Tricks to break bad habits

First ask yourself some questions

You've got to have a reason to change so you can look for reduction of negatives (eg stopping smoking - the effects) but better to use a carrot and look for positives!

1. What will you do instead?

Quit! Stop! Control! If there’s something you really want to remember about this post, it’s the idea that you should turn a negative worded goal of “quitting something” into a positive one. I’ll give a few tips on how do to it, but you are flying solo here, and gut feelings will be your guide.
Let’s make a specific example: how could you turn the negative worded goal of “Quit smoking” into a positive one?

• Look for positive consequences. Any habit change opens up new possibilities. Let’s forget for a moment the health benefits you get when you quit smoking: you’ve probably heard them a million times… If you are short on cash, when you stop smoking you’ll suddenly increase your pocket money: is there something you’d love buying with such money? For me, the goal could be: “I’ll buy myself a luxury breakfast everyday with the money I was previously using for purchasing cigarettes!”
• Look for mutually exclusive activities. Sometime if you choose to do something new, and then stick to it, you became practically unable to engage in your old bad habit. For example, it is difficult to smoke a lot when you are preparing for a marathon.
• Go nuts! Have fun thinking of weird and interesting things you could do instead of smoking cigarettes. For example: “When I feel like smoking a cigarette I’ll have a sexual fantasy instead!”

2. Do you really want to change?

I have a confession to make: sometimes I complain about something even if I don’t really want to change it.
I guess it’s a way to release stress, and I accept it, even if I don’t particularly like it.
What about you? Have you really decided to change? If the answer is no, praise yourself for your ability to have such a deep insight about yourself, and buy a little treat. On the other hand, if you really want to change, get ready to answer the next question.

3. Is now the right time?

You’ve heard it many times. I’ll tell you once again. It’s important to focus only on one habit change at a time, so if you have too much on your plate right now, you might want to wait before introducing new challenges.

4. What’s in it for you?

Successful habit change requires a strong motivation.
The best way to fire up you desire to change, is having a full picture of all the positive things you are bringing into your life, and of all of the negative ones you are moving away from.
In short, you can answer the fourth question by writing down two separate lists: “Good things I move forward to”, “Bad thing’s I get away from.”
The trick here is to make sure that all of your personality has a say in writing those two lists: you don’t want to approach change only with a parental attitude “I should be doing…”, or in a purely logical fashion “smoking is detrimental to my health, hence I quit”.
Follow the steps below and you’ll make sure that nothing is left behind.

• Put a piece of paper in front of you and write down: “Good things I move forward to.” What would be those good things for your parents?
• Keeping the focus on good things, consider all of the objective information you have on your habit change, and write down all of the benefits that such change will bring.
• Imagine explaining the advantages of your habit change to an intelligent 8 years old child. Write down simple worded benefits which could be attractive and understandable to a little boy.
• Now repeat the same process with the “Bad things I move away from.”
• You’ve done it all: it’s time to celebrate!

Read more here...

Also here are a fantastic 20 tricks to get rid of a bad habit.... 

1. Commit for a Month. Thirty days is all you need to make a habit change permanent. Less time than that and the new alternative might not be hardwired into your brain. More time and any failures to last are usually a failure of strategy, not duration.this of course is what this blog is all about....
2. Replace What You Lose. Your habits fulfill needs. When you suddenly cause a change, you may inadvertently cut them out. Before you make a change, write down all the benefits you currently get from your bad habit and make sure they are retained going into the new habit.This is the carrot approach.
3. Start Small . Changing habits isn’’t a matter of willpower, but patience and strategy. Don’’t expect to overhaul your diet, exercise or thinking patterns in a day. Tackle one habit at a time.Loads of resources here on this blog about small changes, look for DAILY HABITS or IMPROVE YOUR LIFE
4. Know the Benefits. Get clear in your mind what the benefits are of making a change. If making a change rationally seems good but it doesn’’t feel good, it won’’t stick. Emotions have more power than many of us realize.
5. Write it Down . Winston Churchill once said, ““Plans are useless, planning is invaluable.”” Writing out any commitments you make will give you clarity both to what you desire and how you intend to do it. Make them SMART
6. Swish. A technique from NLP. Visualize yourself performing the bad habit. Next visualize yourself pushing aside the bad habit and performing an alternative. Finally, end that sequence with an image of yourself in a highly positive state. See yourself picking up the cigarette, see yourself putting it down and snapping your fingers, finally visualize yourself running and breathing free. Do it a few times until you automatically go through the pattern before executing the old habit.
7. Tell a Friend . Get some leverage on yourself. Tell a friend your plan so you will be more likely to commit to the change. Maybe even share the adoption of the good habit - which is, in effect, dropping the bad habit
8. Make it an Experiment. Be a scientist. Just try the new habit to see what it will be like, rather than a great emotional struggle. This will help keep you focused on conditioning the trial and allow you to view results with less bias.
9. If at First You Don’’t Succeed… Most big changes aren’’t going to happen the first time. It took me three attempts before I finally stuck on with exercising regularly. Now I love it. Don’’t be too hard on yourself if you fail the first time; just tweak your approach and go again.
10. Get Out of Hazard Zones. Get yourself out of situations that can trigger your old habit. Remove junk food from your house. Don’’t go to places where you might break your budget. This isn’’t always possible, but do your best to avoid temptation.
11. Use “But”. A prominent habit-changing therapist once told me this great technique for changing bad thought patterns. When you start to think negative thoughts, use the word “”but”” to interrupt it. “”I’’m no good at this, but, if I work at it I might get better later.””
12. Know the Pain. Feel what will happen to you if you don’t make a change. Use your imagination to enhance the image of your results should you do nothing.
13. Add Role Models. Start spending more time with people who live the way you want to live. Join groups and find mentors who have already adapted the habits you want to take on. They can be invaluable in giving you the positive reinforcement and guidance you need.
14. Stay Consistent . Try to keep as many aspects of your habit in control when conditioning to make the associations stronger. For the first month don’’t just exercise a few times a week, but every day. Do things at the same time and in the same pattern to ensure your results stick.
15. Keep it Simple Stupid!. Habits should be one or two rules, not 20. If your plan looks like a User License Agreement from Microsoft, it’’s probably too long. Keep changes simple so they will be easier to adhere to.
16. Remind Yourself. Put reminders of your habit around you. After spending a few years changing many habits, I’’ve learned that one of the biggest ways I’’ve failed is simply a poor memory. Forgetting to run a trial one day leads to two until your back where you started. Put up Post-It notes, affirmations or whatever you need to stay consistent.
17. Motivate Yourself. Get the motivation when things get tough. Check out 20 Motivation Hacks for some good ways to do that.
18. Break Down Your Goals. Use habits to get your goals. Break down your goal to be wealthy into habits of investing, frugality and entrepreneurship. One small step at a time
19. Don’’t Strive for Perfection. Focus on the habits that are important and minimize those that aren’’t. I’’ve changed many major habits, but I’’ve also learned to let minor problems exist if they distract me from the bigger picture.
20. Do it Now. Waiting for life? The best way to learn how to change those stubborn habits in your life is to practice. Make a change now and in a month you can have a completely new way of living.