This short post challenges a few common understandings of human behavior. Is it better to change one bad habit at a time and use a stepwise approach? To answer these questions let me explain by example.
If somebody has the bad habit of not turning the light off will this habit flow over to failure in turning off other bad habits?
My answer is yes as the trend gains momentum over time.
Humans have many bad habits and if we remove one bad habit at a time we allow other bad habits to emerge and for old bad habits to become rooted. We lose on both sides.
A relevant analogy that I can think of is weeds in the soil. The bad habits are the harmful weeds. The soil is we- the owners of these bad habits.
The fresher the weeds are the easier it shall be to uproot them. If we allow the weeds of bad habits to stay for long they shall be hard to remove them from their roots. Wet soils are not compacted, so removing weeds from them becomes easier. It is the same with the weeds of bad habits. Irrigate yourself with the desire to remove bad habits as soon as possible.
Remember that not removing all weeds from their roots allow remaining weeds enough time to regrow. It is easier to remove small weeds than big ones. Remove the weeds of your bad habits when they are still delicate.
The big questions are should we remove habits gradually so that we allow them enough time to sprout and grow? Is it then a better choice to have the determination and eradicate bad habits at one time?
For example, is gradual smoke quitting better than quitting abruptly?
Please share your thoughts.