Ah yes, New Year’s Resolutions, just another way to disappoint yourself and pretend to actually be productive. Instead of resolving to do things, why not attempt to stop doing negative things instead? These things to stop doing this year are sure to brighten your life and make it better, plus, they sound a lot better than making a New Year’s Resolution.
I very clearly recall making new resolutions each year, keeping them diligently throughout January, but then forgetting or giving up by February. I don’t know what it is about the new year that causes everyone to thirst for a fresh start, but sometimes it might be easier to cut down on the bad rather than attempt to add on the good. These things to stop doing this year are sure to brighten your life and make it better, plus, they sound a lot better than making a New Year’s Resolution.
1. Saying “Let’s hang out!” and never actually making plans.
This phrase and every variation of it is almost like a kiss of death. We all have heard or said or typed the dreaded, “OMG! We have to hang out soon” and never followed up.
To stop doing this annoying habit, you can either stop saying you’d like to make plans when you know you genuinely don’t care enough to make plans with the person or you can, you know, actually make plans. If someone says this phrase to you and you genuinely have an interest in seeing them, reply with a variation of, “Yes! When are you free this week to grab coffee?”
2. Letting your phone screen be the last thing you see before you fall asleep.
We all know how bad this is and yet we always fall asleep scrolling through our phones anyway. A good way to prevent this is to place your phone far away from you at night and set it to “Do Not Disturb.” If you avoid bringing it to bed with you, the chances of you actually getting up out of your cozy nest to go grab your phone are minimal.
3. Pressing Snooze.
By doing what I suggested in number two, you’ll also prevent your tired ass pressing snooze in the morning. You’ll have to get up and walk across the room to hit snooze, so you’ll have to get up no matter what you decide.
4. Keeping everything.
Minimalism is in and although I’m not a minimalist and I’m horrible at getting rid of things, I’m getting better. Seriously, if I, someone who still has Valentine cards from first grade, can stop keeping everything, you can, too. If you’re not sure where to start, my Hoarder’s Guide to Getting Rid of Junk is incredibly helpful, especially if you’re a bit of pack rat or have trouble throwing things away.
5. Procrastinating assignments and deadlines.
Life is far less stressful and anxiety-inducing when you can complete projects in advance and can avoid working on things hours before you have to submit them. While this isn’t always possible, making efforts to get things done even two nights before instead of the night before is a great step. My blog post entitled 10 Ways to Stop Procrastinating is a great place to start.
6. Forgetting important details of friends’ and family’s lives.
This is the kind of thing you can sneakily keep track of in your If your friend has a concert or huge exam coming up, it never hurts to wish them good luck.
{ Related: 13 Ways to Be a Better Friend }
7. Saying no out of fear.
We all miss out on so many opportunities and experiences because we’re afraid, but sometimes it’s best to throw caution to the wind, say “Fuck it!” and just do it. Before you say no to an opportunity or experience, ask yourself why you’re saying no. If it’s because you genuinely have other plans or can’t afford it, that’s fine but if it’s because you’re afraid, dare yourself to just say yes!
8. Making excuses.
Be honest with yourself and others when possible. If the reason you haven’t finished updating your resume is because you’re “so busy” but you can’t actually list a single thing you actually are doing, you’re just making excuses. It’s okay to put things off occasionally, but at least acknowledge that you’re doing just that instead of making excuses as to why you’re not doing them.
9. Using your purse/backpack as a trashcan/endless void.
Stop shoving crumpled receipts, loose change, gum wrappers and other miscellaneous oddities into your bags. If you know you won’t need your Starbucks receipt (are you going to return the latte you just chugged?), throw it away instead of shoving it in your purse.
Alternatively, you can also find a better system. Dedicate a pocket or small organizer to receipts or get a change purse for loose coins. Find organization solutions for your bags and clean them out often to avoid carrying around more weight and making it more difficult to find anything.
10. Wasting money.
In terms of things to stop, this is something you can do in a small way or in a huge way. This can be cutting out the daily Starbucks, buying makeup dupes instead of high-end products, using the library instead of buying books and so on.
Instead of trying to immediately save a ton of money, you can just make small swaps that will prevent you from wasting money in the long run. You can also just be more conscious of your spending and keep better track of your funds.
{ Related: Money Saving Shopping Tips }
12. Doing homework/work in your bed.
Your bed is for sleep and by doing work in your bed, your brain and body are probably getting confused about when to turn off or be on. Use your desk for work and if you don’t have a desk, head to the library or even the kitchen table.
13. Putting off your adventures for some other day.
Go Now! Book the thing you’ve been waiting to book and go to the places you’ve been waiting to go to. If it’s not financially possible for you, at least attempt to make a more concrete saving plan to achieve the funds for that trip. Make it more real instead of a distant “someday.”
What do you want to stop doing this year?
