Lachlan Brown
Success is different for everyone. But no matter what your version of success is, some time-wasting habits hold you back from any type of success in life.
In this article, I’m going to go through 10 habits that successful people don’t waste their time on.
Let’s go.
1. Constantly comparing themselves to others
It’s natural for us to care about what other people think.
But successful people don’t compare themselves excessively.
They understand that life is complex and circumstances are different for everyone, so it’s impossible to accurately and fairly compare yourself.
They also realize that they’ll never understand what someone else’s life is really like behind the curtains.
The only person a successful person compares themselves to is their past self.
This is how they’re able to improve, and how they avoid the self-deprecating emotions that come from comparing.
2. Constantly checking social media
Mindlessly scrolling through Facebook and Instagram can waste more time than you imagine.
Most people do it without knowing, but the truth is, it’s not really a habit that’s getting you anywhere fast.
A successful person realizes that it’s fine to scroll through Facebook and Instagram now and then, but it’s not something that you want to do every hour of the day.
A successful person wants to use their time wisely to be more productive.
They still have time for play, which includes using social media, but they’ve cut back their social media use to get done what needs to be done every day.
3. They don’t bother gossiping
Gossiping doesn’t feel like time well spent for a successful person.
There’s not much point to it, and most of the time, all you’re really doing is talking bad about someone else who can’t defend themselves.
A successful person realizes that another person’s private life is none of their business.
And when you engage in gossip, all it serves to do is make yourself more judgemental and toxic.
A successful person prefers to be compassionate rather than judgemental.
Rather than gossiping about people behind their backs, a successful person focuses on working towards the goals that they’ve set for themself.
And that’s really what being successful is all about: Completing the goals that you set out to complete.
4. They don’t surround themselves with people who bring them down
As the famous quote says: “You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
A successful person doesn’t want to hang out with toxic or mean people.
They don’t want to spend time with people who belittle them or gossip about other people.
Instead, a successful person makes sure to spend time with people that are just as optimistic as they are.
People who have goals and don’t treat other people like doormats.
It’s not easy to let go of people in life, but sometimes it’s necessary to improve your attitude and life.
A successful person wants to focus on their goals, and the best way to do that is to get rid of things that bring you down.
5. They don’t stay in environments that bring them down
Just like avoiding people that bring them down, a successful person also avoids spending time in environments that thwart their growth.
If they’re at a party and they find that party to be a complete waste of time, they won’t hesitate to leave.
If they’re stuck working a job that doesn’t benefit their long-term plans, then they’ll move on and find something new.
Sure, this is easier said than done sometimes, but a successful person is extremely motivated to improve themselves and achieve their goals.
And if that means changing the space and environment they’re living in, then they’ll find a way to get it done.
6. They don’t wing it.
A successful person always has a plan. If they want to get better at yoga, they’ll have a plan for how they’ll make it happen.
If they want to develop a positive mindset, they’ll figure out the habits that need to be employed to achieve it.
They understand nothing good can be achieved in a day. It takes time to achieve your big goals, and that involves achieving little goals every single day.
A big difference between a successful person and an unsuccessful one is that a successful person sticks to a plan to get their goals achieved.
A unsuccessful person doesn’t know what to do next, so they usually wing it until they eventually give up.
7. They don’t try to be like everyone else
Trying to fit in and be like everyone else is a recipe for living an inauthentic life.
One important trait of any successful person is the ability to be authentic to themselves.
If that means being different from everyone, then so be it.
A successful person would rather stay true to themselves and express themselves for who they are than stick to a pre-written script that sounds the same as everyone else.
This also means that a successful person understands who they are.
There’s no hiding because they know their strengths, weaknesses, and everything in between.
They don’t try to be someone they’re not, and this means they get the most out of life because they stick to their strengths.
8. They don’t focus on past mistakes
A successful person realizes that focusing on the past too much is thwarted with danger.
You never really move on if you can’t let go of failures.
Being successful is all about moving forward and improving.
Sure, it’s important to learn from mistakes, but once they’ve learned what they need to learn, they move on and stay focused on their goals.
9. They don’t try to live up to other people’s expectations
A successful person realizes that it’s impossible to live up to everybody’s expectations.
And as soon as you start living your life for other people, you lose a sense of authenticity within yourself.
A successful person understands that it’s important to have your own standards to hold yourself to.
But besides that, they can’t do much more than that to satisfy other people.
And worrying about what other people think is just a time-wasting activity that doesn’t help them move forward in life.
10. They don’t constantly complain
Nobody likes a complainer. They’re not fun to be around and they make everything seem more difficult than it really has to be.
A successful person doesn’t waste time complaining about things they can’t change.
They don’t see themselves as a victim. They take responsibility for their actions and always try their best.
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