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5 Habits You Must Give Up to Become Successful and Get What You Want From Life

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how to give up bad habits

Happiness, success, and fulfillment have different interpretations around the world, yet they are all labels we wish to claim. When it comes to achieving our dreams, we’re our best friend and biggest critic.

Goals are naturally challenging; the last thing we want to do is hinder our efforts with harmful habits. Each time we starve off a negative habit, we allow more room to feed a positive one. Good or bad, habits are all around us. Habits influence our days, which then shape how we live our life.

Below, are 5 of the most common destructive habits and what you can do to reclaim your success once and for all:

1. Using electronics in bed

Problem: Using electronics in bed can be the most deceiving habit of all. It’s fun, addictive, and seems harmless. After all, we are all guilty of this from time to time. We should just consider this reasonable and brush it off, right? While this excuse feels good right now, the habit will make us feel worse in the long run. Our phones steal our rest at night, and attention in the morning.

Solution: Make your phone stay on the other side of the room. It’ll tempt you with notifications and endless entertainment, but you’re better than that. Declare your bed as a phone-free zone. Not only will this make you victorious, but you’ll reclaim time and energy as a result. By the time you greet your phone to mute the alarm, you’ll be up and ready to conquer the day.

2. Procrastinating

Problem: Everyone has a few dreadful tasks on their to-do list. We all have things we know must be done, but we don’t like to do them. When we put these tasks off, we’re letting fear and anxiety win the battle. In the meantime, our dreams, hopes, and ambitions are held hostage.

Solution: Isn’t life complicated enough without additional setbacks? Life is too short to procrastinate; get to work and make things happen. Start off small and build your way up. The first step is often the most intimidating. Get past step one, and the world is yours!

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” – Abraham Lincoln

3. Eating junk food

Problem: Our body needs food to nourish our cells and get the energy we need. When we think about how food helps compose our muscles and bones over time, the adage, “you are what you eat” doesn’t fall far from the truth. Junk food is convenient, but it’s ultimately junk. The only thing junk food gives us are problems down the road.

Solution: Do yourself a favor and eat healthy food to get the energy and vitamins you need. There are thousands of recipes online, so find recipes with healthy food you enjoy and start cooking. Start off with one healthy meal per day, and go from there.

4. Thinking negative thoughts

Problem: Food fuels our body and thoughts fuel our mind. The mind is our control center for life. If we feed ourselves negative thoughts, we’ll create negative beliefs as a result.

Solution: To be successful, we have to believe in ourselves. We need to change the way we think. If you wouldn’t mistreat a friend, why would you mistreat treat yourself that way? We are not our thoughts or our past. The future is a blank slate. Fill your mind with positive moments in the present moment to give yourself the best chance to lead a bright future.

5. Staying In our comfort zone

Problem: As infants, we always try new things and explore the world around us. Once we get older, our willingness to try new things and take new adventures begins to shrink. The fear of failure looms like a dark cloud, and we retreat to our comfort zones. Our comfort zone is safe, familiar, and where we feel best.

Solution: To become our best, we have to be willing to grow and try new things. We may embrace failure, but no one is born as an expert at anything. Even the best had to start off from scratch, just like you.

Over time, things that were once outside our comfort zone will become comfortable. This is a sign we are expanding our comfort zone, but we must do this repeatedly to grow.

We don’t have to do anything extreme to step outside our comfort zone. We hear stories about people making radical changes, like quitting their job or moving overseas. We can still step outside of our comfort zone by taking small steps forward. Talk to someone new. Take a new route to the store. Try new food. See how this feels, and imagine what other possibilities are out there.

“Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” – Brian Tracy

Advice on your habit journey

As Elon Musk once said, “Constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.” When we apply this idea to every area of our lives, the possibilities are endless. These habits are a great way to reduce the chaos and self-sabotage in life, but it is by no means an exhaustive list.

We always need to determine what works, what doesn’t, and toss out the rest. Everyone is going to be different, so don’t be afraid to try different things and see what works best for you. Habits are powerful, use them wisely.

How do you make sure you maintain good habits? Share your thoughts with us below!

Andrew Rocha writes at Successful Steps, where his shared passion for personal development and success stems from the desire to be happy and make the most out of life. When he is not writing, he enjoys going on walks and listening to podcasts.

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Success Advice

Why One-Size-Fits-All Leadership Will Always Fail (and What Works Instead)

The surprising truth about leadership styles that can make or break your team’s success.

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Why one-size-fits-all leadership doesn’t work
Image Credit: Midjourney

Leadership has always been as much about people as it is about performance. Ken Blanchard, in his influential book, “The One Minute Manager”, put it simply: different strokes for different folks. (more…)

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What Every New CEO Must Do in Their First 100 Days (or Risk Failure)

Your first 100 days as CEO could define your entire legacy, here’s how to make every move count

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When Tim Cook took over from Steve Jobs at Apple, the world watched with bated breath. Jobs wasn’t just a CEO; he was a visionary, an icon, and a legend of innovative leadership. (more…)

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Entrepreneurs

The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025

Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

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Bridging the gap between employees and employers
Image Credit: Midjourney

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”

While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.

Why This Gap Exists

Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.

What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.

Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap

Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.

1. Practice Mutual Empathy

Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.

2. Maintain Professional Boundaries

Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.

3. Follow the Golden Rule

Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.

4. Avoid Micromanagement

Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.

5. Empower Employees to Grow

Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.

6. Communicate in All Directions

Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.

7. Overcome Insecurities

Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.

8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship

True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.

9. Eliminate Favoritism

Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.

10. Recognize Efforts Promptly

Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.

11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews

When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.

12. Provide Leadership Development

Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.

13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles

Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.

The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role

Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:

  • Build diverse talent pipelines

  • Embrace flexible work models

  • Design compelling career paths

  • Simplify HR processes

  • Redefine the value HR brings

The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.

Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff

When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.

Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.

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Entrepreneurs

What Makes an Entrepreneurial Leader? Traits of the World’s Best Innovators

Inside the mindset of entrepreneurial leaders who transform risk, passion, and vision into world-changing results.

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entrepreneurial leadership skills and traits
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