Ugh fields (things that make your mind flinch)

He gives a very good bit of advice that is applicable in other contexts as well: consciously attack your problems when you're "in a motivationally 'high' state." You practice new behaviors in the "high" state and gradually push them down to lower states through practice until they're dependable reflexes. This is the only way I've ever changed a bad habit, so if you're failing with cold turkey, give this a try.

Link to actual article: http://lesswrong.com/lw/21b/ugh_fields/

This is some good shit. I find that the best way to figure out what your ugh fields are is to watch for when you reward yourself out of nowhere.

I address this in my blog post on emotional intelligence, here - http://www.zacharyburt.com/2010/04/understanding-human-behav...

For example, as humans, we're really not as hungry or thirsty as we "think" we are. In fact, hunger impulses are often the result of conditioning, what we do when we feel some kind of emotional deficit. Take note of the surrounding circumstances behind the trigger and you can begin to trace out your blind spots.