In my life, I have developed bad habits. I realized that I should get rid of these bad habits as I move into adulthood and become a young woman. College has given me the perspective to want a positive change for myself and be the best person I can be to myself and others. Here are my 10 bad habits that I will change:
1. Listening to other people’s opinions:
I find that in my life, a lot of people have opinions of what I should do, what I should want, even who I should date. As I became a young woman, I realized that I want to make my own decisions in life that can impact me in the most positive ways. When I make my own decisions, usually the moments in my life align for the better. One example is me attending Hampton University. I was told that I wouldn’t graduate on time or at all, historically black colleges would not give a proper education, the location was too far and so much more. I went with my gut feeling and currently, I am a proud graduating Hampton woman that received so many opportunities after graduation. I learned about myself, friendships, relationships, mistakes and so much more. I wouldn’t ask for any other experience.
2. Not exercising and eating healthy foods:
I will say that although I love my body shape, I know it could use some toning. This year I decided to try and exercise more and give back to my body in a positive way. I want to limit the amount of greasy foods I eat and start to eat more fiber, protein and vegetables. My body deserves the nutrition!
3. Not Budgeting my money:
Throughout college, I realized I spent money on unnecessary things like food, clothing, Amazon products and so much more. As I am a graduating senior, I need to budget my money as an adult to ensure my money is going to more productive avenues.
4. Learning from my mistakes without being too hard on myself:
I know that everyone is human, and no one is perfect. I have a hard time accepting when I make a mistake because I tend to be a perfectionist. I usually like all the fine details to be in a specific order in my life. This is not always the case. I am now learning that even when planning, something can go wrong and that’s life in general. Whenever something does not go as planned, I usually take a deep breath and instead look for alternative solutions to the situation.
5. Not Celebrating Myself:
There are so many accomplishments that I recently received and sometimes I felt that the people I deemed as my friends or close associates did not even congratulate me. At first, I felt sad that the people I spent most of my time with or around did not see the hard work I put into myself to achieve many great things. After speaking to my mom about it, I realized that I should not feel sad or even mad about what people do not do for me. I should be proud and excited for myself. Therefore, from now on I will celebrate and be happy for myself in small ways because I truly deserve it.
6. Staying in My comfort zone:
I would have to say that being in college has really allowed me to get out of my comfort zone and instead try new things to see if I truly enjoyed them. One example of this was when I tried out for the flag line. In high school, I would have never tried to be in a public performance and perform in front of a camera. I was always nervous to do something like this but once I did, I felt empowered. A lot of the time I turned down opportunities out of fear. Now, I use my fear as a tool to do something that I never would have thought to do four years ago. Doing this has taught me lessons and also showed me I could do anything I put my mind to.
7. Biting my nails:
Whenever I am anxious about something, I usually bite my nails. My mom always calls it a nasty habit, but I can’t help it because I always feel like I am anxious about something. I realized that when I feel this sense of anxiety, I should take a deep breath and instead calm myself down before deciding to bite my nails. I really want to stop this habit because I heard it is bad for my nails in general.
8. Not Having alone time:
As I am older, I realized that having my alone time is a necessity. When I’m alone I feel like I can truly think properly without any distractions or interruptions. When I’m alone I usually like to watch television shows and movies and just give myself time to wind down and become a peaceful person.
9. Staying Silent:
I realized that as I am becoming older, I should feel comfortable in my own opinions. I have experienced times where I would be talking to friends and if I did not agree with something, it would become an issue. I had to realize that issue is in fact the other person’s issue, not mine. I should not feel discomfort for my feelings and opinions no matter how other people feel. This is my life, and I should feel free to speak my mind as long as I do not offend anyone, and I am comfortable with my feelings.
10. Not Surrounding myself with positive people:
Being in college, I realized that sometimes I engage in unhealthy relationships and negative people. A lot of times because the people around me were so negative, I soon became negative as well and forget my potential as a person. I started to distance myself from a lot of people who I thought would not benefit me in my present or future. I feel that although I thought certain people would be in life for a while, it would have caused me discomfort and not be positive in my own individual ways.
With this being stated, I realized that some of these habits will be hard to get rid of. I will have to change these habits one by one in order to become a better person.