This Is How You Ruin Your Life At Any Age

1. You ruin your life getting caught up in drama.

When people gossip or start problems with others, the reality is they’re missing a vital component in their life. The need to put others down or talk is derived from an insecurity within themselves and it doesn’t reflect the person talked about but rather the person talking.

2. You ruin your life comparing yourself to others.

If you focus your attention on someone else and the path they’re on, it makes you lose sight of your track and your goals. If you simply focus on yourself and strive to be better than the person you were yesterday, you’ll find growth and improvement there. You don’t gain anything competing if it’s with anyone other than yourself.

3. You ruin your life being negative.

Negativity attracts more negativity in your life. While you can’t control what people say or do or how it emotionally impacts you, what you do have control of is where you go from there. You can take a snide comment or someone’s unkindness with you or you can look at it and step away from that person and situation, realizing that is their problem, not yours.

4. You ruin your life doing something you hate.

Whether it’s a job or course in school or a sport, doing something you hate, even if it’s appeasing someone else or benefiting them, does not benefit you and your happiness. And at the end of the day, you have to focus on what will bring you ultimate happiness.

5. You ruin your life by not being honest with yourself.

We lie to ourselves all the time. It makes it easier to cope sometimes. It’s easier to say things are better this way when you don’t have enough courage to pursue something else. But look at yourself ask, ‘what do I really want?’ Then follow that.

6. You ruin your life associating with bad company.

Who you associate with is who you become. If you’re hanging out with people who aren’t going anywhere or doing anything, you’re going to find yourself living a life like that. If you become very selective with you spend time with and ask yourself, ‘is this person making me better? Are they benefiting from me,’ If the answer is yes, you’ll motivate one another to continue to achieve goals.

7. You ruin your life hating yourself.

How you feel about the person looking back at you in the mirror will influence every relationship you have in life. Do not fixate on the things you lack or say it out loud. Be aware of the conversations you have with yourself. Fall in love with yourself. Really learn to like who you are. The toughest relationships we will ever have isn’t with other people but the one we have with ourselves.

8. You ruin your life not amounting to your full potential.

Settling. Whether it’s in a career or in a relationship, you know when you are. A lot of people fear failure so they settle for average. I challenge you to fail because it’s only when you’ve failed you can say ‘I’ve reached for something greater than myself and maybe I haven’t gotten there yet but I will.’ Don’t ever become too comfortable in life. There is danger in comfort zones.

9. You ruin your life holding things off until tomorrow.

Nothing ever gets accomplished tomorrow. You have today. You have these 24 hours and it is your job to make the most out of it. If you hold something off in life I promise you, it will never happen. Start now.

10. You ruin your life living in the past.

Living in the past will leave you depressed. You’ll look back at a highlight reel that is better than the actual thing and you’ll miss the false version that you think is your past. Let it go.

11. You ruin your life worrying about the future.

Living in the future will leave you anxious. Don’t do it.

12. You ruin your life by not living in the moment.

Focus on right now. Focus on the people in your life in this present moment. Put down your phone, give them your undivided attention and learn to live for now.

13. You ruin your life by working it away.

Work is great. Finding a job you love is great. But the most important thing in your entire life won’t be your accomplishments or that raise or how many hours you put in, the MOST important thing are the moments you share with the people you love.

14. You ruin your life by running from love.

Everyone fears heartbreak. Everyone makes up excuses of why something might not work out. But all you need is one reason why it could. If you find someone you might care about and you know for certain they care about you, you’re doing each other a disservice by not giving it a chance. It could be the best chance you ever take in life.

15. You ruin your life not taking the chances that scare you.

If something scares you run towards it and don’t look back.