13 Signs You’re Wasting Life But

You Can’t Admit It

When you were a kid, did you want to grow up to be an astronaut, a singer or an
engineer? If so, how’s that working out for you? Hopefully, it’s going great and you
are living the life of your dreams. But for the rest of you who are not, here are 13
signs that you might be wasting your life… but you don’t want to admit it:

1. You spend too much time doing things you

shouldn’t be doing.
Video games. Reality TV. Surfing the ‘net. Stuffing your face with too much food.
Drinking too much. And the list goes on. Take a serious look at your life. Where are
you spending the majority of your time? And does it serve you well? Is it leading to a
better life? Is it laying the foundation for a bright future? If not, then you need to
reevaluate your routine activities and make changes.

2. You find yourself complaining a lot.

I know people who are constantly overwhelmed with life, and they never cease to tell
me. Are you one of those people? Do you complain about your job, your boss, your
salary, your neighbors or your spouse? If you do, then you are doing nothing but
exuding negative energy. Negativity doesn’t change things. It keeps you stuck. So
change your thoughts and talk about what you appreciate about your life, not what
you don’t like.
3. You don’t feed your mind.
If you’re not continually growing and learning as a person, then you are stagnant –
just like a still pond that doesn’t move and grows green gunk on it. That’s what your
mind does if you don’t keep it active and learn new things. Positive challenges in
your life will expand your mind, not send it backwards.

4. You have a lot of negative self-talk.

Self-talk can make or break your life. As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you
can, or think you can’t… either way, you’re right.” If you tell yourself that you’re not
smart enough to get that promotion or start a business, then you’re right. If you tell
yourself you’re too exhausted to put effort into changing your life, then you’re right.
Whatever you tell yourself becomes your reality. So closely monitor what you say to
yourself, because you will find that your life matches your thoughts.

5. You feel uninspired.

Do you have a passion for anything? I know a lot of people who think they don’t
have a passion. But that’s never the case. There has to be something that you enjoy
doing. So you need to rediscover what excites you, and then do more of it.

6. You don’t plan for your future.

While it’s always great to live in the “now” and “be in the moment,” sometimes you
need to look ahead to see where you want to go. If you don’t have a goal or a plan,
then you are like a boat that is wandering aimlessly in the ocean hoping to end up
somewhere good. But you can’t do that. You have to make a step-by-step guide to
get where you want to go. Just like a GPS gets you to a destination, you need your
own inner GPS to guide you.
7. You spend too much time with people who don’t
contribute to your growth.
It’s easy to get stuck hanging out with people who are not making you feel like a
better person. But if you keep doing that, then you will stay stagnant or get pulled
down with them. I like to call them “Energy Vampires.” They suck the life out of you
and give you nothing positive in return. Instead, go find growth-oriented people to
be around.

8. You’re addicted to your phone.

Sure, cell phones are super cool gadgets that can leave us entranced when we use
them. While that’s fun, think about all the time you are wasting with your phone.
Even worse, think about all the relationships that might be affected. Maybe you’re
texting or searching the internet while you’re having dinner with your spouse or
kids. If you are, you’re missing out on meaningful time you can spend with your
loved ones – or time you could devote to making a plan for your future.

9. You spend money on things that don’t matter.

There is a difference between a “need” and a “want.” I’m sure we all learned that in
kindergarten. However, in today’s society, we have blurred the lines quite a bit (see
#8… the cell phone). In fact, I know people who can’t pay their mortgage, but still
have the fanciest gadgets on the planet. If you stop to think about it, there is very
little that we actually need. Food, water, shelter and love are some of those things.
All the rest are just bonuses. So look at what you’re spending your money on and see
if you can make adjustments. Maybe you can use the money you save to invest in
your future.
10. You don’t get enough sleep.
I’m not a medical doctor, but I have read enough books to know how vitally
important sleep is. I could write 20 pages on it. But I obviously don’t have enough
room in this short article. Sleep is crucial for good health. If you’re too busy to get
enough sleep or if you simply have a bad habit of staying up until the wee hours of
the morning, you should re-evaluate your habits.

11. You’re not taking care of your body.

Not only is sleep essential to your health, so is food and exercise. I know I’m not
telling you anything you don’t already know. But eating a balanced, healthy diet and
moving your body around truly does have more positive effects other than weight
loss. It affects your mental attitude and overall well-being. So take a look at your diet
and level of activity. You might find that making a few small changes will greatly
improve your life.

12. You don’t leave your comfort zone.

I know how easy it is to live in a comfort zone. In fact, when I go to a familiar
restaurant, I always order the same thing. Not because I’m afraid to try something
new, but because I like the food I normally order. But that’s not the kind of comfort
zone I’m talking about. I’m talking about taking a risk that will improve your life.
And keep in mind, there is a difference between a “risk” and a “calculated risk.” Any
risk has the possibility to be deadly, but a calculated risk is one in which you’ve
weighed all options and thus come up with a good, sensible plan of action.
13. You’re living a life you don’t like.
The way I measure success is by someone’s level of happiness. Are you happy? If
not, then you should change something! Even a feeling of contentment or
satisfaction doesn’t tell you that you’re living life to the fullest. Life should be
exciting! So if you’re not enjoying life, take a look at some of the changes you can
make to get you to a better place.

If any of these 13 points sounded like you, don’t despair. You can make changes. But
the first change you need to make is getting rid of the idea that you can’t do it. Many
times, your biggest obstacle is your own thought process. So start there. Change
your thinking – then change your life!