Why?

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Having identified some bad habits (as well as what personality traits enable them), you can begin the work of changing those habits. An important part of changing your habits is to clarify your goals during this process - basically, answering the question: "Why do you want to change?"

Many people decide they want to change their life without really considering the reasons why. This is why New Years' resolutions go unfulfilled: deciding to change is not enough by itself. Rather, one needs to have motivation not only to let go of past behaviors, but also a goal in mind to strive toward in establishing new behaviors.

If you struggle to answer the question of WHY, consider these possible reasons:

- This habit is holding me back academically - I am unable to get good grades because of this habit.
- This habit is holding me back in terms of time - I am always late and/or never have enough time to get work done.
- This habit is holding me back in terms of wellness - I feel physically unwell and/or am not sleeping enough.
- This habit is holding me back socially - I feel isolated or alienated because of this habit.
- This habit is holding me back professionally - I am unable to achieve my professional goals because of this habit.
- This habit is holding me back mentally - I am unable to concentrate or follow through on a task.

These are just some of the reasons you might want to change your habits; replace these statements with reasons from your own life.

Now, consider what you would like to have happen instead - identify a goal to work toward in creating new behaviors. What would it look like to be where you want to be academically, time-wise, wellness-wise, socially, professionally, or mentally? How will you know when you've achieved what you want to achieve?

Having a specific goal in mind will help you feel that much more accomplished when you begin replacing your destructive habits with constructive ones!