Happier, Healthier, and More Productive by Quitting…

Happier, healthier, and more productive…Don’t we all want that?

Most self-help advice seems to be focused on adding things to your life: a new routine, or more exercise, or more communication, or more skill development.  But, adding more and more to our life can be daunting and downright overwhelming.

Sometimes the best approach is to be a quitter!

Quit These 4 Things

1. Allowing Others to Control Your Time

This is #1 on the list for a reason: It may be the most insidious thing we do to ourselves.

You have the same 24 hours in a day that people like Richard Branson, and Dr. Oz, and Tim Ferris do. The reason they seem to have the time to not only be awesome professionally, but have awesome lifestyles as well is that they control their own time.

Realizing you control your own time is one of the most liberating feelings in the world.

Here are some practical tips to consider right away:

• Prioritize and focus your efforts according to the Eisenhower Principle.
• Block out a period of focus or “you” time on each day’s calendar and turn off notifications on ALL of your devices during this time. Actually put this in your calendar so other’s cannot schedule you for a meeting during this time.
• Only accept meetings for which YOU are actually required.  Just because someone has invited you to a meeting does not mean you have to attend.
• Learn to say “no”.  No is the most powerful word you can learn for controlling your own time.

If you are interested in more depth on this topic, checkout the free video on how to control your time at the bottom on this page.

2. Trying to Please Everyone

Warning: This one takes courage!

You’ve heard this one before, and you know it in your brain. But its so darn HARD emotionally!

Its hard because most of us really do want to make others happy. We love our people, whomever they are. Plus, we are uncomfortable when we anger, or disappoint another person.

Ironically…them…out there (physically or virtually)…don’t appreciate your efforts anyway. They’re busy with their own lives.

In reality, your creation, your message, or your service is not actually meant for everyone. If you dumb it down, or you change it, or you try to appeal to the masses, you will miss the mark. You will not actually help the people who can most benefit from you.

So what do you do instead?

Go be your authentic self. And work on that self daily. The more you grow into yourself, the happier you will become. Yes, you will repel some….but you will also attract the right ones.

Embrace the uncomfortable. Embrace the haters.

3. Comparing Yourself To Others

Ahh…social media.  The great enabler and the great mindset sucker. Actually, social media didn’t invent comparitus, but it sure has raised it’s power to the stratosphere.

There are 2 quotes that I love and I think are compelling for awareness:

A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it, it just blooms – Zen Shin

Exactly. You are unique, you have your own journey, your own gifts, and your own desires.

[Stop comparing] your behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel – Steve Furtick

What you see…parked in the driveway, posted on social media, sitting in the corner office, and discussed at the party…is simply the highlight reel.

Here are 3 things you can do today to help you stop comparing yourself to others:

• Focus on your activities, not your results – You can’t control your results, only the activities that lead to results. Eat better, exercise, make the sales calls, create the content, follow up…whatever the right activities for you are.  Ensure you are doing the those things every day, and the results will come.
• Stop scrolling through the social media feed (or take a break all together) – Who else finds themselves depressed by scrolling through the social media highlight reel? You can stop…you have the power.  Even if social media is necessary to your business, you don’t have to be a consumer.  You can be the creator.  You know the difference between work and personal.
• Daily intentional gratitude – Just take 5 minutes a day and write down 3-5 things for which you are thankful. Over time, you can’t help but feel better about your personal situation.

Remember, you can model your path after another, but you can never repeat it. Walk your own path.

4. Putting Others on a Pedestal

Who is it? Actually, it doesn’t matter. He or she is NOT better than you. End of story.

The person you put on the pedestal also has daily struggles…also requires guidance…also needs love…also must make a living…also doesn’t always know the answer…also feels unworthy…also likes cheeseburgers and french fries.

Here’s one I love:

Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future – Oscar Wilde

When you put someone up there, you hold them to a higher and potentially unworthy standard. You are actually not seeing them for who they are.  Plus, you have immediately put yourself below them. If this is a person with whom you must interact, you are inevitably holding yourself back because of your sense of unworthiness.

The healthier approach is to see others you admire as inspiration for your journey. They can serve as a model.

He or she can help you want to be a better person, and that is an excellent goal for each day.

In Summary

Sometimes, its all about knowing when and what to quit. Here are 4 things to quit to help you be healthier, happier, and more productive:

1. Allowing others to control your time
2. Trying to please everyone
3. Comparing yourself to others
4. Putting others on a pedestal

Take a look in the mirror and see if any of these are holding you back.