Habits By: Dr. Molly Mitchell National Edition May 12, 2000 There is a lot to do when you are a teenager, your parents may not want to acknowledge this, but being a teenager is actually quite hectic. I'm not just talking about the day-to-day grind of school and chores. I'm talking about the overall job of being a teenager. Maybe you never thought of your life as a job. First you had those great years from 0 - 10 when choosing which toy to play with was about as stressful as life got. Then, more responsibilities, choices and worries crept in. For the first time you face a bewildering array of choices, the world is full of possibilities, and you have to figure out what on earth to do next. But now you know that this is your jobfun, huh? Some psychologists would put this in a slightly different way and say that your job as a teenager is to acquire the habits you will need for the rest of your years. These habits can make or break you. We all become what we repeatedly do. So while you are exploring all those possibilities out in the world, if you stick to a few of them, you will start to form habits. These habits will then become a part of who you are. Did you know that it takes about 30 days to acquire a habit? Think about that, 30 days from now, you could have a whole new habit, good or bad. Of course those 30 days will not always be easy, depending on what it is you aim to change. Cutting out candy bars seems like a good idea and 30 days with no chocolate will see you well on your way to a new you. But, if you are currently eating a candy bar or two a dayand each day will be hard. So, where do you start on this job of acquiring or breaking habits? Do you have any New Year's Resolutions lying around, unresolved? Why not make a list of things you would like to be changed in your life? Start slowly, changing a habit is hard work, one at a time is plenty. Think of school, your home life, your social life, or maybe a person you admire who has a skill you wish you had. No change is too small. Maybe you just want to spend more time with your sister or brother. It could be that you have to make a tough decision in order to take care of yourself. Maybe you want to stop smoking, study harder, or exercise more. The reason I bring all of this up is because we started out talking about taking care of ourselves. The good news is, 30 days may seem long, but it is very possible to get through. What better way to take care of yourself than to break a bad habit and get started on a new one? My main point here is that your job as a teenager is to experiment. Explore all the possibilities. Don't pin yourself down to one way of being in this world yet. Do this with care, but if you stumble down the wrong road, 30 days can see you back. When you decide something is very important to you, give it 30 days, and you can have it for the rest of your life.