You’ve dreamed of being successful your whole life. Buying that house on the beach, driving the sports car… We’ve compiled a list of things you need to give up if you want to be successful.
- Your need to be liked
On your journey to success, you will find people who dislike you purely based on your successes. You need to give up on your need to be liked by these people, as they will do nothing but discourage you.
- Excuses
Stop making excuses! We’ve all heard the exercising excuses before:
A: “I want to exercise but don’t have a gym membership!”
B: “Well, why not join a gym?”
A: “Oh no it’s way too expensive.”
B: “Okay, so exercise at home?”
A: “No man, it’s just not the same.”
That’s the dialogue you need to avoid. If you want something badly enough, you’ll make it happen.
- Multitasking
As much as people may brag that they possess the ability to multitask, it is actually counterproductive. As Winston Churchill once said, “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” Give the task at hand your undivided attention, and you will succeed.
- Unhealthy lifestyle
Give up the unhealthy lifestyle! Focus on following a healthy diet, and make sure that you regularly participate in physical activity. A healthy body breeds a healthy mind.
- Short term mindset
Think long term. Stop thinking about next week’s problems. You need to focus on your larger goals, and achieving the smaller milestones in order to fulfil your larger goals. A good rule of thumb is that “if it’s not going to matter in 5 years, don’t give it 5 minutes.”
- Distinguishing between work life and private life
Successful individuals’ private lives will always be influenced by work when they become truly successful. Sometimes, it will be necessary to take that business call at your child’s graduation, or at a friend’s funeral – success waits for no one.
- Being a perfectionist
Not everything you do will be perfect, so stop trying to achieve perfection. If you obsess over the small things, you will lose sight of the goal. Do not allow the fear of failure to consume your endeavours.
- Toxic people
At the office we always say “show me the five people you spend most of your time with, and I’ll show you your future”. If you surround yourself with unsuccessful people who (sometimes intentionally) drag you down and stop you from achieving the things you need to achieve, then it may be time to change the people you surround yourself with. Remember, if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.
- Being afraid to ask for help
Nobody ever achieved success all by themselves. It is important to acknowledge when you need help. You should be able to ask for it, and accept it gracefully. Remember, you can always repay those who helped you once you become successful.
- Chasing other people’s dreams
Most importantly, don’t let other people’s success define what your success should look like. Nobody can tell you, other than you, what would make you successful. Is it money, a large family, a fancy car? You should define your own goals and definition of success.
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