Quitting is a difficult habit to break, so is slacking off. I used to do both.
I think they could be broken. Here is what you do: pick out a habit, something that requires (a little) work and (a lot of) dedication — preferably something you can do everyday. The trick is: the habit has to produce an output. Don’t start big, instead, take tiny steps at first, but start, and stick with it.
For me, that habit was running. I ran my first Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day in 2007. It was a 5k race, and possibly the best thing that has ever happened to me. The race itself wasn’t much to brag about. In fact, it wasn’t until I finished the race that I realized how easy it was. The race didn’t change; it could have been “that easy” had I decided to run it 5 years ago. The difference was that I stopped assuming everything in my head and actually gave it a try. You see, I had it in my mind before 2007 that I wasn’t able to run 5000 meters or train 3 times a week. Maybe it was because that running one mile was one of the least enjoyable activities back in my high school days, so I elected to forget about running as soon as it was no longer required. Those assumptions, even though inaccurate, were good enough “reasons” for me not to do anything.
On that note, English, both reading and writing, was my least favorite subject in school. Yet here I am, reading and writing everyday, just for fun. Go figure.
It’s true that whatever you try, the outcome is probably never going to be as good as you have hoped. But I think people often fail to realize that it is also probably not going to be as bad as you have imagined. The reality usually meets you somewhere in the middle.
One thing for sure though: even if you only achieve 50% of your goals, it still beats nothing.
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