100 Ways You’re Making Your Life Harder Than It Needs to Be

Everybody’s goal should be to work smarter, not harder. I’m not just talking about work work, but I’m also talking about the little things in daily life that add up, making things a whole lot harder than they need to be. And so, I’ve compiled 100 examples — including many things I’m guilty of.

Hopefully, this list will have you nodding your head and saying, “Uh-huh, yup, I do that!” or maybe even, “Oh crap, I’m doing that RIGHT NOW!” so you can realize some “mistakes” you’re making. Some of them are easy fixes, like, wearing pants two sizes too small. Just go out and get a new pair of pants which you can actually breathe in! But some of them are long-term unhealthy habits that will take time to break — like stalking your ex on social media!

Here’s your chance to be honest with yourself and recognize some less-than-ideal behaviors you should work on. Make small steps and start actively reversing the behaviors, creating better habits, making for an easier life. Who doesn’t want that?

The “You’re Making It Harder” List

1. Waiting until the last minute to complete a task
2. Not leaving yourself enough time to get somewhere
3. Saying “yes” to too many plans
4. Holding in your emotions
5. Not letting yourself cry once in a while
6. Not keeping a first aid kit handy in your house
7. Not having extra rolls of toilet paper at your house
8. Staying at a job that makes you miserable
9. Wearing pants that are two sizes too small
10. Not getting enough sleep
11. Not eating breakfast
12. Staying in toxic and/or abusive relationships
13. Spending too much time on social media
14. Spending too much time trying to make yourself seem cool on social media
15. Not listening when others speak
16. Being closed-minded
17. Complaining without taking action
18. Hitting “snooze” on the alarm 10 times, and running out of time for anything else in the morning
19. Drinking too much on work nights
20. Automatically spending all the money you got on your tax refund
21. Not asking for help when you need it
22. Telling lies (and having to keep up with them)
23. Self-sabotaging (in any way)
24. Falling prey to imposter syndrome
25. Not telling people how you genuinely feel
26. Never taking risks
27. Comparing yourself to others
28. Not trusting yourself
29. Having toxic friends
30. Dwelling on the negative
31. Not having prescriptions set up for automatic refill
32. Not treating yourself to something nice once in a while
33. Not taking your designated lunch break
34. Not taking your allotted vacation time
35. Being afraid to say “no”
36. Never exercising
37. Leaving bills unpaid until the last minute
38. Staring at your phone screen too much before bed
39. Forgetting to breathe (go take a deep breath right now)
40. Punishing yourself for making mistakes
41. Forgetting that everyone makes mistakes
42. Obsessing over a diet
43. Obsessing over your “flaws”
44. Letting your credit score drop scarily low
45. Not keeping a personal hygiene routine
46. Lacking work-life balance
47. Not keeping condoms handy
48. Not getting STD tested regularly
49. Worrying about things you have no control over
50. Worrying about things way too far in advance
51. Keeping up with bad habits instead of trying to break them
52. Taking yourself too seriously
53. Holding on to grudges
54. Checking your email as soon as you wake up (it can wait til you get to work!)
55. Living in denial
56. Not going to the doctor when you feel sick
57. Not going to scheduled check-ups
58. Worrying about other people too much
59. Not eating regularly
60. Being a “control freak”
61. Renting an apartment that’s way over budget
62. Developing drug habits
63. Being passive aggressive
64. Not dressing for the weather
65. Never checking your bank account and just praying there’s some money in there
66. Not keeping snacks on hand at work
67. Taking constructive criticism personally
68. Forgetting to practice self care
69. Missing medication dosages
70. Stalking your ex on social media
71. Not deleting your ex’s phone number
72. Talking badly about your coworkers at work (you’ll get caught)
73. Talking smack about your friends (you’ll get caught)
74. Making impulse buys you can’t afford
75. Not filling up on gas until you’re running on empty
76. Spending a million dollars on coffee everyday when you could make it at home
77. Buying a $15 lunch everyday when you could make it at home and pack it
78. Having a really messy room
79. Not doing your laundry until you’ve run out of underwear
80. Waiting for the trash to be overflowing before you take it out
81. Not checking train delays or traffic reports before you leave home
82. Not cleaning out your cat’s litter box until it reeks
83. Not taking your makeup off at night (resulting in future skin problems!)
84. Not responding to emails in a timely manner (that inbox is gonna build up!)
85. Not asking for what you want
86. Not asking for what you need
87. Not planning important things far enough in advance
88. Putting off buying holiday gifts until the night before
89. Not putting your keys back in their normal place
90. Not bringing a phone charger with you when you’ll be out for an extended period of time
91. Not getting a haircut or trim for a year
92. Not deleting unneeded photos and documents on your phone and electronics (gotta free up that space!)
93. Letting your dirty dishes pile up until they’re overflowing
94. Not asking your neighbors to be quiet when you desperately need quiet time
95. Being on your phone while you’re ordering your coffee (or lunch, or whatever)
96. Not keeping tampons/pads handy
97. Putting too much on your plate
98. Believing yourself to be unworthy of love
99. Falling asleep on the train and missing your stop
100. Not knowing your limits

If you made it this far, get to it! Choose at least one thing from this list that you do, and say goodbye to that behavior right now. Clear, simpler days lie ahead, my friends.