Like most other living things, Man is a creature of habit. We are always happiest when we are doing what we usually do. If we usually get up at seven o’clock in the morning and we oversleep and rise at nine o’clock, we get a headache.

Should eleven o'clock be our customary bedtime and we miss that, going to bed at twelve o'clock will see us shattered the next day. If we miss our coffee break in the morning, then there is a feeling that something is wrong.

Throughout the year, we look forward to our holidays. When we are on holiday, we look forward to going back home. Whilst on holiday, routine goes out of the window, but secretly, we are looking forward to getting back into our usual routine. Habits are something very human.

We often speak about good habits and bad habits. When we think carefully about it, we find that good habits promote an orderly existence for ourselves and those around us. Bad habits may be pleasant for ourselves, but usually cause annoyance and inconvenience to others, and could eventually also cause problems for ourselves.

An efficient organisation runs smoothly on the good habits of those who work in it. On the other hand, an unsuccessful organisation does not run smoothly because the habits of those working in it are too slipshod. There is not enough routine. There is not enough co-operation and integration between members of staff. In other words, a good organisation is disciplined. A bad organisation knows no discipline and, because of this, gets nowhere.

We can carry this maxim into our individual lives. If we know where we are going and where we want to be, we can plan and we will get there.

Apply this to dieting. We know where we want to go – we want to be slim. We know when we want to go – we want it now. We want to start right away so that we can reach our goal as soon as possible. In order to do this, then we must conceive a plan. Think again of the good organisation – the disciplined organisation.

The only way to get there is to make a disciplined plan and stick to it. We must be strict with ourselves. No manager ever made a success of his team unless there was order in his organisation. We must get into the habit of being strict with ourselves – otherwise we will never reach our goals.

Our lives, as we have already noticed, are built up of habits. Some are old, some are not so old and some have been acquired quite recently. It is clear to me that structuring our lives so that our habits are well defined and well directed can be beneficial to our health.

We must think carefully about our eating habits and, if necessary, exchange bad ones for good ones; old ones for new.

Cash in on this habit-forming trait of human nature.