Life in high school is very different from life as an adult. Not all of the habits you pick up from your school days are applicable to the real world. In fact, many of them are impeding your progress. We’ll explain the four most important things to leave behind from your youth so you can keep improving as a person.
Change is the only thing that’s certain when you’re growing up. You’ll need to leave behind a few behaviors that are still holding you back from realizing your full potential. Seeking approval from and comparing yourself to others keep you pinned down; avoiding responsibility for your actions does, too. Finally, everyone changes over time and clinging to how people used to be prevents you from growing as well. Today we’ll explore how these habits are slowing you down and how to shake them.
Drop These Bad Habits That Hold You Back.
Other People’s Approval of Your Choices
We’re social creatures by nature; our status within a group is undoubtedly important. Social status is a huge deal in middle school and high school when you’re first learning how to interact with others. You spent eight hours a day, for years on end, with the same people in the same room; you needed to mesh with them. The idea of having a place within a social hierarchy is ingrained into you from an early age.
Your need for social recognition becomes less important with time as you journey through life. The way your peers see you has little bearing on how you make a living or the vital life decisions you’ll have to make. It’s essential to have social support, especially when times get rough, but you don’t need to depend on what others think about you anymore. Shed the need for social approval to become your own person without fear.
Avoiding Responsibility for Your Actions
Everyone makes mistakes. You’ll continue to for the rest of your life. Making up excuses and playing the “blame game” won’t solve the problem; it’ll make you look worse in the long run. Learning how to take responsibility for the outcomes of your actions is part of maturing into a successful person. Adults own up to their mistakes by apologizing, correcting the situation, and moving on. Take your falls in stride to continue making progress and earn the respect of your peers.
Comparing Yourself to Others
The grass is always greener on the other side until you hop over the fence. You’ll discover that all lawns have imperfections and patches of dying grass. It’s tempting to blame your lack of success on unfortunate circumstances and lack of resources, but this will only make you bitter and resentful.
The truth is you have more power to change your situation than you realize. Continuing to envy over the fortunes of others won’t help you improve your life. You don’t need to compare yourself to anyone else to discover your own sense of purpose or direction. Learn to live with what you have, and you’ll find a way to make ends meet.
The Belief that Everyone Stays the Same
Remember how drastically your friends and acquaintances changed during high school? That’s only going to continue as time moves forward. Some of your friends will stay with you for the rest of your life. Others will drift away to forge their own path. That’s okay because change is inevitable when you’re discovering who you are. When you don’t see eye to eye with some of your old friends, don’t sweat it! You’ll find new ones along the way.
Maturing into the person you’re meant to be isn’t a straightforward process. Everyone else is going through the same struggles, day-in and day-out. Remember that you aren’t alone in this crazy world or how you feel about it. Finding new meaning and companions in your life is part of the journey. Shed your old behaviors and press forward to achieve great things.
~Here’s to Your Success!
