So another actor dies of a drug overdose. Those who knew Phillip Seymour Hoffman are saddened by his loss, but not surprised. He’d been a heavy drug user for many years.

According to one of the CLE courses I took recently, 50% of lawyers have a drug or alcohol problem. I’m having trouble believing that number, but even if it’s 25%, it’s too much.

But I don’t want to talk about drug or alcohol problems. I want to talk about other kinds of problems. We all have them. Not addictions necessarily, but bad habits. Things we do that are bad for us. We know we shouldn’t do them, but we do.

Like eating poorly and not exercising. Like smoking. Like texting while driving.

Many people are habitual procrastinators. Or leave too many loose ends. Or associate with the wrong people. One day, those habits may bite them.

Many lawyers resist change. Okay, most lawyers. That can actually be a good habit, however, because change involves risk and lawyers need to manage risk for their clients and for themselves. In the context of marketing, however, stubbornly avoiding change can hurt you. Not having an effective website, for example, is marketing malpractice.

I’m certainly not equating a drug addiction with everyday bad habits. We don’t have to go to rehab to give up our addiction to watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island. But bad habits of any kind can be deleterious to our physical or fiscal health.

What are your bad habits? What’s holding you back from achieving your goals? What should you eliminate or cut down on?

Take inventory of your weaknesses, bad habits, and addictions. The first step towards change is recognizing what needs to be changed.

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