Let it go: Ditching habits that no longer serve you

Did you know that about 30% of the population bites their nails? Nail biting has been known to lead to dental problems, fungal infections, and more–yet, nearly a third of the population still bites their nails. Why? Because it’s become a habit.

The importance of habits 

Habits are those patterns of behavior we pick up–consciously or otherwise–and stick to daily. While nail biting may be an example of a negative habit, there are numerous positive habits many people adopt: waking up early to squeeze in a workout, checking in with certain family members throughout the week, or not responding to work emails past 5 pm, for instance. While some habits can seem insignificant, they’re not. In fact, studies have shown that a whopping 43% of our daily actions are habitual and can actually be the ‘make-or-break’ element on our success journey.

Success doesn’t just happen. It’s often the byproduct of our habits–small, consistent actions that shape who we are and who we become. Our habits are incredibly important to our day-to-day successes. Successful habits can be the invisible drivers that keep us on the path to growth, silently steering us to a higher level of achievement. But what about those habits that aren’t ‘success habits’? What about the habits that are outdated, ill-fitting for our growth journey, or just plain bad? Like success habits, these habits can have a profound effect on our growth and development. So, let’s dive into the true importance of our habits–good and bad.

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Ditching habits that no longer serve you

Unlearning is often just as important as learning. Letting go of the habits that no longer serve you is as crucial to growth as taking on new success habits. When we hold on to habits that used to work, we create blind spots and eventually stunt our own growth. For example, multitasking may have been incredibly useful at the start of your career. Now, it could be fragmenting your focus. Letting go of that habit could be just what you need to jump-start growth.

To grow, we need to constantly evaluate our habits. Are our actions serving us, or are they merely comfortable? To help you identify and sort through your habits, we’ve compiled 5 tips for evaluating your habits.

5 tips for evaluating your habits

1. Schedule a regular habit audit

Just as many organizations practice regular performance reviews, you should regularly assess your own performance and habits. Set aside time each month or quarter to reflect on your habits. First, what are your habits? What habit has shown the best improvement? Do any habits need to be tweaked going forward? Take stock regularly of your habits–good and bad–to find what works and what may be holding you back.

2. Identify your ‘past-life patterns’

Sometimes, we pick up a habit in order to thrive in a certain season of our life. Life is constant change, and the behavioral patterns or habits we’ve kept may not  drive growth and success going forward. Try to identify some ‘past-life patterns’ or old habits from an earlier period of your life. These could be old college routines, early-career tactics, or even outdated beliefs about what success should look like. These habits may have gotten you where you are, but they might not take you where you want to go next. Take a good, hard look at these old habits and decide which ones are worth keeping, which ones are worth tweaking, and which ones need to be let go.

3. Replace habits, don’t just remove them

When you let go of an ineffective habit, replace it with something more aligned to your new goals. Rather than just ditching the bad or ineffective, you’ll be actively and intentionally moving closer to success by adding new habits more aligned to where you are now and where you’re aiming to be. Having a hard time sticking to new habits? Keep in mind that studies have shown the more often you practice a new habit, the easier it becomes to maintain. Practice your newly aligned habits as often as you can to incorporate them into your day-to-day routine and ease any ‘growing pains’. 

4. Surround yourself with growth-oriented people

There’s a long-standing notion that if you want to get better at a certain skill, you need to practice with someone who’s better at it than you. Not only can this person help sharpen your skills and teach you new ones, they’ve also accomplished what you’re hoping to accomplish and can relate to the journey. If you’re hoping to reach your growth potential, surround yourself with growth-oriented people. Engage with people who are familiar with actively refining their habits and routines. Build relationships with those who understand how important adaptability is on your growth journey. Pick their brain about habits that work, don’t work, or are outdated. Like your parents may have said, you are who you hang around with. 

5. Be honest–not harsh

Re-evaluating your habits and routines isn’t about criticizing your past self. Nor is this a time to punish yourself for mistakes you've made or obstacles you’ve met. Instead, simply be honest with yourself about your habits—do not be harsh. This is a time for recognizing that your needs, responsibilities, and capabilities change. Self awareness is the key here—not self deprecation. If you want to evolve into your best self, let go of your past self. 

If you’re looking for different results out of your growth journey, you may need to take on different behaviors or habits. We tend to think of consistency as doing the same thing over and over again. However, real consistency means showing up everyday and being willing to adapt to meet your end goal. The most successful people aren’t necessarily the hardest workers—they simply learn how and when to pivot and adapt to changing goals and challenges.

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