Have you ever noticed that every December, the same old patterns replay? New Year's resolutions made at the start of the year become void, goals remain mere checklist items, and we feel like hamsters running hard but ending up right where we started.
As we approach 2026 (B.E. 2569), this isn’t the time to blame fate but rather a golden opportunity to examine and review our lives to identify flaws in our thinking that cause repeated setbacks and errors.
Thairath Online invites you to explore four harmful habits that trap us in repetitive cycles and offers practical ways to reset our system so life can truly move forward.
1. The Perfectionism Trap
Symptoms: Waiting until everything is more ready, waiting for free time, waiting for all equipment to be complete.
These excuses seem best but are most harmful. We often think we must wait until everything is perfect before starting, but the truth is 100% readiness never exists. This habit causes unconscious procrastination, wasting the entire year preparing without action.
How to fix it: Adopt the mindset of doing things even when unready, allow yourself to make mistakes, start with rough drafts that need not be perfect, and improve gradually. Remember, completed work is better than a perfect work that never materializes.
2. The Politeness Trap
Symptoms: Unable to say no, taking on others’ work until overwhelmed, caring more about others’ opinions than personal needs.
This habit wastes your most valuable resources: time and energy. When living to meet others’ demands, your own goals are always pushed last. Life becomes a cycle of solving others’ problems while your own issues remain unresolved.
How to fix it: Practice saying no as a normal act; refusal is not rudeness but respect for your own time. Reprioritize by making your goals number one during your peak mental hours.
3. The Habit Trap
Symptoms: Doing the same things out of habit, avoiding risks for fear of failure, choosing the easiest path first.
Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” If you want 2026 to be different but keep eating at the same restaurants, talking to the same people, and working the same way, your life will remain stuck.
How to fix it: Start with small daily changes like taking a different route home, trying new foods, or meeting new people. Gradually build courage to expand your comfort zone and prepare for bigger opportunities.
4. The Tomorrow Illusion Trap
Symptoms: I’ll start dieting tomorrow, I’ll begin reading next month.
We often deceive ourselves that our future self will be smarter, more diligent, and disciplined than our current self. But that’s an illusion because when tomorrow arrives, old lazy habits follow.
How to fix it: Apply the 2-minute rule: if a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately. For bigger goals, start with just 5 minutes now. The hardest part is starting, but once momentum builds, it carries you forward.
The takeaway for 2026 is to break old cycles. Escaping these loops requires more than just New Year’s motivation; it demands self-awareness and consistency. This year, choose one habit to let go of and replace it with a small new habit. Don’t rush to transform overnight, but focus on not repeating past patterns.