10 Habits to Break That Would Drastically Improve Your Life

Your life as it is now is a culmination of all the little things you do consistently; whether they are positive or negative. Have you ever heard of the saying, “little drops of water make the mighty ocean?” This saying basically captures our lives. If you keep doing something consistently, it is only a matter of time before it becomes your life. We call those little things habits and they determine the quality of our lives in every aspect; physically, mentally, spiritually, career-wise and even the quality of our relationships. 

So, if you don’t like any aspect of your life right now or you feel you could do better, it is very likely because you are repeating toxic cycles that are harmful to you. Now, as you go through this list of 10 habits to break that would drastically improve your life, our aim is not to beat you down or make you feel like a failure. 

Our aim is simply to make you seek redress. The changes definitely would not happen at once and it wouldn’t be easy to change – nothing good comes easy. You just need to keep at it and you will soon begin to notice the changes. Also, if you miss the track along the way, don’t beat yourself up, just get up and try again. Don’t stay there and give up, continue and very soon, you’d adapt and it will become easier and easier. 

Well, now that we have established all these, let’s get to the crux of this article.

Habits to Break that Would Drastically Improve Your Life

1. Social Media Addiction

This list would be incomplete without this point, so, we might as well make it the first on the list. Many of us millennials and Gen Zs, especially, can relate to being addicted to social media. But let us start by saying we don’t think there is anything wrong with social media on its own. But anything can be abused and you’d likely agree with us that many people have unfortunately abused social media. That’s why you cannot afford to be addicted to it. 

Addiction to social media will probably cost you your mental health and not to mention, keep you unproductive. You need to learn to control your use of the platforms and not the other way around; don’t let it control you. 

You can start by specifying the number of hours you’d spend there and sticking to it. If this sounds too difficult to do, you can download some of these apps that can help you regulate your time on social media. And as much as you can, don’t bypass them. It’d probably be one of the hardest things you’d ever done for the first few weeks but keep on, you’d soon get used to it. And it’d be one of the best things you’d do for your mental health as well as your productivity. 

2. Poor Financial Literacy

Poor financial decisions are usually a result of financial illiteracy. And one mistake most people make is to think that they are automatically financially literate because they are educated but it doesn’t work that way. 

You need to make efforts to learn how to make money and manage your finances to be good at it. If not, you’d completely miss it. So, don’t be afraid to educate yourself by attending seminars, classes, listening to podcasts, reading books or articles. Thankfully, you can find practically anything on the internet these days. Instead of using it for unproductive things, use it to get materials that will improve your life. 

3. Mediocrity

Nobody should make a habit of being satisfied with whatever comes around or simply put, being mediocre. You cannot afford to pass through life without actually living and living entails getting out of your comfort zone. If you want the quality of your life to improve, you must strive to improve yourself, you must not be okay with being ‘just’ there. So, leave your comfort zone as comfortable as it is and pursue excellence with all your might. Start by giving your best in anything you do instead of just the bare minimum.

4.  Inadequate Routine Exercise 

How many times have you stood by the mirror, judged those extra fats in your body and made a vow to start exercising? How many times have you seen a fit person, admire them and wish you had a body like that? Well, it is time to stop wishing and start doing. Stop planning to start and just start. 

And the good thing is you don’t have to register at the gym to begin. Just go on YouTube and you will find routines you can do at home. So, you have no excuse not to start exercising today. It is also time to do away with the junk foods in your refrigerator and replace them with healthier choices. One great way to stay consistent with this – at least at the beginning – is to get an accountability partner; someone whose determination to get in shape is stronger than yours. 

5. Poor Listening Habits

Being the type of person that loves the sound of your voice more than that of others does more harm than good. Among other things, it jeopardizes your chances of learning anything new and knowing the needs of the people around you. Nobody wants to be around someone that doesn’t let them talk or doesn’t hear them when they do. It is exhausting and such a person would likely not have real friends. Besides that, it affects your ability to learn from others and nobody is an island; we need other people if we will ever have a chance at succeeding in life. 

6. Low Self-Esteem

Having low self-esteem is basically having a poor image of yourself. And the problem with this is you will lack the confidence to demand what you want out of life. Instead, you will constantly downplay yourself and see yourself as no good. You are also likely to blame yourself for everything and won’t even accept compliments because you feel you are not worthy. 

If this is you, the first thing we will say is that you are worthy; worthy of love and all the great things in life. You are just as important as the next person beside you. So, don’t put yourself down. We’d also suggest surrounding yourself only with positive people who love and uplift you. Stay far away from people who constantly put you down. And keep affirming yourself. Additionally, if you can afford it, we’d suggest therapy as well because low self-esteem is usually a result of an experience we had. Nobody was born thinking low of themselves. 

7. Lack of Self-Care

This happens when you get too busy taking care of others and every other thing, neglecting yourself and things pertaining to you. This is something that is more common with women; they’d focus so much on their husbands and children that they’d completely lose themselves in the process. You are just as important. Take care of yourself, you deserve it.

8. Procrastination

If there is one thing that keeps a lot of people from being productive, it has to be procrastination; putting off tasks until the last minute. The truth is that if you constantly wait until the last minute to do anything, you will discover that the right time will never come. There is no perfect time to achieve your tasks. Just get to it. If not, they will keep piling up, and you might never get to it. 

9. Poor Reading Habits

Readers are leaders, and that’s because reading makes you aware, broadens your mind, and shapes your mentality and perception about a lot of things. So, if you want to be a leader, you cannot afford to limit your reading only to the books you had to read in school. You need to be intentional about reading other books. One great way to achieve this if reading doesn’t come easy for you is to read at least, a page or chapter a day. 

10. Zero Rewards for Success

Rewarding yourself encourages you to achieve your next goal. You might not always get rewarded by others but you should treat yourself right. Give yourself a pat on the back when you achieve a certain feat. if you are wondering how to reward yourself, it’s simply splurging on yourself depending on what you can afford and without emptying your account. You can take yourself out, change your wardrobe, buy something you’ve always wanted, go on vacation, or go for a spa treatment. The options are endless. The idea is to do something that makes you happy and puts a smile on your face.