It has often been said that to change your habits, you must really want to change. To quit smoking, you must want to quit. To lose weight, you must really want to follow your diet, etc.
However, I strongly disagree with that belief. I have worked with many clients who have made significant changes that they didn’t want to make.
Smokers who didn’t want to quit have done so anyway. Obese individuals have lost weight even though they didn’t want to eat less and exercise more.
What they wanted was the result of the change. They wanted to live longer, feel better, buy smaller clothes, be a good role model for their kids, or look good at the high school reunion.
So the question is not “What change do you want to make?” The better question is, “What changes are you willing to make to get the results you want?”
Are you willing to quit smoking in order to stop coughing and live long enough to know your grandchildren?
Are you willing to follow a sensible diet in order to fit in smaller clothes and look better?
Are you willing to exercise regularly in order to have more energy and sleep better?
All of us have lots of practice with this. Many of us don’t want to go to work every day, but we’re willing to because we want to be paid.
So, maybe you don’t want to rid yourself of that destructive habit. Nevertheless, are you willing to change in order to get results you want?