Get rid of the small stuff first:
1. Smoking/drinking. Addiction is serious. You may be thinking you don’t have a problem, but when you try to quit, you’ll see you do. Don’t let anything to be the master of your mind and body. You are in control.
2. Using your phone all the time. Find something else to do. Being on your phone all of your free time can really affect you emotionally and physically. First, it’s not good for your emotional and physical health, and second, it’s going to turn you into a social cripple.
3. Unhealthy food and drinks. I’m not saying you should become a healthy diet freak. I’m just saying you should lay off the unhealthy food in the amount you can. Don’t drink sodas and eat pizzas every chance you get. Try something else for a change—something more nutritious.
4. Scrolling on social media before you go to bed. The time before you go to bed should be time to relax. Getting a lot of information all at once is not suitable at all. It can only get your blood racing and your brain working faster.
5. Getting your phone out when you’re with family and friends. Give your attention to people who love you. In those moments, your phone is the last thing you should think of.
6. Commenting on everything you see. Sometimes, it’s better to keep your opinion to yourself. If you say everything you think without hesitating, you might unintentionally hurt someone you don’t want to.
7. Putting of things you have to do. If there is a chore or an obligation you have, tackle it right away. Leaving it to hang will only put pressure on you, and you won’t feel as good when you complete it as you would have felt if you had done it right away.
8. All the clothes you haven’t worn in over a year. Not only you’re going to make more room in your closet, but you’ll have the chance to do something nice for someone. Give your clothes to Goodwill or directly to someone you know who needs them.
9. Putting off your checkup. Your health is the most valuable thing you can have. You don’t have to have any symptoms to go and check if everything is okay. Early detection of symptoms can save your life for sure.
10. Pretending you’re listening to someone. Don’t be a hypocrite. If you’re not interested in what the person talking has to say to you, tell them to their face. They are going to find out you lied, sooner or later.
Then move on to bigger things…
11. Taking criticism personally. I’m speaking from my own experience. Learn to take criticism but without it affecting how you feel. There are two scenarios in front of you. Either the person criticizing you is trying to help you with a friendly piece of advice (in this case, take the advice with a good heart), or they are trying to be mean to you. Not taking things personally especially connects to the second option (being mean). Either way, don’t let it affect you.
12. Toxic people. Every year, you have to make this same decision. Because, every year, you’ll meet more toxic people. Don’t keep them in your life; clean them out. Never allow anyone to bully you into doing something you don’t want to.
13. Holding in your feelings. When you love someone, tell them. Life is short, and God forbid something happens to you or that person and they never find out how you felt. Would you be able to live with that? Is that fact stronger than your fear to confess what’s inside you? Don’t let regrets find you when it’s too late.
14. Big plans. Start by planning small. Don’t set huge goals that you’re almost sure you’ll never accomplish. That will only provoke dissatisfaction and the pain of failure. For starters, dream small, and gradually switch to bigger things.
15. Emotional vampires. Those are the people who only take and never give anything back. You’re not obligated to be their supply. You’re not obligated to feed them energy you could give to people who deserve it instead.
16. Avoiding responsibility. If you screw something up, own up to your mistakes. Maybe it is the hardest thing to do, but it’s the most rewarding one as well.
Never make any excuses because they will only drag you down further into the web of lies you’ve created.
It will drag you down to the point where you haven’t got any option left other than admitting what you’ve done—but by then, it’s going to be really messy…so you might as well own up at the beginning.
17. Self-doubt. You really can do everything you’ve set your mind to. But you have to be realistic, and do things one step at a time. Doubting is your worst enemy, and you know it.
18. Pride. You can’t walk this world thinking that you’re better than anyone else. I mean, you can, but it will backfire. You are not the judge of that; no one is. The only thing you can do is to keep trying to be the best version of yourself, and hope you’re doing a good job.
19. Making excuses and saying you don’t have the time. We all live by the same rules. We all have 24 hours in a day. We all have the same amount of time. It’s up to you how you organize yourself—that’s how efficient you’ll be.
20. Doing everything by yourself. It’s impossible to DIY in life. You’ll need someone’s help (sooner or later).
