When we think of a habit, what often comes to mind is a set of repetitive behaviours such as smoking or overeating. In fact, almost everything we do, whether constructive or otherwise, is driven by habits.
Most of the habits we have cultivated have happened without much conscious awareness on our part. We have repeated behaviours so often without thinking much about it that they have become completely ingrained in us.
We often think of habits as being very difficult to break (and make), but it can be surprisingly easy to do so, if we go about things in the right way.
It is vital to realize that everything starts first in your mind. The way you think is the key to everything. Over many years – usually decades – we have driven deep grooves of thought into our mind. These pathways have become so well worn – we have become so used to them – that they seem completely natural .
Changing habits is about replacing these mental structures with others. We need to build new habitual ways of thinking. Sometimes this can happen naturally. We might encounter a crisis or other extreme situation which forces us to radically rethink and alter our beliefs. But this is rare and our beliefs can be extremely resistant to change. Even when faced with the most extreme situations, people will often still assimilate them into their current belief systems. It is better to take a systematic approach.
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Overcoming fear is something almost everybody could benefit from since we all experience fear. Some fears – like being frightened of a big dog chasing you – are necessary and even beneficial. But most of the fears we experience are pointless and debilitating, and overcoming these fears is an essential part of living an effective and happy life. 
