The first of the 5 heads of the dragon represents the behavioral triggers that have become associated with our using. For a smoker, some common behavioral triggers are pouring a coffee, starting the car, answering the phone, and finishing a meal. We use the letters BE to represent that connection between wanting to use and the BE-havioral that triggered it.
It’s important to note that replacement medication (nicotine patches, gum, etc., for the smoker) will not make your coffee cup stop reminding you that you smoked while you drank coffee in the past. A chemical (medicine) won’t resolve a behavioral trigger. When all is said and done, we need to change our habits, and perhaps more importantly, change our minds.
To use the example of smoking again, that coffee cup we’re holding may have a dozen or more tiny, but distinct chemical rewards “attached” to it – one chemical reward for each puff we took while having that coffee. You can certainly see how some of these behavioral triggers become to persistent.
Identify your behavioral triggers – those things you do while you use. Recognizing them and being willing to change some routines will really help you regain your freedom.
TO DO TODAY: Let’s agree that a behavior can’t “make” us use. Let’s be bigger than the trigger.
PLEASE COMMENT: What are your most noticeable behavioral triggers – things you do while you use? How might you be able to rearrange some of those habits and routines to make the association weaker?
#BEsochemps http://ow.ly/i/tSQGm
See Also:
This morning I came to the desk where I sit when working from home. As I internally expressed gratitude that my work is continuing, I looked at the small fleet of mobile phones plugged into their various charging cables and the “easy” button which I use to celebrate various tasks I accomplish. The subject of […]
Gratitude: Ready, Set, Recharge! Read More »
When we ignore the lesson offered to us by a setback, we choose to fail. Searching for the tip at the scene of a slip, or in the wake of a mistake, is a move that winners make. Building the habit of expecting and detecting the clues changes everything!
Thinking about quitting smoking? Not quite sure where to begin? This idea always helps, whether you’re a heavy smoker, light smoker, or social smoker. Four quick questions and a pencil will not only bring you some important information to help you quit, but the collection of data will actually move you closer to your freedom.
Trying to Change? Try TAMI! Read More »
Yes, we shall, or at very least we should! I know that I’m supposed to dance today. When I opened my yogurt container, inside the lid was printed “Dance in the mirror.” Now, I’m not saying that I always listen to my food or my food containers, but that advice sounded sage to me. So the next
On May 13, 1918 the United States Postal Service issued it’s very first Air Mail stamp. For 24 cents you could send a piece of mail by airplane, which was significantly faster than the “pony express.” One batch of those famous stamps became infamous because the image of the biplane printed in blue ink inside
Habits don’t always “just happen!” Some habits need to be built. When it comes to building habits, I think that B J Fogg is a genius and he has a way of making the process pretty simple to understand. (Yes, I’ve written and talked about him countless times. Maybe he’s habit-forming!?) Fogg points out that Tiny
Today I just wanted to share a few quotes and images for my brave friends who aspire to do things others sadly don’t try. Some just settle and watch while others dare to fly. May these quotes remind you or inspire you as you strive to be more, do more, love more, try more, even
Thousands of texts, dozens of faces, various groups, several places – each week I share and often the topic is change in some way shape or form. I want to be sure that when I talk about change, people don’t hear me saying “snap out of it” (and I’m never saying “man up,” but that’s
No matter what happened yesterday what you do today will change tomorrow. #QuickQuote #PrettyPic
Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow Read More »
If you’re trying to build habits, I have two bits of advice: 1.) Start TINY Tiny habits are the building blocks of days and years and lifetimes. I never fully appreciated the power of tiny habits until I heard B J Fogg talk and teach on the subject. I wholeheartedly recommend his Tiny Habits method
What Does Your New Habit Smell Like? Read More »
This morning a curious quote came to mind after I had spent a couple moments observing the bleeding hearts* in my garden. It’s actually a line from Leonard Cohen’s “Anthem.” “There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” So I am not sure if or how
There is a Crack in Everything Read More »
The things I THINKdetermine how I FEELwhich influences how I ACTwhat I will or won’t DOand ultimately determine who I am. Download the worksheet here: LawOfTheFunnel The order is easy to remember; it starts with a 5 letter word, followed by a 4 letter word, a 3 letter word, a 2 letter word and a 1
The Universal Law of the Funnel Read More »
It may be true that the inventor of what we now call the Post-It note actually failed at their attempt to make a tough, permanent adhesive. The not-so-tough, temporary adhesive they ended up with gave birth to the repositionable note. I’ve long been a fan of the colored rectangles that allow me to jot a
Sticky Notes For the Win Read More »
Our days and nights are filled with small actions which we perform routinely, often without conscious thought. Those little bits of life are often the drivers which keep us moving, learning, living, and earning. So much of life consists of tiny habits! If there are aspects of our lives that we want to change, we really
BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits Bring BIG Changes Read More »
“Perfection is no small thing, but it is made up of small things.”~Michelangelo (NOTE: – I actually think that in most instances, “perfection” is really a myth. But that’s a story for another day.) Were I to speak for Michelangelo (How dare I?!) I’d feel comfortable replacing the word ‘perfection’ with ‘lasting change’ or ‘success’
Big Fan of Small Things Read More »
