“It’s okay to smoke an occasional cigarette, especially if it’s a low-tar filtered cigarette, at an occasional social event.” ~ Not Said by the Surgeon General

There is this strong belief in American culture that success is about moderation, holding back and depriving one’s self. If one can only abstain from consuming or doing too much of a bad activity, they will be okay. It’s about willpower, holding your nose against the temptation. It is said, only the weak fall for bad habits. What bullcrap! Maybe the exception to this is with cigarettes and narcotics, they’re addictive, so willpower doesn’t apply, or so we are told.

The thing is that’s bullshit. Nobody has much willpower, and any willpower is quickly broken down by the passage of time. What people have is habits — automatic, largely thoughtless routines. Things people do, because they always do it that way. Defaults and automation matter far more then any willpower. It might take a conscience effort to get a program started in one’s life, but once it’s going, success is about automation not willpower.

If you don’t want temptation don’t include bad things at all in your life. You will give in to temptation. It’s a fact.  But there is no temptation to overdo it if you don’t participate in the activity at all. Maybe that cigarette won’t kill you, but like so many bad habits, one can get you started on a bad habit for life. It’s not about moderation, but abstention and automatic habits.