12 things to stop doing in the next 12 months

It’s the time for new year resolutions. In the next 2-3 days, many will make up their mind to get in shape, eat healthy, quit smoking, get out of debt and so on.

I wrote a post about 12 things to start doing in the next 12 months a couple of days back. But just doing is not enough because there are a lot of things we have to stop doing in order to move ahead. Sometimes the best way to get ahead is to stop doing the things that have been holding us back.

Below is the list of 12 things to stop doing in the next 12 months in order to improve the quality of your life:

1. Don’t expect: Don’t expect and you won’t be disappointed. The more people expect, the more susceptible they are to pain. Expectations when not fulfilled only lead to hurt and disappointment. Expectations reduce joy.
2. Stop procrastination: Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week. It’s just that tomorrow never comes. We all do it. We put off that dreaded task for five more minutes, then for another hour, until it doesn’t get done at all. Stop procrastinating and stop wasting time. Make your time count.
3. Stop complaining: Happiness comes when we stop complaining about the troubles we have and offer thanks for all the troubles we don’t have. Stop complaining, start living.
4. Don’t hoard clutter: We are drowning in our possessions but instead of discarding all that is obsolete, we keep on hoarding clutter. Adding more and more to the already existing stuff only brings discontent, stress and debt.
5. Stop being judgmental: Nobody likes feeling judged. If you look around, you’ll find that most judgmental people are disliked and avoided. Yet none of us can help forming opinions of other people. Stop being so judgmental. Make sure you fix what’s wrong in your life before you start judging others.
6. Don’t under estimate yourself: Stop under-estimating yourself. You’re simply holding yourself back from your full potential. Remember all of your past achievements and remind yourself of all that you are capable of doing. As someone has wisely said, “It’s not who you are that holds you back; it’s who you think you’re not.”
7. Don’t hold grudges: If you really want to be happy, don’t hold grudges. It’s very easy to hold a grudge but very difficult to forgive. But if you keep holding on to grudges, you might be the one who pays most dearly.
8. Stop giving explanations: You’re the only one who has to live with your decisions. Be confident in the choices you make and don’t feel the need to constantly explain them to others. Simply because you like it or this is what your heart tells you to do is more than reason enough.
9. Stop holding onto past: Most of the time in our lives we waste in holding on to regrets, anger or resentment of the past. What is it that you would let go of today that’s holding you back? It may not seem easy, but start taking small steps forward, today. Shut the past and start living in the present.
10. Stop spending time with wrong people: Spend time with positive people who can motivate you, uplift you. We are directly affected by the people we choose to surround ourselves with, so don’t you want to be spending time with good-hearted, go-getters instead of those ‘friends’ who make you feel bad about yourself with backhanded compliments or the people who are always complaining about something or the other?
11. Don’t strive for perfection: Don’t expect perfection from yourself or anybody else. If people can’t handle your imperfections, it is their fault. George Orwell has rightly said, “The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.” The thing that is really hard is giving up on becoming perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.
12. Don’t criticize:  Nobody is perfect in this world. We all have our share of virtues and vices. Instead of looking for faults in others, find faults with yourself. Have patience with all the things but chiefly, have patience with yourself.

© 2017 Shaloo Walia All rights reserved