Breaking Deadly Habits: A 21-Day Journey to Transformation – Part 2
Welcome back to the second leg of our 21-day journey. By now, you’ve made a start on identifying the habits you want to change and the good habits you want to establish. The next steps are about continuing this work and creating a sustainable routine that leads to transformation.
Building Positive Habits Through Substitution
One of the most effective ways to replace a bad habit is to substitute it with a positive one. Habits, whether good or bad, are formed by repetition. To interrupt a negative cycle, you need a go-to replacement ready for those moments of temptation.
Think of common habits like smoking, stress eating, or procrastination. These are often driven by triggers like stress, boredom, or even habit loops. Rather than forcing yourself to simply stop, aim to replace the behaviour with a healthier action.
For example:
Bad habit: Smoking or chewing on unhealthy snacks
Substitutes: Chew a piece of gum, eat some fruit, or drink water.
Bad habit: Stress or boredom eating
Substitutes: Go for a short walk, try a mindfulness exercise, or play with something in your hands.
Bad habit: Procrastinating with screens
Substitutes: Do a quick physical activity, tackle a small and manageable task, or meditate.
The key is preparation—have these alternatives planned and ready so you don’t rely on willpower in the heat of the moment.
Recognising Triggers
By now, you should have identified some of the triggers for your bad habits in the first part of the journey. Triggers can be emotional, environmental, or even tied to specific people. In this part of the journey, focus on finding ways to either avoid these triggers or address them head-on with healthier responses.
Emotional triggers: If you feel stress or anxiety, try mindfulness techniques or deep breathing exercises.
Environmental triggers: Rearrange your space to remove temptation—like keeping junk food out of the house or working in a distraction-free zone.
Social triggers: Surround yourself with people who encourage positive change.
Today’s Exercise:
Use the lists you made in Part 1, and for each bad habit, write a few substitute options next to it. For example:
Bad habit: Watching series first thing in the morning
Substitute: Exercising, meditating, mindfulness exercises
Bad habit: Snacking late at night
Substitute: Drinking a glass of water, journaling, or going to bed earlier
By implementing these substitutes, you’ll gradually rewire your brain to adopt the positive habits you’ve chosen.
Strengthening Your Faith in the Process
As you work through this final phase, remember that this is not just about breaking habits but about transforming your life into one that reflects God’s purpose for you.
When things get tough, turn to Him for guidance and strength.
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” — 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
This journey is not about perfection but persistence. You may stumble, and that’s okay. What matters is that you keep going.
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