How To Stop Bad Habits That Kill Your Progress
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Aristotle once said that “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence is not an act but a habit”. Even in the long-distant past, people knew that becoming great or successful was not an overnight thing. Rather, it’s a habit that you create. However, not all habits are ideal. Give it enough time, and each of the following eight habits will kill your progress in life. To help you out, let’s examine how to stop bad habits from affecting your life!
Not following or starting a routine
Why it’s bad:
Do you ever wake up and look at your day, only to realize that you don’t know where to start? If so, you need to learn how to stop bad habits ASAP. It’s not easy to start a routine, but consistently avoiding forming a new pattern is dangerous. Without a good plan of action or schedule in place, you’ll end up feeling lost and directionless.
Also, living without a routine can leave you feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied. This attitude can lead to days where you feel like you should do something, but you don’t know what. By the time tomorrow comes, you feel ashamed that energy goes nowhere. Unless you learn how to stop bad habits, you’ll constantly feel lost and confused.
How to fix it:
To start learning how to stop bad habits, you need to follow a routine. It adds structure to your life and helps you decide on what to accomplish. Planning out your routine can be a good start to help you stay productive and focused. Studies have shown that 92% of highly productive people were more likely to have a planned morning routine.
Sleeping too little
Why it’s bad:
One of the worst habits that you might have is sleeping too little. Studies show that over one-third of US adults sleep less than seven hours a night, the required amount for proper rest. If you’re one of these people, you might often feel tired throughout the day. If you don’t learn how to stop bad habits like this, you’ll only put your health at risk.
There are also cognitive issues that poor sleep brings. Without enough sleep, you’ll find it hard to concentrate on your tasks. Your memory might suffer, which can lead to more mistakes and slip-ups at work. Worse yet, it can also take a toll on your emotional well-being. That’s why you need to know how to stop bad habits like this.
How to fix it:
The key to fixing poor sleep is to develop a proper sleep schedule for yourself. Experts advise keeping your phones away and staying off any devices for at least an hour before sleep. The blue light that comes from these gadgets can trick your brain into staying awake. So, if you want to master how to stop bad habits and poor sleep, start by putting away your phone.
Next, always set a time when you should sleep. By keeping to a specific hour, you train your mind to rest at that point every night. The more consistent your sleep, the easier it will be to rest your body. Furthermore, make sure that you plan to sleep at least seven hours before you have to wake up. Remember: learning how to stop bad habits starts with a routine.
Using an overcomplicated to-do list
Why it’s bad:
While developing a plan for the day is always a good plan, there are times when you can take it too far. Some people overcomplicate their to-do lists, either knowingly or unknowingly. An overcomplicated plan is when you dictate every single action or choice you make. Remember, learning how to stop bad habits means knowing when to slow down.
How to fix it:
Sometimes, you have to look at the simple things in your life first. Learning how to stop bad habits usually boils down to simplifying the good and the bad. Consider the concept of Occam’s Razor, which states that the simplest solution is often the best one. In other words, there’s no need to overthink an answer that seems obvious.
You can apply Occam’s Razor to your to-do list by focusing on the most relevant tasks of your day. Think of what you need to put the most energy into first. Brian Tracy famously talked about “eating the frog”, which means doing the most difficult tasks first. This allows you to overcome your biggest challenges before the day is over. Through it, you’ll discover how to stop bad habits and prioritize your goals in one fell swoop!
Procrastinating
Why it’s bad:
Procrastination is putting off a task or errand, with the idea that you’ll be able to do it at a better time. However, it’s almost always a lie that you tell yourself. You might even be doing it now as you swear to learn how to stop bad habits! The fact is that you don’t want to burden yourself at that moment. So, you put off that task until later in the day, or tomorrow, or just before a certain deadline.
How to fix it:
Overcoming procrastination can mean forcing yourself to work. Yes, not everyone that works is in the mood to do so. But some decide to work because they aren’t in the mood to do so. Even when they aren’t feeling productive, these people get working to get into the spirit of things. So, if you want to get your work done, learn to start doing it right away. Sometimes, the best way to know how to stop bad habits is to try.
If you have a deadline or a due date for your work, remember that you don’t need to finish it all in one sitting. Pacing yourself and your work is as important as doing the task at hand. You can overcome procrastination by setting small goals or objectives to finish the overall assignment. By taking it step-by-step, you make the most of your time and and master how to stop bad habits.
Not disciplining yourself
Why it’s bad:
One of the toughest habits to develop is self-discipline. Learning to say no or standing your ground can be difficult at times. Similar to procrastinating, you might not feel ready to work or get busy yet. A lack of discipline happens when you consistently let yourself get distracted or taken off-course. It’s usually why you struggle to learn how to stop bad habits.
Without learning to say no or standing your ground, you risk causing more problems for yourself. Like procrastination, poor self-discipline can keep you from staying focused on your tasks. If you get easily distracted or sidetracked, you could potentially waste time and get in trouble. Until you know how to stop yourself, you’ll find it hard to understand how to stop bad habits.
How to fix it:
The first and most important way to learn self-discipline is to learn how to say no. It’s not just refusing to do something. If you want to stand your ground, always remember why you are doing so. By establishing your priorities, you teach your mind to shut out unnecessary thoughts and wishes. This will show you how to stop bad habits and focus on your priorities.
In addition, you should also learn how to control yourself even when you say yes. For example, if you’re having a diet, that doesn’t mean you can’t attend parties or hang out with friends. However, it does mean that you need to watch what you eat. Learning how to stop bad habits also means knowing how to pace the good ones.
