Here’s what you should let go of if you want to succeed.
An unknown person once said about hell: “On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.”
Sometimes, to be successful and closer to the person we can become, we must give up on some of our bad habits.
Some universal things will make you successful if you give them up, even if we all have different definitions of success.
You can give up on some of them right away, while others may take longer.
1. Ditch the short-term perspective.
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” ― Mae West
Successful people set long-term goals, but they understand that these goals are simply the outcome of short-term habits that they must practice every day.
These healthy practices should not be something you do, but something you embody.
There is a distinction between “working out to get a summer body” and “working out because that’s who you are.”
2. Give up playing little.
“Your playing little does not benefit the planet. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that others do not feel unsafe around you. We are all supposed to shine, just like children do. It is not limited to a few of us; it is present in all of us, and as we let our light shine, we automatically allow others to do the same. As we overcome our fear, our presence automatically liberates others. — Marianne Williamson
3. Give up on the unhealthy lifestyle
“Take care of your body.” “It’s the only place you can live.” —Jim Rohn
If you want to achieve anything in life, it all starts here. First, you must take care of your health, which requires simply two considerations:
- Healthy diet
- Physical activity.
Take small steps, but you’ll thank yourself later.
4. Give up your excuses
“It’s not about the cards you’re dealt, but how you play the hand.” Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture.
Successful people understand that they are responsible for their lives, regardless of their starting place, weaknesses, or previous failures.
Realizing that you have control over what happens next in your life is both frightening and exciting.
And doing so becomes the only way to achieve success, because excuses limit and prohibit us from progressing personally and professionally.
Own your life; no one else will.
5. Give up believing in the “magic bullet”
“Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.”Émile Coué
Overnight success is a fallacy.
Successful people understand that making little, consistent improvements every day will compound over time and produce the desired results.
That is why you should plan for the future while focusing on the day ahead of you and striving to improve by 1% per day.
7. Give up the fixed thinking.
“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.” Robert Greene, Mastery
People with a fixed mindset believe their intelligence or talents are simply fixed traits, and that talent alone creates success — without effort. They’re wrong.
8. Give up multi-tasking
“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” Winston S. Churchill
Successful people understand this. That is why they choose one thing and beat it into submission. Whether it’s a business idea, chat, or training.
Being fully present and engaged to one’s work is essential.
9. Give up perfectionism.
“Shipping beats perfection.” Kahn Academy’s Development Mantra.
Nothing will ever be flawless, no matter how hard we try.
Fear of failure (or even fear of success) frequently keeps us from taking action and sending our creativity out into the world. However, if we wait for everything to fall into place, we will miss out on many possibilities.
Stop saying yes to activities that don’t help you achieve your goals.
“He who would accomplish little must sacrifice little; he who would achieve much must sacrifice much; he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.” James Allen
Successful people understand that in order to achieve their goals, they must say no to some jobs, activities, and demands from their friends, family, and coworkers.
In the short term, you may forego some momentary gratification, but when your goals are realized, it will all be worthwhile.
10. Give up the impulse to control everything.
“Some things are up to us, and some things are not up to us.” Epictetus, a Stoic philosopher.
Differentiating between the two is critical.
Detach from the things you can’t control and focus on the ones you can, knowing that sometimes the only thing you have control over is your attitude toward something.
Remember, no one can be furious while saying “Bubbles” in an angry tone.
11. Give up your dependency on social media and television
“The trouble is, you think you have time.”—Jack Kornfield.
Impulsive web browsing and television viewing are diseases in today’s society.
These two should never be used to flee your life or ambitions.
Unless your goals depend on either, you should reduce (or even eliminate) your reliance on them and devote that time to activities that will enrich your life.
12. Give up the toxic people
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Jim Rohn
The people we spend most of our time with shape who we become.
There are people who are less accomplished in their personal and professional lives, as well as those who are more accomplished than us. Spending time with folks who are behind you will lower your average, and thus your success.
However, no matter how difficult it is, spending time with people who are more accomplished than you will lead to greater achievement.
Take a look around and see if you need to make any modifications.
13. Give up your need to be liked
“The only way to avoid pissing people off is to do nothing important.”— Oliver Emerton.
Consider yourself as a market niche.
There will be many people who enjoy that niche, and there will be some who do not. And, no matter what you do, you will not be able to dominate the entire market.
This is very natural, and you do not need to excuse yourself.
The only thing you can do is be true, improve and provide value every day, and understand that having more “haters” implies you’re doing something worthwhile.
