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Most of us have quite a few default habits that are hindering us from exceeding far beyond our current circumstances.
Whether we realize it or not our habits are the foundation of our lives. In order to live a life of happiness and fulfillment we must first get serious about our daily habits.
Without even getting into the more obvious bad habits like: overeating, lack of exercise, smoking, etc., I’m going to dive into some of the not so obvious habits many of us have that are holding us back from achieving greatness.
Here are five habits that sabotage your ability to reach your full potential.
1.PROCRASTINATION
I knew this negative habit all too well for a very long time. I used to procrastinate on everything whether it be writing college papers, going food shopping, doing laundry, you name it.
There seemed to be something so comforting around putting things off for one more day. Until that next day came and the shame and guilt around my procrastination started to build.
What a terrible feeling it is when you know you should be doing something important, but for whatever reason your mind just doesn’t want to do it.
One of the ways I’ve learned to overcome my procrastination is to build positive habits and rituals into my day.
For example, with writing for this blog it would be very easy to procrastinate writing posts every week if I didn’t have a specific time slot everyday that I devote to my writing.
By scheduling it in your calendar or making a list of what you need to accomplish for the week ahead of time, it motivates you to act rather than procrastinate.
It also helps to put an X in your calendar each day that you follow through on a task like working on a project or exercising.
Once you create this link of following through, you won’t want to break the chain so you will be more inclined to continue to act rather than procrastinate.
This is a great way to get in the habit of doing the activities you may not always feel like doing, but know you need to do.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
2.SELF-DOUBT
It’s no secret that self-doubt is one of the biggest hinderances we face on a daily basis when it comes to chasing our dreams.
Self-doubt is the echo of criticism that steals our joy and prevents us from having the life we want.
It drags us down the path of “what ifs?” and clouds our ability to make decisions that would allow us to reveal our true potential. It’s the limiting belief that we are not worthy of the life we say we want.
The stories we tell ourselves are critical to our success and happiness.
When we learn to push past self-doubt and feel the discomfort of leveling up we experience more confidence and reassurance in our abilities.
Self-doubt may always be in the back of our minds, but it’s our job to stay conscious of this voice inside our heads and to override it.
Success requires saying yes to the things that frighten us and that we may not be entirely prepared for. We must learn to trust in our ability to figure things out along the way.
3.PERFECTIONISM
Rather than truly be seen and reveal our raw and authentic selves, perfectionism allows us to show only our best qualities.
It’s the opposite of vulnerability.
It’s our way of hiding from the world. We fear judgement, so in an effort to hide we strive for perfection.
It feels safe to only show the world what we want them to see. This hiding prevents us from having true connection and intimacy with others.
It holds us back from connecting on a much deeper level and sharing our struggles. With vulnerability we take off the masks and show our true selves.
In a book called, Perfectly Hidden Depression, the author describes our struggle with perfectionism: “There’s a specific battle going on inside of you between two voices. The evil wolf’s voice demands more perfection and more covering up, while the good wolf’s voice has been quietly building strength through the years….It’s saying, “Risk leaning into your fear of vulnerability.”
This is most definitely still a struggle for me, as I’m sure it is for many people. The best thing we can do is work on taking off the masks one layer at a time.
4.COMPARISON
If there’s one thing that will certainly hold us back from achieving success it’s the habit of incessantly comparing ourselves to others.
It’s easy to get caught up in the constant pressure to keep up with the Joneses, but it’s a detriment to our own success.
It’s no wonder we compare our looks, status, and relationships to others as consumerism feeds into our deepest darkest insecurities and encourages us to look outside of ourselves for validation.
However, this is a fast track to misery. In order to fully dive into our own craft and gifts we must learn to practice staying in our own lane.
Its better to have tunnel vision and avoid spending too much time looking at what other people are doing.
Keep in mind, things aren’t always what we perceive them to be from the outside.
“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”
5.Stress & Burnout
Tony Robbins says “success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure.”
What is a prosperous life worth living if we aren’t happy and healthy along the way?
Oftentimes, we feel the pressure to work really hard at reaching a pinnacle of success, but it’s important that we evaluate how that external success is affecting us physically, mentally, and emotionally.
If we want to achieve true fulfillment its important to be mindful of our body, mind and spirit. Not just our bank account, social status, or career title.
Don’t allow the pressures of society to weigh you down.
Work on eliminating one negative habit at a time.
Which habit resonates with you the most? Share in the comments below.
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