Defining Habits

The definition of the word habit, according to Merriam-Webster, is “a usual way of behaving: something that a person does often in a regular and repeated way.” In the American Journal of Psychology it is defined as “a more or less fixed way of thinking, willing, or feeling acquired through previous repetition of a mental experience. Habitual behavior often goes unnoticed in persons exhibiting it, because a person does not need to engage in self-analysis when undertaking routine tasks.”

You see, that negative practice that you go back to again and again isn’t merely a quirk, a tic, or an occasional blip on your emotional-psychological radar screen. In many cases it’s as much a part of you by now as your hair color—although at least that’s easy to change. Think of your negative behavior as a semipermanent tattoo, one that is stuck on your skin but not etched into your body. You can get rid of it, but it will take some work.