518: 7 Habits You Must Stop to Level Up - Habits and Hustle

Summary

Habits and Hustle — Episode 518: "7 Habits You Must Stop to Level Up"
Host: Jen Cohen
Date: January 9, 2026

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, Jen Cohen flips the usual script by focusing on the habits and patterns that must be stopped—not just the ones to start—in order to transform your life and level up your success. Drawing on her personal experience and the most common questions she receives, Jen details seven specific habits that hold people back and offers actionable insights for replacing them with growth-oriented behaviors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stop Waiting to Feel Ready

Theme: Readiness is a myth. Waiting until you feel “ready” is paralyzing and causes missed opportunities.
Insight: Clarity comes from action, not from overthinking. Momentum is more valuable than waiting for the “perfect” moment.
Quote:

"Readiness is a total myth. You'll never feel perfectly ready. Clarity actually comes from action, not from overthinking, actually from doing."
(Jen Cohen, 01:40)

2. Stop Surrounding Yourself with Negative Energy

Theme: The company you keep greatly influences your success.
Insight: Negative people drain creativity and momentum. Audit your circle—energy is contagious.
Quote:

"We've all heard that expression, right? We are the five people we are around the most. So true. Complainers drain your creativity and your momentum."
(Jen Cohen, 02:19)

3. Stop Playing It Safe

Theme: Comfort is seductive but ultimately destructive.
Insight: Growth requires risk; discomfort now pays off later. Regret follows those who always play it safe.
Quote:

"Comfort feels good short term, but it kills long term. Growth risk is the entry fee for every next level ... Playing small guarantees regret. Risk guarantees experience."
(Jen Cohen, 03:00)
Mantra: "Rejection over regret every time."
(03:20)

4. Stop Complaining

Theme: Complaining blocks solutions and progress.
Insight: High performers act instead of complaining. Taking responsibility leads to growth.
Quote:

"Complaining keeps you focused on problems, not progress. High performers use that same energy to take action."
(Jen Cohen, 04:18)
Advice: Every complaint is an opportunity to change something.

5. Stop Seeing Failure as Final

Theme: Failure is not the end—it's instructive feedback.
Insight: Setbacks teach lessons; quitting guarantees no growth. Fast failures lead to faster learning.
Quote:

"Failure is not final, it's data. Every setback teaches you what doesn't work. Quitting guarantees you'll never see the payoff."
(Jen Cohen, 05:02)

6. Stop Saying Yes When You Mean No

Theme: People-pleasing derails personal priorities.
Insight: Every “yes” to something unimportant is a “no” to what matters. Boundaries are empowering, not rude.
Quote:

"People pleasing is self sabotage disguised in kindness. Every yes to something meaningless is a no to your actual priorities."
(Jen Cohen, 05:48)
Advice: Protect your time—discipline through boundaries builds the life you want.

7. Stop Consuming Before Creating

Theme: Consuming content first thing in the day stifles originality.
Insight: Scrolling before creating shifts your brain into comparison mode, not creation. Making before consuming preserves your unique voice.
Quote:

"Consuming first kills your creativity. When you start your day with other people's content creators, you lose your own voice."
(Jen Cohen, 06:32)
Mantra: "Create before you consume every time."

Memorable Moments & Quotes

On Growth and Discomfort:

"Growth is uncomfortable. That's how you know it's actually working."
(Jen Cohen, 05:23)
On Boundaries:

"Saying no doesn't make you difficult, it makes you disciplined."
(Jen Cohen, 06:07)
On Change:

"The biggest difference between people who change and people who stay stuck isn't luck. It's what they're willing to walk away from."
(Jen Cohen, 07:01)

Timestamps for Important Segments

[01:30] — Episode introduction: Shifting from adding to stopping habits
[01:40] — The myth of readiness
[02:19] — Impact of negative people on success
[03:00] — Dangers of comfort and playing it safe
[04:18] — How complaining undermines progress
[05:02] — Failure as feedback versus finality
[05:48] — The trap of people-pleasing and importance of boundaries
[06:32] — Creating before consuming: protect your creativity
[07:01] — Final thoughts: What you stop, not just what you start, defines growth

Closing Thought

Changing your life isn’t just about picking up new habits; it’s being brave enough to stop the ones holding you back. Jen’s empowering message: audit your habits ruthlessly and prioritize action, autonomy, and authenticity to move closer to the life you truly want.

