Let’s start feeling like ourselves again.
I want to help you see how amazing you really are. You are capable of so much more and you are worth the effort!
5 habits to break in 2025
By this point in the month, you are probably on the seesaw teetering between breaking bad habits and building new ones. Right?
Hello friends!
How has your January been going so far? If the adrenaline rush of “new year, new me” is starting to wear off, please, take a breath, and relax. You can’t expect to see changes overnight. Good habits take time to build and bad habits take time to break. By this point in the month, you are probably on the seesaw teetering between breaking bad habits and building new ones. Right?
If you’re having trouble sticking with the goals you set out for on December 31, 2024, it may be that your old habits are still getting in the way. Don’t worry, I got you! I listed five habits that are keeping you from living your best life. Break these habits and I guarantee that you will start seeing progress.
Procrastination
Stop putting off your to-dos, your goals, your dreams and plans. This is YOUR year to do the things you have been putting on the back-burner. There’s a good chance you are procrastinating on small, everyday tasks as well. Make a list of what you need to do for the day, and get them done. This will build your productivity muscle. Add small actionable tasks to your list that will move the dial closer towards making that bigger, scarier goal a reality. Want to start a business? Write a book? Lose 50 lbs.? Set aside 30 minutes each day to work on making your dreams a reality.
Hitting the snooze button
Do yourself a favor and do not touch that snooze button tomorrow morning! Snoozing is another form of procrastination (see no. 1). Waking up when you say you are going to wake up is the first promise you keep to yourself, so don’t break it. Waking up without rushing around and dashing out the door is a power move. Set the tone of your day by being cool, calm, and in control instead of the other way around. Use the extra time to work on your goals, lock in on a warrior mindset, eat a nutritional breakfast and be primed for a successful day. Go to bed 20 minutes earlier and place your alarm on the other side of the bedroom. This way you must physically leave your bed to shut it off.
Oversharing
You have big plans for 2025 - you don’t have time for naysayers, unsolicited advice, and negative comments. This year, you are not showing your next move to anybody. They won’t have the opportunity to criticize, judge, gossip or sabotage your dreams. The fruit of your labor will be revealed when your hard work is complete. When you are locked in on your goals, the motto should be, “do more, talk less.”
Stifling your creativity
We are all creative in our own unique way, stop ignoring it! As adults, we tend to lose the ability to suspend time, be in the moment, and allow our imagination to take over. Lets aim for less perfection and more messy, playfulness in our lives. Why? Not only is expressing ourselves creatively really fun and exciting, it is also beneficial to our mental and physical wellbeing. Having a creative outlet relieves stress and inflammation levels; boosts your self-esteem; and improves cognitive health.
Overcommitting
Free up some on your calendar each month and learn to say “NO” to anything that does not energize you. This will ensure that you have time to get to that side project, visit friends and family, or simply catch up on sleep and a good book. I keep two weekends free every month to avoid burnout. It is refreshing knowing I am not on a schedule Every. Damn. Day. Try it!
Remember, staying consistent is one of the key factors to building new habits. And habits are the stepping stones to success. Now get out of your own way and go be awesome!
My book, “Gettin’ Fit, Learnin’ Sh*t (About Myself and Life): A Beginners Guide to an Active Lifestyle, For Life!” is now available on Amazon here or free with any coaching program. Check it out!
The Comparison Trap: Don’t Let it Diminish Your Well-Being
Don’t let comparison stunt your personal growth.
“Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.”
Comparison is a self-esteem killer and the self-talk that follows is usually very critical and negative. It erodes the value we hold of ourselves.
According to research by the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, comparative thought accounts for 12% of all thoughts. And it is so easy to get caught up comparing yourself to others – whether it is in their appearance or in the progress and success you see others achieve.
The gym, for example, is a place where physical ability and appearance are on display the most. However, comparing your skills with someone who is more advanced than you or wishing for another’s six-pack abs is a quick way to lose your way on your own path in life.
Stay in your own lane
Because the hard work and time successful people put in are usually behind the scenes, all we see are the results of their labor. Their blood, sweat, tears, and self-discipline are hidden from our view. Think about (and appreciate) the work it took for that person to get the skill or physique you desire. Then ask yourself: What can I do to work towards getting the results I want?
“Always remember, the goals that we have achieved pale in comparison to the daily commitments it took to get there.”
There are a lot of people out there wanting to go to the gym or to go for a run in the park, but they are afraid of what others may think of them. They are comparing themselves to the people around them. Don’t let comparison stunt your personal growth. Lace-up, put on some headphones, and do your thing! Gain confidence by bringing a buddy, asking a trainer to show you around the gym, or going when there are not a lot of people. Little by little, your confidence will improve, and you won’t care who sees you.
This applies to all areas of life. Make the time to study or practice your craft more; brainstorm new ways to be creative; challenge yourself to take more risks. When your confidence is up, comparison will subside.
Theodore Roosevelt is famously quoted as saying, “comparison is the thief of joy.” If you are happy doing what you’re doing, the worst thing you can do is stop and look at what the other person is doing.
When used in a healthy way, comparison can boost you in the right direction when you are looking to make a change in your life. Here’s what I mean: The most productive way of comparing yourself to others is by asking yourself:
How much work am I putting in to get the results I seek?
What are their habits and routines?
Who do they spend their time around?
How do they spend their time?
What are they doing differently that I can incorporate into my own life?
Use the person you are comparing yourself to as a gauge to see where you need to improve – but then move on.
Photo: Szabolcs Toth via Unsplash.com
You vs. You
When it comes down to it, you are your only competition in this life. Who you were 10 years ago, one week ago, or one day ago is who you should measure yourself against today. Ask yourself:
How have I grown?
How did I improve?
How did I fail?
Am I proud of who I am today?
Whose lives have I touched?
Let it go
No matter how successful you are, there will always be someone more successful. Measuring yourself up with others is not a productive use of time. When you feel yourself going into comparison mode, redirect your thoughts. Take a deep breath and think of how far you have progressed in life and what you are most thankful for. Also, instead of comparing, try connecting to the person. Ask them how they got where they are. Maybe they can help you achieve your aspirations.
If you fear others are comparing their lives to yours, please remember that people are so involved in their own lives and in the middle of their own “stuff” that you are not even on their radar, so don’t let them be on your radar. The time you waste comparing your life to others can be used to pinpoint and honor where you are at and focus on going where you want in life. No grown adult should ever look down on someone else because they are not at the same level – or the same chapter – as they are. If they do, that is a testimony to their flawed character, not to you.