Bad habits--you can break them in a few days! Try this five-step plan to mastering your habits before they master you.

We are all creatures of habit. Your habits affect who you are. We first make our habits, and then our habits make--or break--us. Change your habits, and you change your life. Habit is like a cable. We weave a strand of it every day, until it is extremely difficult to break. In the end, our habits become either the best of servants ... or the worst of masters.

A habit is defined as an involuntary pattern of behavior or practice, usually acquired by frequent repetition. Not all habits are wrong or undesirable. In fact, most habits are good. We dress in the morning, tie our shoes, and write our names, not out of focused concentration, but through the ease of habit. Some habits, however, are annoying and undesirable--even downright self-destructive--ranging from nervous mannerisms and certain speech aberrations to smoking and overeating.

If you have an undesirable habit you'd like to break, don't despair. You can put an end to your most troublesome habits, including anxiety, negative thinking, compulsive eating, constant throat-clearing, knuckle-cracking, fingernail-biting, nervous tics, smoking, and even habitual physical or spiritual laziness, in much less time than you ever imagined--sometimes in a matter of days--and in most cases you can do it on your own.

Each year millions of dollars are spent needlessly by people seeking to break undesirable habits. There are innumerable books, tapes, counselors, and psychologists all ready to give you advice ... and take your money. However, with a well-thought-out plan and a little persistence, you can break your own bad habits just as surely as you formed them.

The following five-step program will help you put an end to your compulsive habits once and for all.

1. Recognize and Isolate Your Old Habits.

Your primary hurdle in overcoming your nervous habit is in recognizing it and admitting that it exists. "Original awareness" is a prerequisite. You will not overcome a habit until you first become aware of it. Just being mindful of it helps you to stop doing it. In a small notebook, jot down the habits you want to change, and analyze them. Once you do this, you have done the hardest part. Next, stop rationalizing. Ask yourself, Do I really need this habit? Is it annoying or bothersome to others? Does it affect my health, wealth, well-being, or peace of mind? How much better off would I be without it? Once you've made your list, prioritize--pick one bad habit to work on first.

A long list of habits to overcome, such as negative self-talk, smoking, unhealthy eating, and not exercising may be too demanding to tackle all at once. You probably didn't form your habits overnight, so don't be too hard on yourself if you do not break them overnight. The key is consistency. Keep at it until you feel you have made progress; then move on to the next habit.

Troublesome habits often "kick in" during times of high stress or worry. Be mindful that low self-esteem can lead to a vicious circle of self-pity and an "Oh, what's the use?" feeling. Breaking habits often takes time, diligence, and self-discipline; in other words, practice. But it is well worth the effort and is a great character developer.

2. Devise a Replacement Action.

Consciously choosing to replace the thing you know you shouldn't do with a practice that is good for you can change everything. Apply a well-thought-out strategy.

Annoying habits are often a release for nervous tensions. Men, if you're a knuckle-cracker, carry a small rubber ball--or even imagine you have one--and exercise your grip instead. Women, if you're a hair-puller, carry a brush and brush your hair each time you get the hair-pulling or twisting urge. A nail-biter should learn to substitute clipping or filing his or her nails rather than biting. A negative thinker should catch himself or herself and consciously replace that negative thought with a positive one. Smokers can find several over-the-counter aids and a little willpower to replace the nicotine habit. A brisk walk is an ideal substitute when you feel "the craving," because it is better for not only your health, but your pocketbook as well.

Exercise is important. At the very least, give yourself five to 10 minutes a day of stretching and organized movement that includes breathing deeply. Exercise is a great tool to help you break difficult habits and makes you feel better about yourself. As you become healthier and fitter, you'll also become more productive, able to deal with stress better, and less likely to fall back into those old annoying habits.

A creative replacement hobby that allows you to express yourself through developing a new talent, playing music, writing books or articles, painting, drawing, acting, or finding new ways of helping others can be a welcome and refreshing diversion.

It takes time and consistent commitment to accomplish your goals. The first few times you choose the alternative positive habit may seem difficult and unnatural, but with your heightened sense of awareness you'll see that it gets easier and becomes a new part of who you are.

3. Use Habit Monitors.

Habit monitors are necessary to keep you on the "straight and narrow", lest you slip comfortably back into your old accustomed ways. An unpleasant habit is first a caller, then a guest, and finally a master ... unless you first master it. Examine yourself regularly.

Bring your habit out of the closet. Try to see yourself as others see you, especially when engaged in your nervous habit. Increase your awareness of it by acting it out in front of a mirror. Exaggerate it and see its ridiculousness. Mark Twain once humorously perceived, "The regularity of a habit is generally in proportion to its absurdity."

Give yourself five to 10 minutes' time each day to reflect on the day, relationships, and your progress in overcoming that bothersome habit. Try to keep track of how many times during the day you fall into your habit. What kinds of situations seem to bring it out? Sometimes we need outside help. A strategically placed video camera can be a real revelation!

If you don't mind involving others, advise your fellow workers and family that you are attempting to break your nervous habit. Ask them to remind you when they catch you falling into your habit. And when they do, don't get annoyed. They are only doing the favor you asked them to do. Your children are excellent habit monitors, especially if you offer them a small reward for "catching" you at your habit. Visualize your success while practicing your new skills. If you take yourself seriously and remain committed, you will make these needed changes.

4. Seek Wise Counsel.

In difficult cases, seek the advice and help of others who have overcome the same habit you wish to overcome. Your local library can be your best friend. Occasionally a psychologically damaging habit may even require professional help, but you will be surprised at how many habits you can change yourself by the implementation of this five-step program.

Most of all, be sure to seek divine counsel. Be assured you can break any habit with God's help. "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God" (Luke 18:27). The Bible tells us, "In the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14). We are also reminded in 2 Timothy 1:7 that "God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." Corrie Ten Boom once asked, "Is prayer your steering wheel ... or your spare tire?" In other words, do you use prayer to guide your life, or only for emergency situations? The prayer that can move mountains can also quench that bad habit.

5. Start Today.

Begin where you are, but don't stay where you are. Don't be like the man who said, "I must do something about procrastination ... someday." Procrastination is the fertilizer that makes difficulties grow. Delay only reinforces the undesirable habit. You can change a habit easier today than tomorrow--so why wait?

Be balanced and realistic. Give yourself positive pep talks and be encouraged, but don't press yourself so hard that you become distressed about it. Relaxation will go a long way to help you put an end to a nervous habit. When you are too keyed up, your latent habit takes over; so learn to do some meditation, deep breathing, or exercise when you begin to feel uptight about something. A restroom break where you can do some nonconspicuous isometric exercises is just the ticket for some. Form good habits; they're as hard to break as bad ones.

Jot these points down on a three-by-five card and carry them around with you. Refer to them often. Master these habits, and you will master your life. Master your life, and you will master your future.

Lloyd W. Cary writes on health issues from Holgate, Ohio.