Letting your stress overwhelm you
Why it’s bad:
Stress can be tough to deal with. Thats why it’s important to learn how to manage them. If you’re someone who regularly feels stressed or pressured, you’ll find it hard to finish any task. Poor stress management can happen when you often feel frustrated. It can lead to other unhealthy habits, like binge eating or smoking. It’s not easy to learn how to stop bad habits when you often get overwhelmed.
How to fix it:
If you want to cope with stress properly, you can start by redirecting all that negative energy into something else. For instance, you can channel that frustration into exercise. By working up a sweat, you can diffuse all that stress and keep your body healthy. You can also channel it by meditating or by talking it over with a trusted friend. Remember, there are many different ways to resolve your stress. By redirecting your anger or frustration, you learn how to stop bad habits and focus on better choices.
Using technology too often
Why it’s bad:
Getting too attached to any gadget is bad, but in today’s digital age, it’s like a pandemic. One of the most glaring examples of this is the smartphone. Zippia once reported that 66% of workers in the US use their cell phones at work several times a day. It won’t be easy to learn how to stop bad habits if you don’t control this now!
The main issue is that technology can overstimulate your body. Browsing the internet and social media is like watching a constant parade of news and information. Because your mind gets used to that, you become used to switching tasks or getting excited. So, when you have to slow down and focus, your mind instantly thinks it is boring and loses motivation. This could be why you’re struggling to understand how to stop bad habits.
How to fix it:
To learn how to stop bad habits involving technology, there are two methods to take. The first is to disconnect. You need to reduce how often you use your devices. For those who use their phones most of the day, practice spending one hour without your phone. No WiFi, no social media, and no other gadgets with you. This way, your mind cleanses itself from all that stimulation.
The second method is to keep these devices out of mind. When it comes to devices, learn to switch off or silence your phones while you’re at work. You can place them in a cabinet or a separate room while you focus on your tasks. By keeping them out of sight, you give your mind no room for distractions. The more you do this, the easier it will be to learn how to stop bad habits and concentrate on your tasks.
Multitasking
Why it’s bad:
Lastly, there is the issue of multitasking. People like to multitask because they think it will save time. For example, you might scroll and research articles at work while cooking your lunch. Ideally, it sounds easy to learn how to stop bad habits when you do lots of tasks at once.
Except it isn’t. Contrary to popular belief, multitasking is impossible. The brain is wired to do one thing at a time, especially if that task requires a lot of effort. What you’re doing is shifting your attention from one task to another. They might both be happening, but you aren’t keeping your focus split between two concerns. So, you’re not learning how to stop bad habits. Instead, you learn how to jump between them!
How to fix it:
The simplest way to overcome multitasking is to cut off all distractions and streamline your tasks in a set order. Whether you have menial tasks or serious projects, don’t try to do them all at the same time. Instead, focus on the ones that need your attention the most. Remember, eating the frog helps you get your day done before it’s even over. It’s the best and simplest way to know how to stop bad habits.
To make it easier, consider time blocking your schedule accordingly. By setting periods for different tasks, you find different focuses at specific parts of the day. Unlike multitasking, time blocking keeps your attention on one task in each period. Like a classroom schedule, you train your brain to think according to the task at hand. That way, it’s easier to learn how to stop bad habits and shut them off.
Takeaways:
- Some habits can derail or destroy your progress at work and in life. Learning how to stop bad habits can help you get things back on track.
- Firstly, living without a routine can make you feel lost and unfulfilled. Overcome this by creating a list of priorities for the day/week. Use SMART goals to understand how to stop bad habits better.
- Lack of sleep can endanger your physical health, cognitive abilities, and emotional well-being. Solve this by developing a proper sleep schedule.
- Make sure you get at least seven hours of sleep.
- Building a daily to-do list is fine. However, overcomplicating your to-do list can lead to unnecessary tasks and stress. Instead, keep your list simple so that you can master how to stop bad habits.
- Procrastination is a common habit that can lead to unnecessary stress and missed deadlines. Break the habit by starting on all your tasks immediately.
- A lack of discipline can lead to distractions and grow vices in your life. To fight back, learn to say no. Be clear on your priorities and make them your focus. This will help you understand how to stop bad habits quickly!
- Poor stress management can be destructive to your work and mental health. Learn stress management techniques, such as exercising and meditating, to know how to stop bad habits and build better ones.
- While technology is useful, it’s easy to get over-dependent. Avoid becoming a digital zombie by taking time to disconnect from your devices.
- The brain is not designed to focus on multiple things at once. That’s why multitasking never works. Change your approach by doing your tasks one at a time. Consider time-blocking to organize your schedule effectively.
- Boogaard, K. (2021, December 26). How to write SMART goals. Work Life by Atlassian.
- Fran. (2022, January 21). 5 top tips on how to avoid procrastination – FutureLearn. FutureLearn.
- Kolmar, C. (2023, March 30). 25 Trending Cell Phones In The Workplace Statistics [2023]: Cell Phone Use And Distraction In The Workplace. Zippia.
- Maatta, P. (2022, April 30). Morning Routine Statistics (2022). DreamMaker.
- Suni, E. (2023, April 4). Sleep Statistics. Sleep Foundation. Retrieved from:
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Being successful as a person can both be learned and taught, but you must have the willingness to overcome obstacles and create habits that will make you more successful . I will give you the systems that will do both.
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