In January, we typically look back over the previous 12 months and contemplate what we intend to do differently in the upcoming year. (Curiously, these resolutions are often the same ones we made and abandoned the year before!). With 2020 behind us—and none too soon, you’ll probably agree—you have a chance to take a different approach this year.
Rather than adding to your already jam-packed to-do list, look for what you’ve been doing that isn’t serving you well. Then quit doing it.
Many people found that 2020 stripped away their illusions and showed them the parts of their lives that aren’t working. Wherever you’re suffering—finances, lifestyle, relationships, spirituality—if you dig down to the root you might find the problem is you’ve bought into a cultural narrative that tells you to hustle, grind, stay busy, and keep pursuing more.
Not only does blind pursuit of “the American Dream” not lead to happiness, it actively detracts from it. Thus, it stands to reason that we need to slow down, take an honest look at our choices, and stop the proverbial madness.
We are taught that quitters never win. Well, sometimes they do!
We all need to challenge ourselves to consider what we really desire out of life. Many Americans blindly pursue financial wealth—thinking that money will reward them with what they want. But we may discover that our heart’s desire is to become more than just a Millionaire…what we really desire is to become a Lifeonaire.
Here are 7 things you should quit doing in 2021.
1. QUIT using money as a metric to measure how successful you are.
You should not stop doing smart things with your money, but do stop measuring your success on it. Chances are there are many people that have much more than you yet are still not happy. At all.
One thing I have discovered in my years of coaching wealthy people is that they never seem to have enough. They measure their success based off of how much they have and consequently they never have enough. This measure itself leads to discontentment.
2. QUIT taking on debt.
Most every person that I talk to would like to eliminate all of their debt, however most of those people will go deeper into debt in the following year. They will convince themselves that they need something enough that it is worth going into debt for.
Marketers will do whatever they have to in order to get you to buy their products and services; they really don’t care that you want to be debt free. Make it a point to stop borrowing money this year. You will find that there are things that you can actually live without, and it is the first step toward becoming debt free.
3. QUIT trying to keep up with the Joneses.
It’s a game that you cannot win! Whenever you compare yourself to someone else, you will always find someone that has something bigger, better, prettier, or newer than what you have. It’s a very slippery slope to be on. Instead learn to be grateful for and content with what you have.
