10. Name-Brand Needs. Your desire for the name-brand/latest version of everything isn’t necessary. Especially if the generic brand or off-brand version is just as good. Or, if you could get the same item at an outlet store, as long as you were willing to wait a season.
11. Pictures of yourself. Stop torturing yourself by obsessing over the photos of yourself where you think you look so much better. You need to feel great about who you are NOW.
12. Old Clothes. All of the old clothes and accessories that you no longer wear or use, and are just cluttering up your closet? Donate them to people who would actually use them.
13. Junk Food. If you know there’s the potential that you’re going to binge-eat that package of cookies, bag of chips, etc., don’t buy it. Or, buy it, and share it with other people.
14. DIY More. You do not need to go to a coffee shop on the way to work every single morning to get breakfast/coffee. You could just as easily take a few minutes to prepare things yourself most days and save hundreds or thousands of dollars a year.
15. Guilt Over Debt. At some point in their lives, most people live with debt. Feeling guilty or ashamed about it doesn’t make that debt go away. Formulating a plan to pay off that debt, and be more financially stable does make that debt go away.
16. Obsessing Over “The Best Time Of Your Life.” Memories of the time that you label “the best time of your life” makes you consciously feel as though everything else you do just doesn’t compare. Which isn’t fair to you or the people you spend time with. In addition, it severely limits your ability to make/appreciate new experiences that could potentially be just as, or even, more, rewarding.
17. Old Medicine. Read expiration dates, and only take medication for the current ailment you’re dealing with.
18. Relationship Resentment. Your friends are in happy relationships, but you’re not. Feel happy for them, and stop defeating your own potential future relationship happiness by saying that love will never find you. Unless you have a crystal ball. Which you probably don’t.
19. Toxic Relationships. It doesn’t matter if it’s a romantic relationship or a family member. You deserve healthy relationships. People who only make you feel terrible about yourself need to be avoided. Yes, this is much easier said than done, but it’s still true.
20. “THEY.” Who exactly are “they” anyway? “They” can say a lot of things, but are all of them true or correct? Leave “them” behind.
21. “Too Much” or “Too little”. Oftentimes when we hear that we are “too young”, “too old”, “too big”, “too small” etc, it can get ingrained in our thoughts. But don’t let it. We are all in a constant state of change/improvement. And that doesn’t take away from how awesome you already are.
21 Things Holding You Back was originally published on blackdoctor.org
