5 Habits I STOPPED Doing that Forever Changed My Life for the Better

Habits.

We all have them.

Some help us, some hurt us.

Along these same lines, what works for me, may not work (or be best) for you.

This being said, I do like knowing the habits that have changed someone’s life for the better.

And as I reflect on my own life, I wanted to transparently and openly share with you today the things I’ve STOPPED doing (the habits I’ve eliminated) over the course of my lifetime that have made the biggest difference, personally and professionally:

1. I stopped using sarcasm with my wife

I’m embarrassed to say how long this one took (likely a decade or so after getting married in my early 20s) but what a dramatic difference it has made. Early on in my marriage, I joked with my wife often times like she was “one of the guys.” In other words, I would make sarcastic comments, thinking they were funny and also as a sign of my "affection"-- just as I would if she were one of my buddies. Well, it turns out my wife doesn’t really like nor use sarcasm. Shame on me for not figuring this out sooner but, at the same time, at least I was able to eventually figure this out and completely change my communication style with her, something that has had a tremendously positive effect on our marriage.

2. I stopped drinking alcohol at age 16

Yep, I haven’t had a drop of alcohol since a party in high school during my junior year—one where I can clearly recall saying to myself, “Dude, why are you doing this to yourself? This is dumb.” And although I certainly don’t judge anyone that does drink alcohol, I love that fact that I don’t need it in my life to feel relaxed or be my truest self.

3. I stopped drinking caffeine cold turkey at age 38

I used to drink about 100 ounces of diet soda and energy drinks a day. Yeah, awful. To say I was addicted would be an understatement. I was literally killing myself, but I truly believed that I “needed” caffeine in order to maintain my best energy and performance.

It wasn’t until I suddenly developed a rare condition called “Benign Fasciculation Syndrome” (partly due to my caffeine consumption) in 2016 that I got freaked out enough to do something about it. By dramatically changing my diet and lifestyle, I was able to naturally heal myself and rid my body of 95% of the issues that were affecting me so very much.

Oh, and one more thing: Today, I have more energy than I’ve ever had in my life, and I haven’t had a single drop of caffeine for 5 years.

4. I stopped using Facebook

I loathe negativity. And every time I would go to Facebook in the past, I would find myself getting frustrated with much of what I observed on the platform. I saw the situation for what it was, and although I didn’t like the idea of not keeping up with so many of my friends and family, I realized the greatest net gain would only come if I got entirely off the platform. Like many others that have left Facebook, I have no regrets, as I absolutely don’t miss it.

5. I stopped sleeping 5 or 6 hours a night

For at least 10 years of my life, I actually believed that burning the midnight oil was the only way to reach my goals. In hindsight, that was dumb. Not only was it not good for my marriage, but it was a factor in my physical health deterioration that also coincided with my overconsumption of caffeine.

These days, when I’m not traveling, I go to bed at the same time as my wife while averaging 8 hours of sleep.

As you can imagine, this shift has made a massive difference-- personally and professionally.

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Although I could mention many other negative habits I’ve stopped over the years, we’ll just leave these here.

But I would love to know:

What habits have you stopped that have made the biggest difference in your life?

Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at [email protected] …