How can I prepare myself to change a bad habit?

Most often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the quote “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail” captures the essence of what you need to do to optimize the chances of success in your lifestyle change. Trying to change a bad habit means managing those things that you can control, not trying to manage those things you cannot control, and being able to tell the difference!! It is most important that you take responsibility for the choices you make and recognize that the way you think about yourself and the surroundings you live in will ultimately affect the chances of you being successful in changing a bad habit. Do not underestimate the powerful role of your environment and your own daily patterns of behavior. For example, smoking is a behavior that often accompanies drinking a cup of coffee in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening. It is unrealistic to expect you to be successful in quitting smoking, at least initially, if you do not also address your coffee and alcohol habits. The first step in changing your behavior therefore is to evaluate when, where and why you engage in the bad habit you are trying to break. This information can then be used to change your environment or your behavior patterns. For example, remove cigarettes from your home/car, drink water/juice in the morning rather than coffee, substitute a 10 minute walk during your typical cigarette break at work, and substitute physical activity as a stress reliever at the end of the day rather than a glass of wine which will increase the desire to have a cigarette. Ultimately preparing yourself to change a bad habit is about taking control of your life and the choices you make. 

You generally change when you perceive a problem or need for change.  Initially you may focus on the difficulty of change and the reasons for not changing may outweigh the reasons for changing. If the problem continues  you will start to see the positive in the reasons for change and beginning plan for that change.  Change is this area generally happens slowly. It may start through education, talking to family and friends, or doing some research on options to help figure out what's going to work for you.

It's difficult to change what's comfortable and familiar even if it's 'negative'. Many people may not even realize (for years) that what they are doing is negative; it just is. Once realized people begin to feel like they don't have options. They don't feel like they have any control over the bad habit.

After realizing that change is inevitable, get some education on what your options are. Starting there will help build your self esteem and begin to help you feel as though you actually are in control of the situation.