Life is built on routines. It\u2019s easy to go years\u2014or even decades\u2014without consciously assessing what\u2019s working and what\u2019s not. As a result, many of us are surrounded by people, obligations, objects, and habits that aren\u2019t exactly making our lives better (far from it!). Well, no more. With a new year upon us, it\u2019s the perfect time to take a fresh look at your daily existence\u2014and drop all the dead weight that\u2019s holding you back.<\/p>\n
We tend to think of \u201cquitting\u201d as a bad thing, but the fact is, the things that used to<\/em> fit well into your life may not be honoring who you are now. It\u2019s very important to live on purpose, not by accident. So instead of piling even more responsibilities onto your plate in the form of overly ambitious New Year\u2019s resolutions, resolve to become a quitter in 2016. Here are seven habits and behaviors you might want to consider leaving behind:<\/p>\n Quit making excuses about your health.<\/strong> Have you been meaning to lose a few pounds (for the last 10 years)? It\u2019s so easy to bump exercise and healthy eating to the bottom of your to-do list. There are usually so many other tasks that seem<\/em> more pressing: Get that report to the boss. Set up a time to get the car inspected. Make sure the kids get to cello lessons on time.<\/em> Meanwhile, you tell yourself, I\u2019ll start going to spin class next week.<\/em> Problem is, \u201cnext week\u201d never arrives.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t like the number you see on the scale, it\u2019s time for the excuses to stop, regardless of how legitimate they are. And there\u2019s a good reason for this tough love: Your weight isn\u2019t just about your silhouette\u2014it\u2019s about your health, your energy level, and your confidence, too.<\/p>\n Quit burning the candle at both ends.<\/strong> Do you pack your days too full and get too little sleep in order to accomplish everything you want to? You may think<\/em> you\u2019re getting ahead, but in reality, you\u2019re hurting your quality of life. There are more studies coming out each year that affirm the health benefits of getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night.<\/p>\n If you make taking care of yourself more of a priority, you\u2019ll feel better about taking care of other people and have more energy throughout the day. Taking time for yourself isn\u2019t selfish; it\u2019s healthy and necessary. Whether you spend a day at the spa or simply take ten minutes to purchase and enjoy a cup of hot tea in the midst of running errands, investing in yourself will make you more resilient and will also reduce your stress and tension.<\/p>\n Quit spending so much time with people who don\u2019t enrich your life.<\/strong> How many people do you regularly spend time with\u2014even though you don\u2019t really want to? You know the ones: Perhaps your sister-in-law constantly asks to get together, but spends the entire time criticizing everything from your clothes to your career to your parenting. Or maybe a certain frenemy peppers the conversation with backhanded compliments and one-upmanship, making you feel like your whole life has been one long series of bad decisions.<\/p>\n People with whom you feel obligated to spend time can suck up your energy and positive outlook, dragging down an otherwise great day or week. Often it\u2019s impossible to back out of the relationship entirely, but there are<\/em> things you can do to minimize its negative impact on your life. First, make sure you have set up clear boundaries. In some cases, people might not realize how bad they\u2019re making you feel! And second, remember that you can gracefully say no to one social activity while accepting another, more positive one.<\/p>\n Quit saying yes to everything.<\/strong> Many of us have trouble saying no for a variety of reasons: We don\u2019t want to let others down, we don\u2019t want to be seen as weak, we\u2019re afraid to refuse, etc. However, until you learn to say no when you need to, you\u2019ll never be in the driver\u2019s seat of your own life.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to chair every event, take on every project, host every party, participate in every activity, and accept every invitation. Remember, you\u2014not your boss, your friend, or your child\u2019s teacher\u2014are in charge of your calendar. Right now, as 2016 is just beginning, decide ahead of time<\/em> what\u2019s most important to you and prioritize those things. Then you can feel okay about saying no to some of the rest.<\/p>\n Quit at least one bad habit.<\/strong> Maybe you\u2019re always running late, or you\u2019ve been overspending lately. Perhaps you tend to procrastinate on big projects until the last minute, or you stuff yourself with junk food when you\u2019re stressed.<\/p>\n To start, pick one bad habit\u2014something that causes you a lot of stress would be a good choice. Then design a game plan that will enable you to kick it once and for all. For instance, if you\u2019re always dragging into work late, you might set out your clothes and pack your lunch the night before, wake up 15 minutes earlier, and refrain from turning on the TV until after<\/em> you\u2019re showered and dressed. You\u2019ll probably find that in most instances, summoning the motivation to change and taking that first step are the hardest parts!<\/p>\n Quit looking \u201cgood enough.\u201d<\/strong> Most of us will never be runway models, but that\u2019s no reason to settle for a humdrum, forgettable appearance. Wearing clothes (or a haircut, or makeup) that are dated, not flattering, or \u201cgood enough\u201d isn\u2019t doing your self-image any favors. And like it or not, people really do judge a book by its cover. Don\u2019t you want to make an impression that clearly communicates your drive, personality, and confidence?<\/p>\n Get clear on colors and styles that are most flattering for your age, coloring, and body type, and stick with those guidelines whenever you make a new purchase. You might also want to ask a trusted friend for honest advice. But if you want more personalized results, I recommend working with an image consultant whose trained eye can help you to look your absolute best.<\/p>\n Quit spending so much time inside.<\/strong> This year, make a resolution to get more fresh air. Take a walk, run, or bike ride a few times each week\u2014or just sit in a local park or on your back porch while reading a book. Getting out of your office or living room will help you think about yourself and your life from a whole new perspective.<\/p>\n Spending time outside helps you clear your mind, makes you feel more energized, and improves your health. What\u2019s more, doing even the most minimal exercise outdoors helps emphasize the need to drink more water and take care of your skin with sunscreen and moisturizer. And if you\u2019re anything like me, seeing the beautiful pictures that only nature can paint will put you in a great mood for the whole day. It\u2019s a totally different experience than sitting on the couch to watch a movie. Life is built on routines. It\u2019s easy to go years\u2014or even decades\u2014without consciously assessing what\u2019s working and what\u2019s not. As a result, many of us are surrounded by people, obligations, objects, and habits that aren\u2019t exactly making our lives better (far from it!). Well, no more. With a new year upon us, it\u2019s the perfect […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,35,26,36,47,55,30,125,48],"tags":[119,103,93,104,114,57,98,126,115],"class_list":["post-355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-communication","category-confidence","category-exercise","category-honesty","category-image","category-mind-body-soul","category-rejuvenate","category-resolutions","category-stress","tag-communication","tag-confidence","tag-exercise","tag-honesty","tag-image","tag-mind-body-soul-2","tag-rejuvenate","tag-resolutions","tag-stress","wpbf-post"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=355"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":356,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/355\/revisions\/356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marlatomazin.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThe beginning of a brand new year is the perfect time to reassess your life. Instead of adding more<\/em> things to your 2016 to-do list, do yourself a favor and jettison what\u2019s no longer working for you. When you get rid of habits, mindsets, and behaviors that are dragging you down, you\u2019ll make room for new things that make you feel good and help you grow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"