7 Things You Have To Give Up If You Want To Be Successful

Personal habits are a critical factor when it comes to being successful in life. No one has ever reached great heights by possessing unhealthy habits. If such a person does become rich or famous, he/she will fail to sustain their position for a long time.

This article is for someone who wants to be successful in life but is not able to do so because of some of their habits and behaviors. I am guessing you already know your life goal. Once you are aware of your unconscious behaviors, you can do something to get rid of them. And then you will be free to design a roadmap that will take you to your goal.   

There is a clear distinction between the way a wealthy person lives his/her life and a poor person goes through life. The difference is not in their intelligence or knowledge, but it is in their daily habits. As Robert Kiyosaki–the author of the best selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad— famously said: “A person can be highly educated, professionally successful, and financially illiterate.” You must know how finance works if you want to be successful.  

Here are some things you will have to give up if you want to be successful in life.

1. Making excuses all the time

Most people are always waiting for others to give them direction in life. They blame others if things don’t go their way. Making excuses will never lead you to the path of success. Because, instead of taking action, you are choosing to do nothing. As Hollywood actor Clint Eastwood rightly said: “What you put into life is what you get out of it.”

The number one thing that stops you from going for what you want is the negative thinking pattern that makes you feel like you are not good enough. So, why should you even try?

Taking responsibility for your life is the quickest way to stop making excuses. It means being aware of the consequences of your actions. So, next time when you make a mistake, don’t blame others, take responsibility and learn from it.

2. Looking for a magic pill

“Slow and steady wins the race.”

-Robert Lloyd

The magic pill solution is very prevalent in today’s society. People are very much inclined towards fast and effortless ways to achieve things. The best example of a magic pill is the 5-minutes abs commercial. The 5-minutes abs promise that you will get rock-hard abs within two weeks of using their product. This might sound quite enticing to someone who is overweight and lazy.

But the long term effects of these quick-fix solutions are negative. Furthermore, most of the quick-fix solutions available in the market don’t even work. For instance, it takes at least a couple of years of hard work in the gym to get fully fit and have the physique that you want.

Along with that, you also have to eat and sleep well. Knowing this fact, it is ridiculous to think that a 5-minute abs program will help you achieve similar results. So, stop looking for easy solutions if you want to be successful in life.  

3. Fear of failure

Fear of failure stops people from trying things out. It is also the number one obstacle that keeps people from becoming financially independent. In reality, failure is supposed to expose our weakness, so that we can work on them and eliminate them eventually.  

Ego is our false sense of self. We create a mental picture of our best self. Your ego protects itself by creating a delusional fear inside your head. Don’t let your ego win. It just wants you to stay the way you are. Moreover, your ego also gets threatened by any major change in your life. To be successful, you will need to evaluate your life and make systematic changes to it.

4. Seeking approval from others

We are hardwired to seek approval from anyone who might seem like they have more authority than us. This survival strategy was useful in the prehistoric period. But in today’s world, seeking approval and validation from others will stop you from being free and unrestrained.

Not being good enough is another reason people seek approval from others. Everyone who is at the top of their field once had to start from the bottom and work their way up. Instead of owning up to our shortcomings and learning to live with them, we seek validation from others.

5. Unhealthy habits that stop you from progressing

Your habits are indicators of the quality of your life. Good habits lead to success, happiness, and spiritual well being. Along with forming good habits, it is equally important to become conscious of our bad habits.

Binge eating, not getting enough exercise, not reading books, watching too much television and not sleeping enough are a few common unhealthy habits people have. If you have any of these bad habits, do not try to force yourself to do the right thing. Instead, replace the old habit with a new one.  

Your brain will not comply with you when you are trying to get rid of a bad or unhealthy habit. It gets habituated to the old patterns and wants to do what it is used to doing. So, when you replace an old habit with a new one, you get the same amount of dopamine rush in your brain that the old habit provided. But this time you are doing something constructive with keeping your long term wellbeing in mind.

6. Procrastinating and waiting for the right moment

Procrastination is a habit that gets triggered by stress in your life. It’s your way of taking a break from a hectic life. But like every other habit, it can be broken too. All you have to do is be aware of what your stress responses are and how you are currently dealing with the problems in your life.

Are you drinking too much alcohol, binge-watching television shows, or overeating? Once you know what activity you are indulging in to avoid work or whatever it is that you’re running away from, you can consciously stop yourself from doing it. Over time, you will break the pattern of avoidance and begin to focus on your desired activity.

7. Toxic people in your life

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

-Jim Rohn

Your close friends and other people you spend time with, determine how much success you will achieve in life. Surrounding yourself with positive and like-minded people is one of the quickest ways to succeed in life. When you spend time with people who are miserable or unhappy in life, you slowly begin to get affected by their toxicity. Toxic people are everywhere, so you need to keep your eyes and ears open to protect yourself from them.  

People stay in toxic relationships because they think it’s benefiting them somehow. For instance, one might choose to work for an organization that pays well but doesn’t treat their employees properly. In this scenario, you sure become financially secure but what about your spiritual and emotional wellbeing? In a toxic relationship, there is always a major compromise. So, evaluate the people in your life and get rid of anyone who might be hurting your chances of success.