Five Bad Mental Habits to Overcome in 2017

You’ve probably made some resolutions for the new year and set goals to accomplish them.  As January draws to a close it’s a good time to review those goals, and reflect on what else you can change in 2017.

It’s very easy to sabotage yourself if you don’t have the right mental attitude. Even one bad mental habit can outweigh your good ones and prevent you from reaching your goals. Bad habits can make you waste time and work less efficiently, and it is worth focusing on eliminating these five habits so you can meet the goals you’ve set for yourself.

Challenge beliefs that limit you

Everyone has experienced a self-limiting belief at some point in their lives. Perhaps your start-up is going through a rough patch and you think you’re not capable of running a successful business, or you’ve put off applying for a much-needed bank loan to help finance your growing business because you’re afraid the bank will reject your application. These self-limited beliefs will change from fears to reality if you don’t challenge them. It may be difficult at first, but act to prove yourself wrong by taking one step at a time. The more you challenge your self-limiting beliefs successfully, the easier it becomes to make decisions with confidence, and you’ll experience fewer self-limiting beliefs as you pursue your goals.

Stop being a victim

When something goes wrong, it’s very easy to blame someone else for it. When you do that, you’re not taking responsibility for your actions. No matter what the circumstances, you always have choices, but if you blame others, all you’re doing is accepting things the way they are. Empower yourself and take control if you want to overcome the challenges facing you.

Show yourself some compassion

Nobody is perfect, so eventually, you will make a mistake. Calling yourself stupid is not doing to fix the mistake, and such behavior will only lower your self-esteem, making you feel less motivated and hindering your work performance. Be kind to yourself and show yourself some compassion. You should be realistic and admit that you made a mistake, but don’t be overly self-critical. Tell yourself that everyone makes a mistake occasionally, and treat the event as a learning experience so you won’t make the same mistake again.

Become your future self

You may want to change some aspect of your life, such as becoming more productive in the morning; however, just wishing you could make a change is not going to make it happen – you need to do something about it. The best way to accomplish this is to behave like you want yourself to become. It sounds simplistic, but it’s not. Taking that first step to change can be very difficult, so you need to motivate yourself to start acting in a new way. Keep at it, and before you know it, change will morph into a consistent new routine.

Be mindful of the moment

If you’re not careful, you can waste a lot of time wishing you had acted differently in the past or worrying about what the future will be like, but you need to remember that the present is when you can act to make changes and achieve your goals. It takes practice to be mindful of the moment, but the benefits are worthwhile. Mindfulness sharpens your ability to focus on what’s important and improves both your work habits and your interpersonal relationships.

Think positively, and you’ll accomplish your goals.