We are all creatures of habit, often falling into certain patterns of thought and behavior. The issue is that some of these habits can be toxic and hinder our progress toward success.
However, if you can break free from bad habits, replace them with good ones, and establish new routines, these positive habits will contribute to your success.
This article outlines ten things you should stop doing to avoid sabotaging your days.
10. Making Excuses
Successful and happy people don’t make excuses. They overcome obstacles and find ways to succeed despite them, and let’s be honest, nobody likes to hear excuses.
While it may be easy to blame others or circumstances for your problems, as soon as you start making excuses, you stop looking for solutions. Excuses don’t solve anything.
There are plenty of answers and resources available to you. For example, think about those times when you skipped a workout. You may have said I’m too tired, it’s too cold, I’m not feeling well, I have too much to do, or I can’t because I need to cook dinner, but to be honest, these are just excuses. Sometimes you may have to be flexible and adjust your schedule, but if you want to stay fit or get things done, you just need to make it happen.
9. Procrastination
Successful people don’t constantly put things off. If you’re constantly delaying tasks, you may need to reflect on making some changes now. Become someone who acts immediately and completes the tasks at hand before things pile up.
If you catch yourself saying things like “I’ll do it tomorrow” or “It can wait until Monday,” you might be a procrastinator. Why wait? Learn to manage your time effectively.
There’s a big difference between being busy and being productive. Prioritize your most important tasks and tackle them first. Complete tasks ahead of schedule. A wise person doesn’t want to live a mundane life, knowing it will be unsatisfying. Instead, they take the necessary steps and strive to succeed in life.
If you keep procrastinating, you’ll never do what it takes to achieve greatness. You could remain mediocre and never attain your full potential.
8. Playing the Victim
This somewhat ties back to what we mentioned earlier about excuses, and it also ties into taking accountability for your actions and playing the blame game.
People like to say they did something because they had no other choice. But more often than not, they did have a choice, it just wasn’t an easy route.
Additionally, you don’t have to stay in a situation where you are being told what you can or can’t do. Take responsibility for your actions and stand up for yourself.
If you’re in a toxic environment right now, you can make some healthy changes. Sometimes these changes seem impossible, but with planning and maybe even some help, it can be done. Whether it’s in your career, personal life, or relationships, you’re not stuck, and don’t let anyone gaslight you into thinking that you are.
7. Expecting Good Things to Happen on Their Own
Don’t expect life to hand you anything for free, the world doesn’t owe you anything. Whatever you want, you’re going to have to work and earn it. For example, everyone wants to make more money, but you can’t expect to do so without taking action.
Sure, you show up on time and do your job well every day, but if you haven’t received a raise or promotion. Are you sure that you earned it? Have you asked for it? Have you done anything about it?
Studies show that 53% of women and 40% of men have never taken steps to increase their income. They don’t know how to succeed in life.
Here are some proactive ways to boost your income:
- Develop in-demand skills. Invest in online learning platforms like Udemy or Coursera to master relevant skills in marketing, graphic design, or coding.
- Freelance your expertise. Platforms like Fiverr or Upwork allow you to showcase your talents and work on freelance projects related to writing, design, or social media management.
- Build a creative side hustle. Platforms like FlexClip, DesignCap, and Canva empower you to create engaging videos or design captivating graphics for clients, turning your creative passions into earning potential.
By actively seeking opportunities and continuously improving your skills, you position yourself for success. Remember, success means being proactive, not passive!
6. Complaining Instead of Seeking Solutions
How often do you complain? According to Psychology Today, the average person complains between 15 and 30 times a day. Have you ever gained from your complaints? The answer is most likely no, and according to Psychology Today complaining is bad for you.
Complaining won’t get you anywhere. Moreover, no one wants to hear you complain. Sure, there are times when you need to vent to friends, family, or colleagues, but these people can’t help you if you don’t help yourself.
5. Automatically Saying “Yes” to Everything
You have the right to say “no.” Saying “yes” to everything won’t get you far. Successful people know when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” It is perfectly acceptable to set some healthy boundaries. Being able to say “no” means you have self-confidence, and confidence is key to success.
In fact, understanding that it’s okay to say “no” is one of the 15 most important habits of highly confident people. Saying yes to everything can turn you into a pushover. Try to focus on the things that will get you where you want to go, and you’ll understand how to succeed in life.
4. Being Afraid of Failure
Stop fearing failure, and stop being afraid to take risks. Am I saying you’ll never fail? Absolutely not. Failure is a part of life. Both failure and success can change your life. Successful people are always ready to adapt, but those who fail are afraid of change and fear failure.
3. Being Too Hard on Yourself
Stop beating yourself up over every little thing. Yes, you will make mistakes—that happens to everyone, including those who are successful. Dwelling on your mistakes and setting unrealistic expectations isn’t healthy and won’t help you achieve success. Learn from your mistakes and move on.
You need to hold yourself accountable for your actions, and that’s fine. But questioning every decision and rehashing the past isn’t a winning strategy. If this sounds like something you do regularly, you need to stop immediately!
2. Trying to Control Everything
Being a leader doesn’t mean you need to control everything, and micromanaging people isn’t very effective, sometimes you just need to step back and let things happen. Trying to control everything will ultimately drive you crazy, you need to accept that some things are simply out of your control.
Don’t let uncontrollable factors, like the weather or others’ actions, ruin your day. Instead, focus on what you can control personally. Be resourceful, be determined, but be ready to remember that not everything is within your control.
1. Cutting Corners
There’s a saying, “The professional way is the easy way.” This is because professionals make everything look simple and efficient. They don’t waste their time and effort, but that’s not the same as taking shortcuts.
They’ve simply learned to become very, very good at what they do. Taking shortcuts is a bad idea because it leaves too many things undone that might come back to haunt you later.
The average person generally chooses the easiest path, while successful people look for the right path. You won’t improve your life or succeed if you’re always looking for shortcuts. There may not be a shortcut to where you want to go, but there’s always a path.
Understand the difference because convenience and success don’t go hand in hand, you will most likely need to step out of that comfort zone. Be ready to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty if necessary. Nothing worthwhile is easy; if it were, everyone would be doing it.
Conclusion
Before you can break free from your bad habits, you first need to identify what you’re doing wrong. This list is a good starting point, but don’t stop there. It’s not enough to just pinpoint what’s holding you back. Once you’ve identified your bad habits, you need to make changes. To understand how to succeed in life, you must replace negative habits with positive ones and make them a new way of life as you move forward.
This article was written for WHN by Andre Oentoro who is an SEO Partner for Flexclip, an online video editor.
As with anything you read on the internet, this article should not be construed as medical advice; please talk to your doctor or primary care provider before changing your wellness routine. WHN does not agree or disagree with any of the materials posted. This article is not intended to provide a medical diagnosis, recommendation, treatment, or endorsement.
Opinion Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of WHN/A4M. Any content provided by guest authors is of their own opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, or anyone or anything else. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Content may be edited for style and length.
References/Sources/Materials provided by:
https://hbr.org/2020/09/learn-when-to-say-no
https://www.thesavageleader.com/journal/the-downside-of-trying-control-everything
https://medium.com/100-days-of-gratitude/the-world-doesnt-owe-you-anything-7fea0187b610
https://muktimasih.com/2023/06/15/stop-playing-the-victims-card/
https://www.mindtools.com/a5plzk8/how-to-stop-procrastinating
https://www.lifeskillsthatmatter.com/blog/stop-making-excuses
https://weidelonwinning.com/blog/17-things-you-should-quit-doing-to-be-more-successful/
