and	see	if	you	can	catch	yourself	in	the	moment	you’re	making	the	decision	to
avoid.	Then	try	to	make	a	different	choice!
STRATEGY:	WHY	ARE	YOU	AVOIDING	IT?
Even	dysfunctional,	self-defeating	behavior	continues,	or	increases,	when	it’s
rewarded.	People	keep	smoking	because	of	the	rewarding	effect	of	the
dopamine	hit.	Without	a	serious	desire	to	make	a	change,	this	behavior
continues	in	spite	of	the	toll	smoking	takes	on	health	and	longevity.
It’s	important	to	identify	what	is	reinforcing,	or	strengthening,	your
tendency	to	avoid	even	though	you	would	like	to	stop	this	behavior.
•
	
What	do	you	
gain
	
each	time	you	avoid	the	situations	you	listed	in	your
notebook?	Some	people	report	feeling	a	sense	of	lightness,	like	they
dodged	a	bullet,	played	hooky,	or	got	out	of	something	truly	awful.
•
	
Do	you	celebrate	the	reprieve	as	if	you	won	a	prize	or	accomplished
something?	Who’s	really	winning?
•
	
Consider	if	avoidance	is	reinforced	because	it	means	you	never	have	to
fully	put	yourself	out	there	and	risk	rejection,	disapproval,	or	failure.