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A new year is upon us—and that means an opportunity to take stock of what we’ve done right in the previous year, and what we could do better. Here are a few bad habits that are surprisingly common among people in the insurance industry—and other industries besides. Cut these habits, and you’re likely to have a successful new year.

Stop continually checking in. That little jolt of dopamine we get when we receive a positive comment or “like” on social media is addictive—just ask science. https://www.computerworld.com/article/3014439/internet/social-media-addiction-is-a-bigger-problem-than-you-think.html But to produce our best work, we all need blocks of time where we can work without interruption.

If you find yourself constantly interrupting yourself to check email or social, consider downloading a tool like SelfControl https://selfcontrolapp.com/ to limit your use of distracting websites. Modern smart phones also have built-in tools to manage screen time. Schedule a few hours in the day when you can’t be interrupted—and see your productivity soar.

Stop being modest. Sure, modesty is a virtue—but when you’re in business, your cash flow sometimes depends on your ability to sell yourself. If you’ve been avoiding asking for referrals, for example, now is a great time to quit that habit.

You can even build a referral system that eliminates the ask entirely—so you can get results without having to feel weird about asking.

See Also: Five Ways to Build a Referral Network for Your Insurance Business https://www.jebrown.net/content/479/five-ways-build-referral-network-your-insurance-business

Stop assuming you have no USP. Everyone has a Unique Selling Point—something that only you, and none of your competitors, can bring to the table. Once you know yours, you can understand why your customers chose you to work with—and not someone else. This will help you find your ideal customer, and strengthen your marketing message.

Stop working yourself to exhaustion. A lot of business owners are workaholics—and that includes insurance agents. But you aren’t doing your customers or yourself any favors by working 80-hour weeks. Make 2019 the year you take care of yourself by taking a break. Your business may even do better for it.

We’ve all accumulated some bad habits. The new year is a great time to take a look at things about the way you do business that you’d like to change—and set out a plan to change them. If you do, you could stand to make this year your best one yet.