Have you ever wanted to change a habit yet just seemed unable to break the pattern. Well just about everyone has so you're not alone nor are you simply too weak willed.

There are innumerable reasons why changing a habit can seem so difficult. Stress response, anchored situations and stimulus are just three possible stumbling blocks to successful habit change.

I want to teach you a simple way to help you finally break the pattern of old redundant habits.

The first thing to do is make a decision. Do you really want to change the habit or are you holding onto it at an unconscious level. What could be the possible gain of keeping the habit? Is it like an old friend so familiar you're kind of comfortable with it in some way? If it really doesn't hurt you or any one else you may choose to keep it. You may choose to get comfortable with it and assign it to harmless idiosyncrasy. Or you may decide that you are really fed up with it and want to be free to make more choices about your behaviour. In many cases it is not the habit itself that is annoying but the feeling that we have no choice.

The first step to change is really deciding that you want change. When you are really certain you want change, then change is just a matter of time and a little NLP hypnotic brain re-wiring!

Ask yourself these questions:
Do I really want to change this habit or modify it?
What need does this habit meet?
What other behaviour would meet that need?
What resources do I all ready have to make the change?
What internal or external resources will I need to discover?
What might changing this habit mean to me and everything else in my life both positively and negatively?

When you have answered those questions to your utter satisfaction you can begin to build new habits and behaviours using the tools of NLP and hypnosis.
In my next article (part 2) I will tell you how!

Author's Bio: 

Matthew A. Ferguson SQHP (Clinical hypnotherapist, Trainer of Hypnotherapy and NLP, Stress Consultant and Motivation Coach) – author of The Motivation Method to Stress Management with Positive Motivation. Matthew runs a training school based in Scotland teaching Hypnotherapy, NLP and Coaching to learn more visit www.motivationtraining.co.uk.