Did you ever wonder what your worst habit may be?

By David McClelland

There may be no doubt in your mind about the answer to this question. Most of us have at least one bad habit. We usually make peace with it or, if it really bugs us, we may make a New Year's resolution to unload that particular habit. Even then, breaking a bad habit permanently is not an easy task.

The June/July issue of Reader's Digest (RD) has an article on this subject and they discussed four of the most common bad habits; i.e., overeating, procrastinating, smoking and complaining. Of course, there are many more. I'll bet that you add to this list.

Let's first look at overeating. The majority of people in 9 out of the 16 countries surveyed said overeating was their worst habit. It is clearly the hardest of the four to hide. If one tends to overeat, it usually shows and can be unhealthy. However, if one gets enough exercise, he or she may be able get away with moderate overeating, at least in the short-term. One thing is for sure, even an active person should get on the scale every morning to be sure that pounds aren't being added.  They say that the cure to this bad habit is just to do three push-ups each day. Just push yourself up from the table at breakfast, at lunch and again at dinner, before you have overeaten.

Eating between meals is another contributor. One must be very disciplined to maintain one's diet and ideal weight. It is a constant struggle for many.

I think procrastinating may be one of the most common of the bad habits. There is an old expression: "Don't do today what you can put off until tomorrow, you may not have to do it at all." That could be the procrastinator's motto. The RD article states that procrastinating is the No. 1 bad habit in Russia with 50% of those surveyed admitting to it. In the United States, 40% said it was their worst habit. Remember what Scarlett O'Hara said in Gone with the Wind, "Tomorrow is another day." Today, you frequently hear people say, "I'll think about that tomorrow."

I think enough has been written about smoking and I won't add to that here.

Complaining is the final bad habit discussed in the RD article. I think that we are all guilty of complaining at one time or another. Hopefully, most of us don't overdo it. Scott Lee, 32, is quoted as saying, "I hate when I complain. It makes me feel so out of control." If you don't like to listen to those who complain, you will want to avoid many of the current TV talk shows and political programs. Complaining is a large part of their content. I think complaining about Michigan weather is one of the most common complaints here. Whether the complaint is about the long, hard winters, too much rain in the spring or the long, hot summers, I think most of us have participated in that type of complaint. For my money, it is the most harmless of all complaints. If your worst habit is that you complain about the weather, I think that you are in good company and are still a good person. We could all make up our minds to complain less and mean it.

What is your worst habit? If you are able to define it, was it your worst habit last year too? If so, it may time to address it in a meaningful way. After all, you recognize it as a negative about yourself. This certainly gives one food for thought?