A recent blog from “entrepreneur.com” considered 10 bad habits to eliminate from your daily routine. No surprise that the first three referred to cutting back our use of mobile tech or similar.

True, but I felt that the item was lacking. After all, what prompts us – well, most of us – to spend so much time on Facebook or just checking, yet again, if somebody has sent us that one email which hopefully will change our lives?

I found my way to the website of super Australian life coach, Sharon Pearson. She stresses a theme that is very important to me and what I often explain to my clients as a business mentor in Israel. Do not let others dictate how you should think nor let them dictate what is important for you.

Pearson phrases it slightly differently:

Take responsibility for changing your thoughts. I found this very difficult in the beginning, because I was so used to the negative thoughts. i was kinda hooked on them, because I layed the victim! When I chose to take responsibility for them, no exceptions, my thoughts started to change.

Last week, I wrote that: “Our negativity will ensure that bad things will happen.” We have more ability than we realise to take control of what we want to do.

This very theme came up with a client of mine in Jerusalem a few days ago, a self employed exec who has created a business from nothing. Yes, they are going through some business problems, which is stressing. Their natural default mode is almost predictably one of despair. In contrast, what I am trying to show them is that these same issues present an opportunity to change things around and then to move ahead.

The alternative for people like that? Yup, we can bury our sorrows in prolonged and distracting conversations on Facebook. At least that would allow somebody to write a blog about the habit.