My name is Stan Skolfield and I admit I have a problem. I am an addict and my addiction has been going on for years. I spend a lot of my day thinking about this addiction and will sacrifice almost anything to get it. In just a day or two going without it, I experience withdrawal symptoms that can only be remedied when I have another fix. Even after that fix, however, I am almost immediately consumed by thoughts of how I can have more. I constantly crave and even dream about my addiction. When I am unable to satisfy my habit, I feel irritable and become uncomfortable to be around. Many people around me don’t understand why I act and do the things that I do on a daily basis as a result of my addiction. To them, I am a real junkie. My addiction has removed people from my life and brought other characters that share my vice into it. I don’t really think I am doing anything wrong and although people have tried to make or convince me, this is not something I plan on ever giving up. I don’t want anyone’s help and am not looking for recovery…

You see, I am addicted to positive self development through physical training.

When people hear the word addiction, usually a negative thought is immediately brought to mind. Addictions are commonly associated with some terrible situation in which someone’s life has been destroyed because they could no longer control their actions. Classic negative behaviors like drinking, drugs or smoking have been made synonymous with the concept of addiction. When I think of addictions, however, positive situations come to mind. Instead of lives that have been destroyed, I think of men and women that have attained levels of greatness in many different vocations as a result of their addictions. Confused? Let me explain.

According to the Webster’s dictionary, addiction is the act of putting oneself to a habit. Nowhere in this definition has an addiction been referred to as something negative or destructive. The key point to remember that an addiction is simply related to the habits you develop over time. A habit is defined as a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition. According to that definition, the development of positive addictions is as simple as repeating good behaviors until they become an unconscious pattern. This should help you to understand that you can choose to become addicted to good habits just as easily as bad since our behaviors are entirely up to us.

We all have goals, but may not realize that our habits may be getting in the way of them. For many of us, it may be difficult to really objectively examine our habits and see what is holding us back. Great advice would be to ask some people that you trust to help identify some of your habits that are helping you and some negative habits that are keeping you down. If you are not up for this challenge, I have created a quick list of 5 common good, bad, and ugly addictions in the areas of nutrition, exercise, and personal development to give you a quick snapshot of where you are doing well or where you can improve.

What are you addicted to?

The Good

1. Eating 4-6 small, clean meals per day

2. Drinking 8 glasses of water each day

3. Reading for 1 hour per day

4. Exercising 4 or more days per week

5. Getting 8 hours of sleep per night

The Bad

1. Thinking and saying negative things about yourself

2. Watching an hour or more TV per day

3. Getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night

4. Getting less than two workouts per week

5. Never being on time for appointments

The Ugly

1. Daily Drinking of Alcohol/Soft Drinks

2. Smoking

3. Eating Fast Food and Junk Food

4. Leading a Sedentary Lifestyle

5. Spending Yourself into Debt

“Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.” Warren Buffet

We don’t always realize the impact our addictions have on our lives until it is too late. I believe that a person’s greatest mistake is to make the same mistake over and over. For instance, if you choose to eat improperly on skip training for one day you may not notice any negative consequences. As a result, this poor habit can easily become an addiction. These addictions caused by small repeated mistakes eventually lead to big problems like a lack of fitness, body fat gain, or low self esteem. Once these problems set in, they become difficult to reverse. But I remind you that you must not confuse the word “difficult” with “impossible.” I promise, however, that replacing your actions with a positive behavior can lead to the development of better habits which will change your addictions. It is that simple. Take your TV time and replace it with exercise. Replace the junk food with fruits and vegetables. You can do this! You just need to access the courage to start taking the correct action.