People want to improve their life, but unknowingly we indulge ourselves in some negative behavior that distracts us from this goal. Many times we do things that affect our personal development and self-improvement. Most people are unaware about their bad behavior and hence make the same mistakes over and over again. But with little common sense we could avoid this folly and become a better person.

So here is a list of things we do unknowingly which could later harm us. Although this list could include many things but here we will see five things that we should avoid in order to make our lives better. 

5 Things that You shouldn’t do and Why?

1 Enjoying Gossip about Other People

Our teachers and our parents have taught us from childhood that we should never speak ill about any person, behind their back, to other people. But another important thing to remember is to never show any interest or encourage someone to gossip about other people. If you show any interest in such gossips then you also will be attracted to this negative vice. A person with integrity would never demerit someone behind their back.

It would be a lot better if you avoid the company of such people all together. But if you can’t avoid them then the only thing you could do is to play deaf and dumb on such topics. When they see that you are not interested in their trivial gossip and you don’t give them any reaction then they would stop bothering you. For example: If a person cracked a joke on the expense of someone else, and when you didn’t laugh at his joke, then he will avoid making fun of someone else in front of you.

You should also understand the fact that when these people laugh at someone in front of you then they will also make fun of you behind your back. That’s why we should avoid the company of such people and never encourage them by showing any interest in their gossip mongering.     

2 Comparing your Self-Worth with the Net-Worth of Others

You could call this a human folly or anything else but the fact of the matter is that the reason why many people are miserable is not because of their own sadness or grief, but instead the happiness of other people.

You should rise above such vices and never envy someone. Always remember this; what you see from outside may not necessarily be true. For example: You may envy the materialistic possessions of a rich man but in reality he may have a miserable family life. Only a person himself could know about his true reality.

We see the false projected image of someone and then we compare ourselves to that image. When we feel like we lack something, like a big house, an expensive car, etc, then we become miserable thinking about it. The reality is that such comparisons are pretty useless.

We should remember that every person has his own unique identity and the only person you should compare with is yourself. Always try to better yourself and with constant self-improvement you will become a better person in life.

3 Depending on Someone Else

Many times people don’t finish their important task just because they depended on someone else to finish their job for them. Never depend on a particular person to complete your task because it is your own personal responsibility and not someone else’s. Your goal should be to finish the job before a given dead line and if your best friend or colleague is unable to help you at the moment then don’t brood over it. You just have to finish the task yourself.

When you start to take responsibility to complete your tasks yourself then it will also increase your confidence. Those people, who could solve their small problems by themselves, are also capable of conquering future challenges. So develop this habit of self reliance because a man never reaches his full potential until he is willing to face his challenges on his own.     

4 Brooding Over your Past

If something happened to you in the past that upsets you then it is natural to feel sad about it. But don’t make it a habit of brooding over your past mistakes and unhappiness. The only thing you could do today is to learn your lessons from your past mistakes and never repeat them in the future. You shouldn’t dwell on it because it will ruin your present. That’s why you have to get over it and move on.

It’s okay to share our grief with a loved one or a close friend. But we should not weep about it in front of other people because those people who cry about their misfortunes and mistakes are always avoided by other people. They won’t have any sympathy for you because everyone has their own problems to worry about. They would prefer the company of a person who is fun to be around rather than a person who is always whining.

If you belong in this category then try to avoid this habit because you are hurting yourself more than anyone else. Your mind is still trapped in the past, hence you could neither enjoy your present nor could you prepare for the future. Your past controls your life and it is ruining your present and future.      

5 Focusing on Things we don’t Want

Our mind is the most powerful tool that we humans have. When you focus your mental energies on something then you could achieve some truly remarkable results. That’s why you should always focus on things that you want. Don’t waste your mental energy by worrying about the things that you didn’t have. For example: If you want to increase your income then don’t whine about inflation and expenses, instead focus on grabbing new opportunities and think about new income generating ideas.

Conclusion

Keeping these things in mind would help you on your way to self improvement. This advice is nothing extraordinary, it is just common sense. But we tend to make these mistakes in our lives and later suffer its consequences. If you follow these suggestions then you eliminate many of these bad habits from your life and become a better person.