Nearly everyone has an old habit that just won't go away for good-anything from spending too many hours online, to spending too much money on QVC or eBay, to eating huge portions of ice cream any time the world seems stressful, to taking an extra pain pill because, well, why feel pain? Big or small, some of these habits can be very destructive and public; others can be equally devastating but easier to shield from view. Public or private, as we all know through painful experience, changing an old habit is no easy business-even wanting to do it can be difficult! We all feel so good when we can avoid what we know we shouldn't do: we've worked so hard. But why isn't that enough? Shouldn't it be? The general statistic says that over 90 percent of people relapse within a year of breaking an old habit. If that's true, we need to look at a new model for success: one that accounts for more than the effort involved (and we can be pretty good, many of us, at getting that far ... ); we need one that accounts for doing it for the rest of your life.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Changing Old Habits for Good is the whole package-from separating good habits from bad, evaluating the risks and benefits (and yes, those cozy old habits can have their good sides), preparing yourself for change, and doing it-for good. It offers meaningful, hands-on strategies that anyone dealing with any behavioural issues can use.