15 Things You Should Stop Doing If You Want To Be Successful

Many motivational books often tell people what to do in order to achieve success. As much as you need to develop certain habits to succeed, there are also things that you need to remove from your life to move closer to your goal. It’s like taking all the excess baggage off your back so you can run freely and quickly. So what are those things that you should stop doing?

Stop ignoring your health

Your most important investment is yourself and your health. If you keep on ignoring it, the price you’ll have to pay will be more costly. Taking care of your health is very simple: have a healthy diet and regular exercise. You also need to change destructive habits like sleeping too late or smoking.

Stop having a short-term mindset

Successful people have a long-term mindset. They can already see what the future has in store for them. How can you go to the moon when you only set your mind to move to another city? However, having a long-term mindset is not the only thing that successful people have. They also know that to accomplish these long-term goals, they need to be consistent with the short-term habits they do on a daily basis. These habits did not happen overnight, they are also a product of self-discipline.

Stop having a fixed mindset

Having a fixed mindset is another area of your life that you need to abandon. A fixed mindset is the belief that talent alone can make you successful. If you have this kind of thinking, remember that there are very talented people in this world who have failed. Successful people know that in order to stay relevant at all times, they need to grow; thus, they invest to make themselves better. They are also quick to change and remove any bad habits that stop them from reaching their goals.

Stop making excuses

There’s no such thing as a perfect day or a perfect opportunity. Randy Pausch said in his book, “The Last Lecture” that it’s not about the cards you’re dealt, but about how you play them.

Successful people know that excuses and complaints will not get them anywhere, In fact, they know it will just make them more miserable. Thus, they take responsibility for their mistakes instead of making excuses for why they committed it. They also learn from their mistakes and do something to change.

Stop chasing small dreams

You are as big or as small as you think. Your only limitation is your mind, so stop limiting yourself by getting out of your comfort zone to reach your full potential. This process will be challenging and uncomfortable. You will even experience a lot of trial and error, but once you get past the discomfort, you are one step closer to greatness.

Stop beating yourself into perfection

All of us are fallible – that’s a fact. Therefore, there is no sense in achieving perfection because all of us are prone to make mistakes. There will always be someone who is better when you begin thinking you’re the best. Instead of perfection, aim for excellence in every aspect of your life.

When it comes to pursuing success, there is no such thing as perfect timing. Many have lost opportunities because of this mindset. Write your goals and commit to them every day until you achieve what you want.

Stop multitasking

It has already been proven by science that multitasking can do your brain more harm than good. Sir Winston Churchill said it best when he said that throwing stones at every dog you encounter will never bring you to your ultimate destination. Instead, focus on one task at a time and fully commit to it.

Stop controlling everything

There are things you can control, and there are things that you can’t. Once you’ve accepted this, life becomes much easier. Two of the things you need to give up control on are people’s attitude and inspiration. You cannot control people’s attitude, but you can control your reaction towards them. You cannot control inspiration, but you can control hard work, which keeps things moving.

Stop saying yes when you want to say no

More often than not, we say YES because we feel guilty when we say no. Moreover, we also want to please everyone, especially our friends and family. However, saying yes to almost anything and anyone will weigh you down and stop you from achieving what you need to achieve. Trust your instincts and say no, unless it’s a life and death situation.

Stop making people like you

This is a continuation of the point above – when you say no, some people will not like it. However, you have to get it into your system that you cannot please all people. More so, you are not in the business of making people like you. What you need to focus on is improving yourself and providing value every day. Even if people don’t like you, they won’t be able to deny the value you give as it affects their lives.

Stop meeting toxic people

Bad company corrupts good character so you have to be careful who you closely associate with. The enthusiasm and drive of lucky people will soon rub off on you as you spend time with them. You will face challenges, but you will continue to push forward because you are surrounded by people who keep moving towards success. In the same way, spending time with less driven people will have the same effect on you. Choose which people you’d like to spend time with wisely.

Stop spending too much time on social media and TV

Social media was meant to expand your network, not to waste time. TV, on the other hand, was meant to keep you glued to its screen. Both have the potential to waste your time if you don’t use them wisely. Instead of spending most of your time on them, spend it on reading or developing a new skill.

Stop thinking success has a short-cut

Success is the result of intelligent and persistent hard work. Every day is an opportunity to make yourself better. The mindset of successful people has no room for shortcuts but small, consistent steps that have significant effects in the long term. Being able to improve one percent in your life every day will have an accumulated effect of 365 percent in a year.

Stop living in the past

You are not defined by the failures you committed in the past. Successful people take those failures and turn them into lessons that guide them in the present and the future. Replaying the past in your mind again and again is counterproductive. Move forward and stop punishing yourself psychologically. If Thomas Edison dwelt on his past mistakes, we wouldn’t have enjoyed his innovations, or we would have another light bulb inventor.

Stop just thinking about today

As thinking about the past is counterproductive, thinking solely about the present alone has the same effect. Successful people know how important it is to have a plan and a goal. They figure out what their future is like. That does not mean they are not having fun but that they understand that whatever action they have in the present will greatly affect their future.

Wrapping it all up

The road to success is not easy but full of sacrifices. It is also a choice – the amount of your success depends on how much or how little you sacrifice to achieve it. What’s your choice?