Break bad habits with the "one less" technique

There is no point in quitting, or trying to quit something that you don’t really have the desire or willpower to quit, according Aaron Hoopes, author of Perfecting Ourselves: Coordinating Body, Mind & Spirit. "Dependency is a tough adversary. Instead of trying to quit entirely, try a minor shift in attitude from indulging in excess to practicing moderation. Let it put you in motion on a path in the right direction rather than be a process by which failure is almost assured."

Have a bad habit you want to break? Try his "One Less" techinque:

One Less: Regardless of what negative lifestyle pattern is affecting your body, tomorrow see if you can do one less than usual. For example, if you smoke twenty cigarettes a day, tomorrow smoke nineteen. If you have three martinis with dinner, tomorrow have two. If you eat ten cookies at a time, tomorrow eat nine. Whatever it is, tomorrow do one less than today (or if you need to, one less this week or month than last week or month). Whatever the behavior, don’t think of it as “wrong” but simply as an excess with harmful effects.

Moderation is the key, and moderate behavior is soon rewarded by a healthier feeling in the body. As the body feels healthier, your behavior will naturally evolve. But the initial step is moderation. Don’t try to quit something you have no ability to quit. That will just stir more resistance. If you enjoy it, do it. Eventually, if you are genuinely sincere, you will reach a point where it doesn’t have a hold on you anymore and you can leave it behind. Until that time don’t stress about it.