In 1910 two adventurers, Scott and Amundsen, were on a race to the last unexplored point on the planet, the south pole. Scott was the hero of the British Empire: older, more experienced and with lots of resources at his disposal. Amundsen was the hero of Norway.
The key to overcoming your bad habits is, first, to develop some insight into their origins. New York Times "Social Q's" editor Philip Galanes and lifestyle coach Harriette Cole tackled the issue in a recent Today Show appearance.