Most of us find ourselves spending our 20s trying to figure things out, whether it be our personalities, our strengths, weaknesses, careers, hobbies, relationships, habits, the list goes on. And it’s inevitable that we’re going to make plenty of mistakes along the way — and that’s perfectly fine.

However, as we grow and become more experienced, we obviously want to learn from our mistakes. So, regardless of your age, here are some of the more damaging habits that you should definitely kick to the curb in favour of embracing better habits, for good.

1. Spending Too Much Money on Cheap Clothing

Those ripped jeans and glossy tank tops at Romwe are very tempting, but spending $300 on a pile of clothing you’d most likely only wear once (or twice) isn’t a good way to spend your hard-earned income. Instead, make sure to invest in some high-quality garments that would last more than one season without tearing up to shreds. This way, you’ll end up enjoying getting dressed more while saving money over the long haul.

2. Being Too Stubborn to Ask for a Raise

A recent study from 2015 found that nearly 60% of workers, who were employed in a variety of different professional fields, didn’t ask for a raise because they felt uncomfortable asking. All of us need to work hard to differentiate from the rest, but we should also receive the paycheck that we really deserve. Asking for that long-overdue raise (that you’ve truly earned after all your blood, sweat, and tears) isn’t that much of a big deal for the employer, but can make all the difference for employees.

3. Spending Too Much Time with Online Dating

Chatting with strangers over the Internet is the last thing you should do when looking for a date. Sure, it’s nice to have someone to share your deepest romantic secrets with, but online dating platforms offer nothing more than just a fairy-tale escapism far-removed from real life as is. Accept this fact, move on, and look up a contact from your phone (unless they’re an ex, of course.)

You can call that cute person you just met in the bowling alley and chat with them (just try not to overdo it). In fact, there are plenty of people out there who’d give you more than just one-word answers without wasting your time for nothing.

4. Ditching Smoking 

One crucial ingredient of cigarettes is tar. Tar is a combination of several different types of compounds that are known to have carcinogenic properties. When you smoke a cigarette, all of those harmful ingredients are sucked into your lungs, wreaking havoc on all major organs in the body.

This is why smoking is linked to a number of serious health problems, including cardiovascular disease, difficulties getting pregnant, chronic coughing, phlegm, cancer, and many others.

5. Feeling Like You Own Your Success to Someone (or Something)

Most of us spend the majority of our lives thinking that we deserve less than what we actually do. And when we succeed in life, there is that sinking feeling that occasionally pops up in our heads saying that we don’t deserve that success or that we owe it to someone or something.

Or even worse, some people may try to put you down as if you’d owe them something as well.

All of this may sound cliché, but odds are, they’re most likely jealous of your success or they are feeling insecure. Jealousy can be a good thing if it’s funnelled in the right direction, as it can serve as an excellent motivational tool. But too much jealousy can create a lot of negativity to both yourself and those around you. So, the best thing to do is to ignore your haters and move on with your life with your head up high.

True friends will offer support and would love to see you succeed.