For more practical strategies and candid life advice, subscribe to Habits and Hustle and let Jen know how these insights resonate with your journey!

Transcript

A (0:01)

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C (1:30)

Welcome back to Habits and Hustle. Everyone's always talking about what to do to change their life, but today I actually want to flip it. Real transformation isn't just about adding new habits. It's actually about stopping the ones that hold you back. The ones and patterns that keep you stuck, drained and waiting for that quote, unquote someday. So today I want to share with you seven things I would never do if I want to level up and how saying no to these habits will instantly move you closer to the life you actually want. I did this by compiling some of the most asked questions of me in this area. And so I'm going to share the question with you and then we're going to dive into the answer. So let's do it. The first question I get a lot regarding this topic is you always say waiting to feel ready is a trap. Why is that such a dangerous mindset? Well, the answer is easy because readiness is a total myth. You'll never feel perfectly ready. Clarity actually comes from action, not from overthinking, actually from doing. And most people wait themselves out of the actual opportunity. Confidence is actually built through action, not by actually planning. And the perfect time is does not exist. It does not exist. It's the momentum that creates the potential opportunity. So that's my answer. The second question I get a lot is you talk a lot about Energy. Why do negative people have such a big impact on success? That's an easy one to answer. Because energy is contagious. You become who you are surrounded by. We've all heard that expression, right? We are the five people we are around the most. So true complainers drain your creativity and your momentum. High performers make sure they guard their energy because it's their biggest resource. Being around people who elevate you versus bring you down is so instrumental. You must audit the circle you're around. Another question I get is. Well, you said playing it safe keeps you stuck. Why do you think so many people get addicted to safety? That's a good question, but. I know, but I'm going to tell you the answer. Because comfort feels good short term, but it kills long term. Growth risk is the entry fee for every next level. Fear and excitement feel the same. Learn to lean into it. You can't build resilience without discomfort. It's absolutely impossible. Playing small guarantees regret. Risk guarantees experience. I always live by the motto rejection over regret every time. Let me share my daily routine game changer with you. It's the Momentous3. I've been using their protein, their creatine and omega 3 combo for months now and the results are undeniable. These nutrients are key for long term health and performance, but hard to get enough of through diet alone. The crea pure creatine boosts both physical and your mental performance. The grass fed whey tastes great with no weird aftertaste. And their Omega 3 is a must for recovery. So since adding these my energy, my recovery and my overall well being has really improved. So if you want better performance, this is the way to go. Visit livemomentous.com and use my code Jen for 35% off your first subscription. That's livemomentous.com code Jen for 35% off your 1st subscription subscription. Trust me, you'll be happy you did. Question number four. You're known for being solution focused. Why do you think complaining is such a success killer? So true. Complaining keeps you focused on problems, not progress. High performers use that same energy to take action. Blame is so easy. Responsibility is where growth actually happens. Every complaint is a signal to do something differently. Success comes from ownership, not excuses. Question 5. You say failure is feedback. But most people quit after one setback. How do you actually shift that mindset? Well, guess why? Because failure is not final, it's data. Every setback teaches you what doesn't work. Quitting guarantees you'll never see the payoff. The best entrepreneurs fail faster and learn faster. Growth is uncomfortable. That's how you know it's actually working. Question 6 let's talk about boundaries. Why? Why is saying yes when you mean no such a trap? Oh my, this is a good one. People pleasing is self sabotage disguised in kindness. Every yes to something meaningless is a no to your actual priorities. Boundaries aren't rude, they're necessary for focus. Saying no doesn't make you difficult, it makes you disciplined. Protecting your time is how you build the life you actually want, not just accepting the life you get. And lastly, question seven. You end this list with something that hits hard scrolling before you create. Why is that such a big one for you? Oh that's so true. That is one of my big ones. Consuming first kills your creativity. When you start your day with other people's content creators, you lose your own voice. Your brain goes into comparison. Instead of creation mode, momentum is built by doing, not watching. Create before you consume every time. So changing your life isn't just about what you start doing, it's about what you stop doing. Stop waiting to feel ready. Stop surrounding yourself with people who drain your you. And stop saying yes when you actually mean no. The biggest difference, the biggest, biggest difference between people who change and people who stay stuck isn't luck. It's what they're willing to walk away from. If this hits home, share it with someone who needs that wake up call and let me know how it goes. Don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already and leave me a comment to let me know how you enjoyed this solo episode. Have a good one.