Addictions Are You Motivated to Change Your Behavior

Regardless of your addiction, in order to change your behavior you must have desire and be motivated. Review this simple formula to determine your level of motivation. The desire/motivation formula is:Desire x Habit x Incentive = Motivational ForceDesire. Your motivation is ignited by your strong cravings, wants, and needs-desires. It’s the level of hunger that you have for something. With addictions the source of these cravings are usually thoughts and feelings coming from your subconscious mind. Pre-programmed behavior derived from your five senses. The Bible calls it lust. In James 4 it warns us not to let lusts be our source of motivation. Lust is the outer drive, and it is reactionary to life’s temptations.Habit. Habits are actions taken without thought. Habits are birthed from successful repetitive actions. The strength of one’s motivational force is dependent upon the habit of achieving the object or thing desired.Incentive. Incentive is the level of passion for the object desired. It strengthens the drive force of desire.You can reasonably predict desire/motivation force mathematically by assigning numbers in a range of variance, that is. 1 = low motivation force to 10 = high motivation force. As an example, let’s say you want to stop using drugs. You have a choice between going to rehab right now or going to see your local drug dealer. Which will you choose? Let’s apply our desire/motivation formula.GO TO REHAB: Desire {how tired are you of doing drugs} = 6Habit {success at sticking with rehab} = 2Incentive {your children will be so happy} = 10Total: 6 x 2 x 10 = 120GO TO DRUG DEALER:Desire {how strong is the pull of drugs on your soul} = 9Habit {how successful are you at getting drugs} = 9Incentive {how will you feel after you get high} = 1Total: 9 x 8 x 1 = 72This is oversimplified I know. What I’m trying to get you to do is to start thinking about your choices rather than go unconscious and act out your preprogrammed behavior. Now look at your own life. What is it that you really desire out of life? Maybe you need to work on your desire by reading books about the kind of person you want to be. See yourself being that kind of person. Do you have a habit of doing what you say you’re going to do? Why not start today. Start practicing keeping your word to yourself. Over time you will develop the habit of achieving your desires.You don’t have much incentive? Well, I’m sure there are people around you that love you and that want to see you succeed in life. If nothing else, I know that there is a loving God that is able and willing to help you become the person you’ve always dreamed of being! If that’s not an incentive I don’t know what is.Copyright 2011 Danielle Wise All rights reserved. You are free to use this article in part or full provided you include the author bio and a live website link.