of chocolate is taken once a month, the stage is set for a downfall. Although the individual may still lose weight and improve diabetes control on the once-a-month chocolate regimen, freedom from the addiction of chocolate has not been attained. The desire for chocolate is being kept alive--and may even be increased, giving rise to feelings of a deep, distressing sense of deprivation. In most cases, sooner or later this individual will be back to the former level of consumption--or worse. If, however, chocolate is permanently abandoned and the thoughts directed toward the joy of being free of the substance, the chocolate element in life would not be missed. The taste buds actually become re-educated and the desire is gone.
Even if you are not dealing with an addictive substance, a complete rejection of it is the best strategy. Consider, for example, the person who realizes that the consumption of red meat is contributing to high cholesterol and heart problems. Let us say that there was no element of compulsion in this individual's eating habits. A small piece of steak, pork, or lamb is satisfying. Nonetheless, this person comes to the conviction that even small amounts of red meat are making certain health problems worse. It will usually be easier to cut out red meat completely, rather than to cut down.
I could give one hundred more examples to illustrate that breaking it clean will dramatically increase the likelihood of your success. At this point, some of you may be saying that it sounds good but it will not work for my problem. Maybe your worst habit is overeating--surely, you reason, you cannot stop this habit suddenly. In problems like this, I recommend that you look carefully at your lifestyle and make a change in some aspect of the behavior. For example, the overeater may have no problem with overeating at breakfast or overeating vegetables at lunch or supper. He may have a problem, however, with desserts after supper. Perhaps a complete break should be made with desserts.
The premise of this chapter is that we need to take a lesson from classic addictions and apply it not only to the obvious addictions in our lives but to other habits that need changing. Those who are dealing with smoking, alcohol, caffeine, or addictive drugs are probably well aware that they need to stop these habits entirely. However, the same applies to other areas of addiction and habit--accepting the need to make a clean break can free you from the cycle of making and breaking your firmest resolutions once and for all.
