9 ways to break free of your toxic life before you’re trapped forever

Routines are the backbones of lives these days.

We’re told, “Go to school; go to college; get a job; get married; have a baby; save your money”; and then “retire.”

The thing is, routines and rules, and expectations aren’t the same for everyone.

Not everyone can fit inside this two-dimensional box and find contentment. For some of us, these routines are toxic. For others, our full potential can never be realized inside of a cubicle.

We need more than this. We need adventure and freedom. We need to tear down society’s expectations and take life by the horns.

It’s easier said than done. It’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole of monotony and accept whatever life throws us. It’s easy (and safer) to just waste away.

If you do this, you’ll never truly find happiness.

At the end of it all, you’ll look back at your life and wonder where you went wrong.

Liberate yourself before it’s too late.

Here are nine ways to break free of your toxic life before you’re trapped forever:

1. Surround yourself with strong people.

If you surround yourself with conformists, the only result you’ll ever get is more conformity.

These are the people who’ll cloud your judgment. These people will keep you from ever breaking free of what you already know.

The only way to see clearly is to surround yourself with people who know they are capable of more, and to be with those who have a tangible idea of what they want.

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2. Renew your passport.

Using the line, “Well, I don’t have a passport,” as a reason for staying where you are is far too common.

Sure, it takes six-to-eight weeks for it to come in the mail, but so what? You don’t have anything planned… YET.

With T-Mobile Simple Global, traveling and staying connected has never been easier.

Now you have a passport; maybe you’ll be inspired to book a flight.

Travel is the thing that typifies the human experience. It’s what adds color to your life.

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3. Don’t be afraid to walk away from toxic people.

It may be frightening to end a friendship, but if a person is doing nothing but bringing you down and encouraging you to make poor decisions, he or she needs to go.

You can’t grow if you’re surrounded by bad influences. After all, you are who your friends are.

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4. Quit your terrible job.

Don’t jump the gun! Take some time to save a little cash. Get your bank account to a healthy amount and then peace out of there.

Sure, you’ll need to find a new job eventually, but could anything really be more horrible than your current position? (No.)

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5. Start bettering yourself.

Start working out, write down 10-to-15 new ideas every single day and start eating more healthily. Take pride in your body and your life.

Make good decisions. Choose yoga over a hard night of partying; choose a gym membership over self-pity.

Start the process of making yourself better and everything else will fall into place.

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6. Get rid of useless commitments that do nothing for you.

Don’t waste your precious time with obligations that only stifle you.

T-Mobile’s Contract Freedom means your phone will be one less worry when you’re trying to cut the ties to your toxic life.

You won’t be tied to any of those awful two-year contracts and if you want to switch providers; you’ll be able to change carriers without any fees.

Plus, they’ll even pay off your remaining phone payments from your old carrier.

It’s a total win for you, so take advantage of this glorious freedom.

The last thing you should have to take into account is a bunch of loose, messy ends from past misjudgments.

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7. Push yourself out of your comfort zone.

Don’t try to throw yourself into the deep end immediately.

Take small steps. Push yourself further and further every day.

Don’t stop challenging yourself; continue pressing onward into unknown territory.

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8. Take time to be alone.

You need quality time with yourself and your mind to think about what you want.

You have to turn off the noise from your world, forget about the outside pressures and just listen to your heart.

Silence is golden.

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9. Stop being afraid of failure and rejection.

There will be times you fail and there will be times you’re rejected. They can strike your ego down faster than lightening strikes a tree.

You can’t let those moments and situations deter you from your destiny. You have to keep forging your path forward with the strength to make a better future. 

Gigi Engle