Eliza Hartley
I’ve always been fascinated by people who completely turn their lives around.
You know the ones—the people who go from feeling stuck, lost, or unfulfilled to living with clarity and purpose. It’s not just luck or some overnight miracle. More often than not, it comes down to the small, daily habits they choose to leave behind.
Because real change isn’t just about what you start doing—it’s also about what you stop doing.
If you’re looking to transform your life in a meaningful way, here are nine daily habits that people who make radical changes almost always say goodbye to.
1) Hitting snooze every morning
Most people think hitting the snooze button gives them a few extra minutes of rest. But in reality, it does the opposite.
When you fall back asleep after your alarm goes off, your body starts a new sleep cycle—one that gets abruptly interrupted just minutes later. This leaves you feeling groggy and sluggish instead of refreshed and ready to take on the day.
People who make big changes in their lives often break this habit because they realize how much their mornings set the tone for everything else.
Instead of snoozing, they commit to waking up with purpose, giving themselves time to start the day with intention—whether that means meditation, movement, or simply enjoying a quiet moment before the chaos begins.
If you want to change your life, start by changing how you wake up.
2) Filling every moment with noise
For the longest time, I couldn’t stand silence.
The moment I woke up, I’d reach for my phone, scroll through social media, or turn on a podcast. If I was driving, I needed music. If I was home alone, the TV had to be on in the background. It was as if any moment of quiet made me uncomfortable.
But when I finally made a real effort to turn my life around, I noticed something: the noise was keeping me distracted. It kept me from being present, from thinking deeply, and from actually listening to myself.
People who make radical changes often let go of this constant need for stimulation. They get comfortable with silence because that’s where clarity happens. That’s where you start to hear your own thoughts instead of drowning them out.
Try it—turn everything off for a little while. You might be surprised by what comes up when you finally give yourself space to listen.
3) Saying yes to everything
For a long time, I thought being a good person meant always saying yes. Yes to extra work, yes to favors, yes to plans I didn’t really want to go to. I told myself I was being helpful, reliable, a team player.
But deep down, I was exhausted. Resentful. Stretched so thin that I barely had time for the things that actually mattered to me.
People who make real changes in their lives learn to say no—without guilt. They realize that every time they say yes to something out of obligation, they’re saying no to something else. Their own priorities. Their own peace.
The truth is, not every request deserves your time. And not every invitation needs a yes.
4) Living on autopilot
It’s so easy to go through life without really being present.
You wake up, go through your routine, check your phone, rush through the day, and before you know it, another week has passed. Another month. Another year.
But people who radically change their lives make a conscious effort to stop living on autopilot. They start paying attention—to their thoughts, their emotions, the little moments that make up their day.
In my book, The Art of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Living in the Moment, I talk about how mindfulness isn’t just about meditation—it’s about learning to truly experience your life as it happens. When you break free from autopilot mode, you stop just existing and start actually living.
Because real change doesn’t happen in some distant future. It happens right now, in this moment—if you’re paying attention to it.
5) Chasing happiness
It sounds strange, but people who truly transform their lives stop chasing happiness.
For most of us, happiness feels like something just out of reach—something we’ll finally get once we have the right job, the right relationship, the right amount of money.
But the problem with chasing happiness is that it’s always in the future, never in the present.
People who make real changes learn to stop treating happiness like a finish line. Instead, they focus on meaning, growth, and presence. They embrace the full range of human emotions rather than constantly trying to feel “good” all the time.
And ironically, by letting go of the need to be happy, they often feel more at peace than ever before.
Happiness isn’t something you catch—it’s something you create in the life you’re already living.
6) Avoiding discomfort
Most people go out of their way to avoid discomfort.
It’s natural—we don’t want to feel awkward, uncertain, or vulnerable. So we stay in our comfort zones, stick to routines, and avoid anything that feels too challenging.
But the truth is, every major life transformation comes from stepping into discomfort, not away from it. Growth happens when you have tough conversations, take risks, and face the things you’ve been avoiding.
People who turn their lives around realize that discomfort isn’t the enemy—it’s a sign that they’re moving forward. Instead of running from it, they learn to sit with it, work through it, and come out stronger on the other side.
If you’re feeling uncomfortable, you might actually be on the right path.
7) Holding onto past mistakes
I used to replay my mistakes over and over in my head—things I said, things I didn’t say, choices I wished I had made differently. It was like carrying around a heavy backpack full of regret, and no matter how much time passed, I couldn’t seem to put it down.
But people who truly change their lives learn to stop punishing themselves for the past. They understand that mistakes are lessons, not life sentences. Instead of obsessing over what went wrong, they take responsibility, make amends if needed, and move forward.
Holding onto guilt and regret won’t change what happened—it only keeps you stuck. The real power comes from learning, letting go, and giving yourself permission to grow.
8) Waiting for the “right time”
So many people put off making changes because they’re waiting for the perfect moment.
They tell themselves they’ll start that business when they have more experience, pursue their passion when life settles down, or focus on their health when things feel less stressful.
But the reality is, there’s never a “right time.” Life will always be busy. There will always be challenges. And people who radically change their lives realize that waiting only keeps them stuck.
Instead of holding out for perfect conditions, they take action now—even if it’s messy, even if they don’t feel completely ready. Because the truth is, real progress comes from starting, not from waiting.
9) Seeking approval from others
One of the biggest things that holds people back is the need for validation. The fear of judgment. The constant worry about what others will think.
But people who truly transform their lives stop living for other people’s approval. They stop making choices based on outside expectations and start asking themselves what they actually want.
Not everyone will understand your path. Not everyone will support your decisions. And that’s okay. The moment you stop seeking permission to live life on your own terms is the moment everything changes.
Bottom line: Change starts with what you let go of
Transformation isn’t just about adding new habits—it’s just as much about releasing the ones that hold you back. The small, everyday choices you make shape your life more than any big, dramatic change ever could.
Letting go isn’t always easy. Some habits feel familiar, even comforting, even when they’re keeping you stuck. But the people who truly turn their lives around understand that growth requires space—space that can only be created by leaving behind what no longer serves them.
In my book, The Art of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Living in the Moment, I dive deeper into how paying attention to the present can help you recognize the patterns you need to break. Because awareness is always the first step.
At the end of the day, real change doesn’t come from waiting for the right moment or chasing some distant version of happiness. It comes from the simple, quiet decision to stop holding onto what keeps you from moving forward.
