People are creatures of habits, for a lot of reasons, of which, one of the most pertinent ones is that, habits in general, can make our lives more efficient, by allowing us to follow, for instance, a given pattern that is beneficial as well as being time effective for us. However, habits can easily be divided into good habits, that is habits that are of benefit for us, and/or help us in our efficiency and effectiveness; as compared to habits that are bad habits, that clearly hinder us, and not only hurt our efficiency and effectiveness, but are harmful to our character.
One might think that anyone with a bad habit, such as substance abuse, a bad temper, eating disorders, and the like, would as a matter of course, simply get fed up with such, and would eliminate it forthrightly. In point of fact, because of the nature of habits, simply eradicating a habit is something that is going to not only take concentration and willpower, but it often also needs self-examination, as to why it is that one does what they do, and therefore foundationally to understand what caused the undesired and unbeneficial habit to become part of our being.
While there is something to be said about people that use the strength of their willpower to not give into their habit, that is never going to be the best way to eliminate a bad habit, because willpower is something, that can ebb and flow, depending upon outside circumstances, our mindset, and our weaknesses on a given day, so that those that give up drink for a period of time through their sheer strength of mind, and nothing else, are quite susceptible to being caught unawares in the same maelstrom that they previously escaped from, should certain circumstances arise, leading them to get right back in to the temptation that has ensnared them again and again.
On the other hand, those that have the thoroughness of mind to get to the root of the problem, as to the nature of why they do what they do that is of a bad nature and of a bad habit, of which this is clearly harmful to them as well as being undesired; understand comprehensively that by doing so, that they can foundationally eliminate their bad habits and their bad inclinations from their life, by taking away the desire and the want to do that very thing.
Those that suffer from a bad habit, that they do not wish to own anymore, must make it their point to be the boss of that habit by consciously eliminating it as something that they no longer wish to have, and replace such with something else that is of higher merit and is beneficial to the person, instead. While it is not easy to eradicate a bad habit, especially one of long standing; this can be accomplished, though, when that habit is thoroughly investigated and the roots of the desire for that habit have been pulled out of the ground that previously held it so firmly. After all, it is our minds that forge the chains of those habits, and therefore it is our minds that can break us free, if only, we would have the wherewithal to draw the line in the sand, and to make our valiant stand.