10 HABITS to Quit This Year for a better FUTURE
We all have habits. Some good, some bad, some downright destructive. As the new year approaches, many of us naturally reflect on our lives and consider changes for the future.
But this time, rather than making lofty resolutions that quickly fizzle, what if we focused first on letting go? Of shedding what no longer serves us?
As Lao Tzu said:
“When there is no desire, all things are at peace.”
Easier said than done of course! But by quitting just a few habits this year, we may find ourselves floating on more tranquil waters in surprising ways.
So here are 10 habits to consider quitting for a brighter year ahead:
1. Apologizing Excessively
We’ve all dealt with serial apologizers. You know, those folks who say “I’m sorry” constantly for everything from minor incidents to situations utterly outside their control.
While the intentions are good here — who doesn’t appreciate courtesy and humility — compulsive sorries for innocuous things eventually ring hollow. They become meaningless filler words that distract more than mend.
Perhaps we could all be a bit more judicious this year with our apologies. Reserve them for when they count. And consider expressing gratitude instead to balance relationships.
The simple phrase “Thank you for understanding” can work wonders.
2. Being Late
Tardiness is often joked about as no big deal. Perhaps even a lovable quirk for some free spirits. But the truth runs deeper. Being late consistently signals both disrespect and a lack of self-management.
Why should others bear the cost of one’s poor planning? Sure the world won’t end if your perpetually late friend misses the movie previews once again. But over time being endlessly patient with chronic lateness can strain bonds and trust.
Let’s make punctuality a virtue this year. Out of care for others if not for ourselves. And should a delay occur, do let friends and colleagues know ASAP. With sincere thanks and promise it won’t happen again.
3. Checking Phones Compulsively
No one leaves this world wishing they checked social media more. How many days, months, or even years do we lose glancing at screens each day? The average person checks their phone 96 times daily. 96!
What if we dialed way back this year? Not cut out devices completely of course, but limited their hold over us.
Studies show when people temporarily surrender their phones during meals, intimate gatherings, and before bed, they report far less anxiety and more mindfulness.
4. Criticizing Harshly
Critique when artfully expressed can gift needed perspective. But blunt criticism absent care often stems from and leads to, darker places.
It may offer fleeting catharsis for accumulated angst. But over time toxic criticism corrodes relationships and cripples creativity.
This year when you wish to critique, pause first. Consider if it’s necessary or wanted. Check if ego drives its delivery more than help. Lead always with care and questions before judgment.
5. Delaying the Dream
We all likely have a dream deferred. That novel left unwritten, trip eternally postponed for someday, dance class we’ll take next year.
And while prudence helps balance dreams with daily demands, awaiting the ever-perfect time to pursue passion can leave deep regret.
“Someday” may genuinely never arrive — only creeping age that makes once vibrant dreams expire.
Let’s make this the year our dreaming gets off hold! Start somewhere small if needed. Write one poem. Take a tiny step. But rekindle the belief that you deserve fulfillment starting now.
6. Overanalyzing the Past
We’ve all made mistakes of course. Errors of judgment that taught hard lessons. Odds are you rarely repeat the same gaffes though.
Yet how much energy do we still waste re-litigating ancient history vs learning from it and then moving forward? Does obsessive hindsight serve us or stall us?
The ghosts of years ago often reflect more about current mindsets than actual past shames.
This year absolve yourself of old guilts no longer relevant. Let bygones fully rest at last.
7. People Pleasing
Few endeavors exhaust us emotionally and drain sacred time as relentlessly as people-pleasing. That desperate tap dance to earn everyone’s approval always.
But as Maya Angelou noted, such efforts rarely satisfy for long even if “successful”:
Beware of people who stand over you while you crawl. They are not there to lift you up but to stand taller.
This year invest less in chasing shallow nods from fair-weather friends and false allies. Instead, nurture those who celebrate your voice and values without conditions. You’ll breathe easier.
8. Worrying Endlessly
Ancient sages and modern scientists agree — that anxiety changes little while eroding much. Worrying is essentially projecting fears onto the future that leave us unhappier and unclear in the present.
And as Mark Twain quipped:
I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.
Ruminating over contingencies beyond control rarely prevents them anyway. This year when worries strike, pause and find your breath. Then act only on the next steps within reach. The rest will unfold with time, as it always has…
9. Being Right
Few sensations intoxicate like being right when others are so clearly wrong. Ah, sweet smugness…but perhaps not fully earned?
“The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts.”
True wisdom recognizes contexts change and new data reshapes understanding over time. Absolutes often fade. And even when accurate, touting rightness above rapport rarely persuades.
What if this year we drop the need to always be right in favor of learning? Curiosity trumps confirmed certainty nearly every time for growth and connection.
10. Scrolling Endlessly
Doomscrolling has become the preeminent addiction of our unstable age. Incessantly scrolling news, alerts, and other people’s fables seeking the next dopamine rush. But does it bring us closer to truth or even temporary tranquility?
Imagine instead reading deeply this year on themes that nourish. Studies show mere minutes of reading inspiring texts expands creativity for hours afterward. When beguiled by tantalizing headlines, ask what fulfills vs distracts then choose accordingly.
The habits above reflect just a sample of what we might consider dropping to enable rebirth in the coming year. Everyone’s list will be unique of course. But the journey begins by identifying what no longer suits who we wish to become.
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