30 Habits That Create Enormous Distress

Most things in life are the result of choices that we make. In other words, life doesn’t happen to you; it’s created by you. Here are 30 habits that create enormous distress. Do any of these sound familiar?

Do you:

Live beyond your means? When you run out of money, stop buying.

Fail to honor commitments? Keep those promises that you make to others –– and to yourself.

Worry about tomorrow? If you can’t change the outcome, move on to an area within your control.

Dodge personal responsibility? If you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see, don’t blame the mirror. It’s your life to live. Own it!

Take things for granted? Be happy with what you have rather than obsessing about what you don’t.

Fear leaving your comfort zone? The old adage rings true: It’s not the things you do in life that you regret, it’s the things you don’t.

Fail to act? Dreams, unlike eggs, don’t hatch from sitting on them.

Crave approval and validation from others? When you constantly seek approval, you give more weight to another person’s opinion than to your own.

Betray your beliefs and values? Know what matters most to you and be unwilling to compromise those priorities at almost any price.

Compare yourself to others? Don’t compare yourself to others. It only breeds envy and resentment. When you compete with yourself, you both win.

Feel guilty saying “no”? The more you say “no” to things that don’t matter, the more time you have for things that do.

Value possessions over relationships? Moments, rather than possessions, are the true treasures of life.

Criticize yourself? Don’t be too tough on yourself. Why would you say something to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a good friend?

Harbor anger? Set yourself free. Forgiving doesn’t mean forgetting, or approving of, what someone did. It just means that you’re letting go of the anger toward that person.

Think you know everything? When you think you’ve learned it all, you’ll discover how much you really don’t know.

Act like a slave to your money? Money should never become the cornerstone of your life or define you as a person. It’s a means to support yourself and your family.

Feel entitled? People who receive a free lunch end up paying the price. If you’re rewarded without effort, it reduces confidence, promotes dependency, and robs you of your personal dignity.

Set the bar low? It doesn’t cost more to strive for excellence, but if you settle for mediocrity, it’ll cost you dearly.

Keep bad company? Just as toxic waste impacts the environment, toxic people can impact your life.

Need instant gratification? Don’t forgo your long-term dreams to satisfy your short-term desires.

Let success go to your head? Your ego should never equal more than one-half of your accomplishments.

Take, take, take? Greed can be the unwillingness to give OR the willingness to take.

Fail to set priorities? Determine what’s important to you or you’ll react to situations rather than make conscious decisions based on sound reasoning.

Live on the edge? Those living on the edge never fear falling off. When you bet against the statistics, you’ll eventually become one.

Fail to learn from mistakes? Lessons in life will be repeated until they’re learned. How many of these habits create distress in your life?

Fear failure? Mistakes don’t make you a failure, but beating yourself up makes you feel like one.

Live to work? Make a life while making a living.

Act like a show-off? The more you try to impress someone, the less impressive you become.

Follow others’ agendas? When you spend more time doing have-to’s rather than want-to’s, other people’s happiness becomes more important than your own.

Compromise your integrity? Everything has a price, but not everything should be for sale. Listen to your conscience. That’s why you have one.

If some of these habits create distress in your life, determine what you’ll do about it. The choice is yours: Pull out the weeds, or make peace with the dandelions.