I QUIT
Happy Quitter's Day!
You may have had the same reaction as I did when I first heard the term National Quitter's Day thinking it was fake but it's actually real. National Quitter's Day 2020 is on January 19 and is the day predicted by Strava, a sports network platform, for people to give up on their New Year's resolutions . I've had some time to think in the first few weeks of January and I decided to put a spin to National Quitter's Day and make it the day that I officially KICK bad habits.
Here's What I'm Working on Ditching This Year Starting Today
1. Comparing Myself To People Who Are Not Me- I am no longer using other people as a baseline for where I should be in life. I realized that comparison was really a form of my laziness on another level. Instead of coming up with my own dreams and aspirations, I'd look at the places people traveled, and the goals they achieved and would set out to do something similar to them. I'm going to BE ORIGINAL!!! Marching to the beat of my own drum is my thing and even if the drum doesn't look or sound like someone else's, I'll keep on marching!
2. Participating in Gossip- OH MY GOODNESS!!! Gossip is such a sneaky little creature. I have to be honest, gossip has crept up on me more times than I'd like to admit. It always starts out so innocent and next thing you know it's out of control. I noticed that the gossip I've gotten entangled in has disguised itself as "venting". Either I'm venting my frustrations to someone or someone is telling me of their frustrations. While I believe venting is healthy, I'll be setting more boundaries during my "venting sessions" so that my venting does not contribute to someone talking about someone or me beginning to gossip.
3. Feeling Obligated to Maintain Dead Relationships- I have felt an immense amount of guilt for even thinking about releasing myself from a relationship or friendship that was not compatible. In my mind, I felt like my desire to let go of the friendship/relationship was a form of "ghosting" the person. insert Kandy "The LIES!!" gif My new motto is "If it's not mutually beneficial, forget it!" I'm kidding, but if the relationship is not spurring on my growth or the growth of others, it's time to re-evaluate things.
4.Putting Things Off- I'm not going to even try to downplay this one, I have been a chronic procrastinator for quite some time and I have missed out on so much by waiting until the last minute to try something new. I hesitated to apply for the position, sign up for the class, talk to the mentor and to make the decision and I'm OVER IT! I didn't realize it until I really gave it some thought that my procrastination wasn't because of laziness but because of fear. A lot of my reason for putting things off was rooted in fear; fear of rejection, being scared I'd make a fool of myself or even failing. Going forward, I'll be shooting my shot whenever the opportunity exists.
5. Neglecting Time Alone- I remember coming home from college and feeling alone. Like I didn't know what to do unless I was surrounded by people. It could be because I have gotten older but I actually look forward to quiet moments to pause, reflect and assess how I am doing and how I feel. I lived life to the fullest last year and did more things than I can count; from concerts to traveling to having new experiences, I did it all. I gained a better understanding of what I liked and disliked by experiencing so many things but I didn't focus on taking the time to pause and reflect. This year I will continue to enjoy life but I am making a conscious effort to slow down and spend time enjoying my own company and checking in the way I’d check in on a friend.
The changes I'm making won't be easy but it's worth it. Join me and make Quitter's Day 2020 a positive day by kicking habits that don't benefit or contribute to the best version of yourself.