It's not always your fault, you know, and it's not always a matter of will power. You can have the strongest will in the world and still eventually succumb to an addiction. Very often, it's chemical. There are physical, mental, and emotional causes for addictions. The physical ones seem easier to overcome. Find the reasons for an addiction, and you'll control it. You want to be in control of your own life, so make it a priority to root out anything that diminishes the quality of your life. 

Addictions are not all bad, though the word seems to imply "out of control". Still some addictions can be useful, and they make you very interesting. Sometimes they are just simply "high on life" passions, without which, you probably wouldn't get out of bed in the morning. If you have a useful addiction, make it serve you.

If you have an addiction to sugar, which can lead to diabetes and other diseases, then it's best you get that one under control. So balance your diet so that sugar producing simple carbs are in proper proportion to protein and complex carbs. Up your chromium intake, and the addiction to sugar will melt away like yesterday's snowfall, as well as excess weight. You will be able to eat lots of food, so no fear of starvation. You still have the responsibility to get comfortable with  a new way of eating, a new habit, and sustain it. From my own experience, I will share with you that it takes only a week of discipline for this one to kick in. What a liberating feeling to kick a bad habit!

Some addictions are very good, such as the addiction to exercise. Caveat, that can be excessive too. Still it's an over all good addiction. Workaholism is an addiction. Again, it can be so extreme that you hurt your health and destroy your personal relationships. However, I've never seen a vastly successful person who was not somewhat of a workaholic. Hard to know the difference between that and pure passion. I think the ability to feel passion is a great gift. Some people go through life at half mast,  blase and stalled on neutral. Doesn't sound like much fun, does it? I haven't noticed any neutral people here at WA. Bravo! 

More emotional addictions and some really rough ones.  I think fear of not succeeding or fear of success, or  just succeeding is a habit. You also get addicted to success, which is good. All are emotional addictions.  Sadly, somewhere along the way, many of us bought into the suggestion that we are undeserving, not good enough, incapable of succeeding, doomed to be poor, not special. That by achieving and "having" more, we are depriving someone else of his or her good. Utter nonsense when you put it on the table and look at it in the clear light of day. So throw it out NOW!!! This is the biggest nastiest addiction of them all, for I feel the other self defeating addictions are hinged on this bogeyman. We procrastinate because of this addiction.  We rest on this addiction because it's easier to hide behind excuses than face reality, thus accepting a truthful result of our actions. Nothing wrong with failing except for the word "fail", because it throws people off. We've been taught that failing is bad, like a failing grade in school, perish the thought. Something works, or it doesn't work. Trial and error. Failing is part of the creative process. No way around it. 

Not taking a risk is not living and it's a perfect recipe for defeat. I'd much rather be a real failure in the classic sense,  than never to have tested my metal, just like I'd rather be lousy at something than mediocre. 

This year, WA buddies, throw your hearts into it. I'm doing the same. Remember, there is no such thing as failure. But inaction is definitely a waste of a life. Don't give anyone the power to waste your life, not even yourself. 

"There are those who work all day. Those who dream all day. And those who spend an hour dreaming before setting to work to fulfill those dreams. Go into the third category because there's virtually no competition."

                                      ~ Steven J  Ross