cleaning up one's act
Getting one's together
Cleaning up one's act means reforming one's behavior, especially abandoning habits others find objectionable or irresponsible.
The phrase suggests someone whose conduct has been messy or problematic in ways that affect others: After his third warning, he finally cleaned up his act at work.
It implies visible improvement rather than private change.
- ethical behaviorMorally principled conduct
- straight and narrowMorally correct conduct
- apologyStatement acknowledging wrongdoing
- making amendsCompensating for wrongdoing
- self-disciplineRegulating one's own behavior
habit formation · kicking the habit · mindfulness · responsibility · owning up · goal-setting · trust-building · integrity · self-reflection · reconciliation · decluttering · amends · resilience · transparency · role modeling · redemption · second chance · sobriety
cleaning up one's actgoing downhill
backsliding · falling off the wagon · relapsing · going to the dogs · self-destructing
clean, cleaning, cleaner, cleaners, cleanly, cleanliness, cleaned, cleans, unclean