things to give up to have a happier life

“When you stop chasing the wrong things, you give the right things a chance to catch you.”

  1. Give up trying to be perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.
  2. Give up comparing yourself to others. – The only person you are competing with is yourself.
  3. Give up dwelling on the past or worrying too much about the future. – The present moment is the only guarantee. Life is happening right now. Be a part of it.
  4. Give up complaining. – Be a part of the solution, not the problem.
  5. Give up holding grudges. – Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness.
  6. Give up waiting. – Napoleon Hill said it perfectly, “Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.”
  7. Give up lying. – In the long-run the truth always reveals itself.  Either you own up to your actions or your actions will ultimately own you.
  8. Give up trying to avoid mistakes. – The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to not make any and play it safe. Mistakes are simply opportunities disguised as challenges.
  9. Give up saying, “I can’t.” – As Henry Ford put it, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.”
  10. Give up trying to be everything to everyone. – The quickest path to both failure and exhaustion is trying to please everyone all the time.
  11. Give up thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises.  Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
  12. Give up setting small goals for yourself. – Many people set small goals because they’re afraid to fail and as result focus on the little ones while ignoring the bigger picture.
  13. Give up trying to do everything by yourself. – You are the sum of the people you spend the most time with.  It’ okay, in fact it’s better than okay to seek the support of others. In the end, you will be far more capable and powerful than you ever could have been alone.
  14. Give up buying things you don’t need. – Manage your money wisely so your money does not manage you.  Do not spend to impress others.  Remember, most people buy stuff with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t know.
  15. Give up blaming others for your troubles. – When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life and play the victim card.
  16. Give up making mountains out of molehills. – One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time?  Three years?  Five years?  If not, then it’s not worth worrying about. Simply put, step over the molehill instead of climbing over it.
  17. Give up trying to live up to the expectations of others. – Avoid the slippery slope to nowhere. Work on it for real and exceed your own expectations.  Everything else will fall into place.
  18. Give up the ‘easy street’ mentality. – There is too much emphasis on finding a ‘quick fix’ in today’s society.  No amount of magic fairy dust replaces diligent, focused, hard work. I repeat, there is no magic pill.
  19. Give up making promises you can’t keep. – Don’t over-promise.  The saying goes, “it’s better to under promise and over deliver.” It’s always better to keep your word, manage your integrity and ensure your looked at as accountable.
  20. Give up letting your thoughts and feelings bottle up inside. – People are not mind readers.  They will never know how you feel unless you tell them. Find a healthy outlet no matter what it takes.
  21. Give up beating around the bush. – Say what you mean and mean what you say.  Don’t assume anything or anyone when it comes to effective communication.
  22. Give up avoiding change. – However good or bad a situation is now, it will change.  That’s the one thing you can count on.  Learn to embrace change and realize that change always happens for reason.
  23. Give up your sense of entitlement. – There is no away around it but the mere fact that no one person is entitled to anything in this world.
  24. Give up waiting until the last minute. – Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.
  25. Give up being dramatic. – It’s a trap. Drama is toxic and you should never invite that toxicity into your life both personally or professionally.
  26. Give up junk food. – Take a look at some of the most healthy people around and surely you will find healthy eating habits. In the end, you are what you eat.
  27. Give up eating as a means of entertainment. – Don’t eat when you’re bored.  Eat when you’re hungry. Many times you are actually thirsty and not hungry at all. Next time try an 8oz glass of water versus 8 slices of pizza.
  28. Give up foolish habits that you know are foolish. – Don’t text and drive.  Don’t drink and drive…basically don’t put your life or others at risk. It’s not worth it.
  29. Give up relationships with people who bring you down. – Saying “no” to right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to right ones.
  30. Give up being shy. – Network with people. Smile and by all means be proactive in meeting new people.
  31. Give up worrying about what others think of you. – Unless you’re trying to make a great first impression, don’t let the opinions of others stand in your way.  What they think and say about you isn’t important.  What is important is how you feel about yourself.
  32. Give up trying to control everything. –Control is ultimately an illusion. Focus on what you can actually control such as your thoughts and emotions. Leave the rest of it up to the powers that be and trust that whatever happens, there is a reason for it (regardless if you know why).
  33. Give up doing the same thing over and over again. – In order to grow, you must expand your horizons and break free of your comfort zone.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
  34. Give up following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy but it’s also not impossible. If you want to achieve something worthwhile, then you will have to put in a little extra – hence living an “extraordinary” life.
  35. Give up persistent multi-tasking. – Do one thing at a time and do it right. There is enough data, research and neuroscience to prove this false – if you don’t believe me, try looking it up while you continue to read this post.
  36. Give up thinking others are luckier than you. – The harder you work, the luckier you will become.
  37. Give up making emotional decisions. – Don’t let your emotions trump your intelligence.  Never make permanent decisions from an emotional place.
  38. Give up doing the wrong things just because you can get away with it. – Just because you can get away with something doesn’t mean you should do it.   Do what you know in your heart is right.
  39. Give up focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Whatever you mind decides is what you will ultimately collect evidence to support.  Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.
  40. Give up taking yourself so seriously. – Few others do anyway.  Learn the art of humility and you will be surprised in the end that most of the stuff that we worry about rarely ever happens.
  41. Give up spending your life working in a career field you’re not passionate about. – Life is too short for spending valuable time doing something you dislike.  The right career choice is based on finding something you love doing.  So if you catch yourself working hard and loving every minute of it, don’t stop.
  42. Give up thinking about the things you don’t have. – Appreciate everything you do have.  Many people aren’t so lucky, in fact there is someone out there right now who has less than you but may be happier.
  43. Give up doubting others. – Remember, the one who says it can’t be done should never interrupt the one doing it.
  44. Give up trying to fit in. – Don’t mold yourself into someone you’re not.  Be yourself.  Oftentimes, once you look and act like everyone else, those same people will have easier time ignoring you.
  45. Give up trying to be different for the sake of being different. – When people try too hard to be different, they usually end up being just like everyone else who is trying to be different.  Stop posing and start possessing your own unique qualities.

This list has appeared in a variety of forms and places online without original credit. The fact still remains that these tips are powerful reminders for all of us to remember as we go about living and creating powerful lives filled with love, learning and happiness.