5 Things to Stop Doing in 2015

I thought I’d take a different slant on turning over a new leaf for the New Year. Most people put “eating better” and ‘exercising” at the top of their list. Professionally, they may put “increase results” or “be a better coach”.

But you might accomplish more if you stop certain behaviors that will have the most positive impact. For example:

1. Stop judging. And don’t just stop judging others, but stop judging yourself. Comparing yourself, your results, your recognition against others is a complete waste of time. You’re actually judging others when you feel you deserve something someone else received. And accept that you will make mistakes, learn from them and move on. Being self-critical will get you nowhere.

2. Stop procrastinating. People put off what they either don’t like doing or think they will fail. I count myself as someone who suffers from this behavior. But vowing to tackle the very thing you dread will result in not only increased productivity, but improvement in your confidence and sense of accomplishment. You’ll feel you can handle anything that comes your way.

3. Stop complaining. Complaints without solutions are wasted words and wasted energy. I’ve yet to see anything bring down an office’s morale faster than someone who constantly complains. Not everything is perfect, but unless you can offer a better way, it’s best to keep your mouth closed.

4. Stop multi-tasking. Women especially love to brag about their ability to do a million things at once. But the reality is that to complete a task and do it in an exceptional manner takes focus. How much information from a phone call or a meeting can you retain when you’re checking your email at the same time? Having multiple responsibilities is not the same thing as multi-tasking. Trying to do more than one thing at a time will yield less than ideal results plus lead to undue stress.

5. Stop blaming others. It’s easy when something goes wrong to point the finger and lay blame. But if you were involved in the task, the sale or the process in any way, then you have to assume some responsibility. This is especially true of managers. The buck really does stop with you. Frankly, if you want to be recognized for the success of the people that work for you then you better be willing to be held accountable if they fail.

Every New Year holds promise. It’s like turning the page of a new novel. You get excited about what’s to come and want to put anything bad that happened in the previous year behind you. But think about how positive your year will be if you can shed some really negative behaviors.

I wish you much Happiness and Great Success in the New Year!