Your brain loooooves to be efficient.
Once it learns something and does it over and over, it doesn’t take any energy to do it. It becomes a routine.
This is why it’s important to stop and think about whether your habits are helpful or not.
And it’s exactly why I’ve come up with a list of 11 habits that you should stop doing asap.
So, here are the 11 habits you need to stop…
1. Stop listening to negative input
Your brain is wired to look out for what’s dangerous.
This means any time something negative is on the news, your brain is drawn to it.
To combat this, listen to positive input instead.
2. Stop being busy
Being “busy” is a state of mind. It means that you have too much going on that you haven’t planned for.
The reality is that you can take all the actions in your head that you need to do and put them in order on your calendar and do them.
You can choose to do this without ever being “busy” again.
When you free yourself from saying you’re busy, you get clarity on your life.
3. Stop leaving life up to chance
When you leave life up to chance, you don’t set goals, which means you don’t pursue your dream life.
In this scenario, you are living someone else’s dream.
When you don’t plan your long-term goals and set intentions for your life, the day-to-day overwhelm will get in the way of any chance you have at living the life you’ve always wanted.
This is no way to live.
4. Don’t be a scarcity thinker
If you are in the habit of being a “scarcity thinker”, you need to put a stop to it asap.
Scarcity thinking means that you think life is limited and only has so much to offer. It’s thinking “there’s not enough” — not enough time, not enough money, not enough fill-in-the-blank.
People who have a scarcity mindset think there is always a winner and a loser (not two winners), they are exclusive (not inclusive), they are stingy with their knowledge, they resent competition, they are fearful, entitled, and think small.
On the other hand, someone who is an abundance thinker believes there is always more to come, they invite and welcome competition, they default to trust, they think big, are thankful, and confident.
Be an abundance thinker. You will be happier, healthier, and more successful.
5. Stop negative thinking
In my How To Cope With Negative Thoughts As A Mom (free class), I teach three steps to overcoming your default brain, which always goes to negativity.
On default, your brain focuses on the negative 4:1. This means for every one negative thing, you need four equal weighted positive things to balance it out for your brain.
No wonder we all have so many negative thoughts. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can train your brain to overcome this (which is how you can live a happier, more enjoyable life).
6. Don’t keep score in marriage
Marriage is more about giving than receiving (at least it can feel that way).
If you’re constantly focused on “fairness” and things being equal, it doesn’t work. You end up feel like it’s unbalanced (at best) and not working (at worst).
Instead, change the game. Make it about how much you can give.
I like to say I always want to be the one giving the most. It changes the dynamic from fairness to one where I can actually feel good about.
7. Stop looking for fulfillment outside of you.
Stop looking for fulfillment outside of you.
This is something I teach and coach people on in Grow You (my life coaching program) all the time. It’s so hard to see yourself, but when you do realize that you can be as fulfilled in your life as you ever wanted, your world explodes.
8. Stop comparing yourself to other people
Stop comparing yourself to other people.
This is particularly hard with social media because social media usually shows the highlights of people’s lives (not the whole picture).
Remember that your only competition is yourself. Someone is completely different than you and you shouldn’t compare your story with theirs.
And instead of following people online who make it hard for you not to compare yourself to, focus on following people who inspire you to design your dream life.
9. Stop trying to do too much at one time
If you are trying to multitask and do a bunch of things at once, now is the time to stop.
This will kill your productivity and time management. You’ll feel overwhelmed and out of control. You’ll also feel exhausted.
Planning and being productive mean being more efficient and having more time to do what you love.
10. Stop saying you “can’t afford” something
If you are in the habit of saying you can’t afford to do something, you should stop asap.
This is scarcity thinking.
When you say you can’t afford something, you’re giving your power away to your money. Really, you are choosing to spend your money on something else – rent, bills, etc.
Reframing this will enable you to see that you are in control of the results you have in your life.
The truth is that you can change your money beliefs and generate more income. You can also cut expenses. You can get a job. You can do a million different things to change your life.
11. Stop doubting yourself
If you doubt yourself — stop right now. I’m sooo serious about this one!
My dad told me from a very young age that I could do anything I wanted to. He told me it didn’t matter that I wasn’t that smart and wasn’t in honors classes because I could just keep going and eventually outpace everyone if I stuck with it.
He was right.
You don’t have to be the brightest or the most skilled to succeed.
You can succeed and you can win with whatever you’re fighting for.
The best asset that you have is you. And you have to know that and believe in yourself to make it happen.
A Final Note
This post is all about what not to do. By stopping these habits, you’ll be helping yourself get a little bit further ahead each and every day.