Habits are routine behaviors that are so ingrained in us that we repeat them on a regular basis. They include such things as our morning routine, gym schedule, and how we begin our workday. Even though most habits are performed without thinking, give this some thought: When was the last time you challenged your routines?

Do your habits serve as a positive tailwind or a damaging headwind? Do they make you more productive and efficient or make it harder for you to accomplish your goals? The fact is, practice doesn’t make perfect if you’re doing it wrong.

Kick Your Bad Habits

The first step in modifying a behavior is recognizing the issue and having a willingness to change. Here are 40 habits that may be holding you back. Do you:

1. Take people and things for granted?
2. Allow yourself to get distracted by trivial things?
3. Fail to keep promises –– to others and to yourself?
4. Talk a good game, but that’s where it ends?
5. Allow jealousy, hatred, and revenge to consume you?
6. Speak before thinking?
7. Blame others for personal setbacks?
8. Overthink things to the point of the absurd?
9. Refuse to do more than is asked?
10. Check items off a to-do list rather than address priorities?
11. Keep score in relationships?
12. Surround yourself with toxic people?
13. Fail to keep problems in perspective?
14. Refuse to admit mistakes or say “I’m sorry”?
15. Offer advice without being asked?
16. Try to please others at the expense of your own needs?
17. Confuse being busy with making progress?
18. See everything as black or white?
19. Refuse to ask others for help?
20. Follow the crowd rather than think for yourself?
21. Refuse to leave your comfort zone?
22. Let your emotions get the best of you?
23. Fail to learn from your mistakes?
24. Put things off?
25. Demand perfection rather than settling for excellence?
26. Try to keep up with the Joneses?
27. Say “yes” when you really want to say “no”?
28. Refuse to let go of the past?
29. Lose patience at the drop of a hat?
30. Avoid difficult situations at all costs?
31. Wait till problems get out of hand before addressing them?
32. Refuse to delegate and let go?
33. Take on everyone’s problems as your own?
34. Beat yourself up for mistakes?
35. Fail to balance work and play?
36. Overcommit yourself to the point of exhaustion?
37. Look down on others?
38. See the glass as half-empty?
39. Quit at the first sign of a problem?
40. Start everything; finish nothing?

Make It a Good Habit

The benefit of a habit is that it enables you to operate on autopilot –– allowing you to focus on things that matter. The disadvantage is that your routines are so “out of sight, out of mind” that you might not notice whether a particular habit is helpful or damaging.

If you’re a creature of habit, hit the pause button and think about your habits. We’re so busy, keeping busy, that we forget the error of our ways. Frank Outlaw, late president of BI-LO Stores, said it well, “Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” Tomorrow, when you put on your shoes, make sure you have them on the right feet, and more importantly, make sure you’re moving in the right direction.

What Do Your Habits Say About You?

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Additional Reading:
Do You Take it For Granted?
Good Relationships Don’t Keep Score
Dilemma: Have To vs. Want To
Say Yes to No
Attention Control Freaks: It’s Time to Delegate
Make It a Habit

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The post What Do Your Habits Say About You? appeared first on Frank Sonnenberg Online.