Making changes to your life isn’t easy, but it is necessary if you want to develop yourself and become a better professional. It’s a matter of fact that most people can have bad habits and frustrating personality traits. The key is to recognise what yours are and resolve them. It might take you time, it might not. But the results are always worth it.
If you’re ready to make some positive changes to your life, here are 9 things to quit in 2019.
- Quit wasting time
Productivity equals a happy life. But the wrong productivity wastes it. You might watch YouTube every half hour, read the Daily Mail app on your phone too often or procrastinate until something spurs you into action. Whatever the case, stop wasting time and you’ll get more done. It’s that simple.
US Admiral William McRaven once said: ‘If you want to change the world, start by making your bed’ and you know what? It actually does help to start the day on a productive note!
- Quit trying to impress
If you’re a young professional you’ll be eager to please someone, which probably means going above and over your call of duty to impress. The trouble with this is it’ll tire you out and you can never be sure you’ll be rewarded anyway. Quit trying to impress and be yourself. The real you will shine through and your work will speak for itself.
- Quit being so serious
Having a frivolous approach to life is an awful way to go about it. I am not advocating you do that – what I am saying is try and have a better sense of humour (have a laugh) and try see the lighter side to whatever happens. There’s always a silver lining to every struggle and humour can be found in most things.
- Quit the narcissism
If you’re narcissistic you will show an excessive interest or admiration in yourself. It can cause you to be selfish and seek out admiration. It’s a psychological trait that needs to be worked on, so what we’ll say is this: try and have some humility this year. Humility is where you have a modest view of your own self-importance.
- Quit procrastinating your career goals
If you want to progress in your career, you need to put in the time and effort to enable you to fast-track your career. Procrastinating your career goals (delaying or stalling them) is going to hold you back. The barrier most people face is a lack of knowledge and skills required for a higher-level posts or different specialisms. If you want to take your career to the next level, it is essential that you get certified in your field of work. This will demonstrate to your current and prospective employers that you possess the relevant knowledge and skills for the job. Therefore, get started today and achieve a new certification to upskill and qualify for a better job.
- Quit not believing in yourself
Another reason some professionals don’t ever further their career is because they don’t believe in themselves. They might believe they’re not clever enough, not professional enough, and in some cases not presentable enough to succeed. We say everyone has the capability to do it. All you have to do is focus, persevere and you will succeed.
- Quit being disorganised
Being disorganised can bring about a wide range of problems in life, from turning up late to work, to missing deadlines, meetings and even social events. Don’t try to remember everything, make notes, have prioritised to-do lists, organise your workspace etc. Consider using calendar reminders, OneNote or even to-do apps like Wunderlist or Todoist. Over time you will identify what works best for you and then you won’t miss a thing.
- Quit being closed-minded
Closed-mindedness can very simply be defined as living in a bubble where everything you believe is right, and whatever others believe is wrong. The trouble with being closed-minded is you only have to think about your own thoughts. It doesn’t allow you to develop. Be open-minded, listen to others and try to understand their viewpoint in order to develop your intellect and wisdom.
- Quit burying your head in the sand
If you let an open wound fester it will get worse. So why should work or life problems be any different? If you bury your head in the sand, you’ll never solve anything. All your problems will pile up. Eventually, you’ll be crushed by them. This year, face up to your problems and nip them in the bud! You’ll be far less stressed making strides whether in work or personal life.
So quit your bad habits and frustrating personality traits today. If you keep it up for 21 days you will form a habit, whereas 90 days will actually form your new lifestyle. Don’t wait and become a better version of yourself this year!
