Kiran Athar
There’s a lot of guidance out there on how to be successful. Wake up early. Stay focussed. Persevere. Meditate.
You’ve likely encountered these tips in various articles already. But what about the pitfalls to avoid?
Steering clear of certain negative influences can be just as crucial as the daily habits you cultivate to advance and grow.
That’s why today I’ll be talking about 10 types of people to dodge like the plague. True success comes by surrounding yourself with supportive, positive individuals – a stark contrast to the characters outlined below.
Let’s dive right in:
1) The Naysayers
If you want your spirits dampened and your hopes dashed, hang around with naysayers.
They’re famous for shooting down innovative ideas and crushing ambition.
They tend to focus on the impossible, so while you’re busy trying to find solutions to your hurdles in achieving success, they’ll be there every step of the way to remind you how you’re doomed to fail.
Cut people like this out of your life – or at the very least, minimize contact with them, and don’t bother sharing your dreams and goals with them.
2) The Complainers
Let’s be real here, we’re all prone to complaining from time to time. Life’s hard.
But chronic complainers will hold you back from achieving success because rather than push through problems with determination and perseverance, they prefer to wallow.
They don’t push themselves and make the best out of situations, in fact, they enjoy playing the victim.
Hang around with complainers too often and you’ll find yourself adopting this mindset too.
3) The Entitled
If you’re trying to achieve success, you know you’ve got to work hard for it. There are millions of “get rich fast” videos online, but it goes without saying:
Accomplishing anything worthwhile in life requires some form of sacrifice. Time, energy, or money.
But entitled people don’t get that.
They act like the world owes them something, even when they do nothing. There are plenty of them on social media, you can usually find them under the “Karen” tab.
So what happens if you surround yourself with entitled people?
Well, their “holier than” attitude may rub off on you. Or, they might encourage you to take shortcuts and avoid responsibility, leading you further and further from your goals.
4) The Gossipers
We all know a few gossipers – they thrive off of drama.
And when it comes to staying focussed and working hard for your success, you certainly don’t want to be caught up in their game playing and havoc wreaking.
They will distract you and they will pull you into their drama, make no mistake about it. Even if you’re not into gossiping yourself.
When I finished university and was considering my next steps, my friendship group was like this. And although I tried to stay out of it, it inevitably pulled me in…to the point where I was so caught up in who said what and who did the dirty on so and so.
It wasn’t until I fully distanced myself that I realized just how toxic and time-consuming they were.
5) The Time-Wasters
These types of people don’t respect their own time nor yours or anyone else’s for that matter.
Think about it this way:
You could hang out with people like this and probably have a good time. They don’t seem to be in a rush to do anything productive and that’s why they’re always free.
They’ll entice you with their laid-back “mañana” attitude.
On the other hand, you could surround yourself with motivated, focused people who would encourage you to be the same way.
The choice is yours.
6) The Pessimists
Quite similar to the naysayers, the pessimists are those who always see the glass as half empty.
They look for faults in everything.
But the truth is, when you chase success, you’ve got to take risks. You’ve got to be hopeful and have confidence in yourself.
So it goes without saying that hanging around with people who are constantly negative is counterproductive.
Not only will they drain your energy but they’ll make it really hard to stay focussed on your vision for the future.
7) The Jealous
This one is a bit painful for me to write about, but in the last few years, I’ve noticed a couple of very close friends become jealous and resentful of my success.
Not to say that I’m wealthy or living a flash lifestyle, but I’m successful in having achieved a few of my core dreams and goals.
And while I thought they’d be happy for me, they instead made shitty remarks. Or tried to downplay my achievements.
For a long time, I couldn’t understand why. I even tried to dim my light and make myself smaller when around them to make them feel more comfortable (and for me to feel more accepted).
Then one day it occurred to me:
Real friends would be supporting me. I wouldn’t have to downplay myself around them because I know they’d be happy for my success.
So the moral of the story is to stay away from jealous people. They’ll only play on your insecurities and make you feel crap about yourself.
8) The Manipulators
When you’re on a mission to be successful in life, you need to surround yourself with people who are honest and supportive.
Basically, the opposite of manipulators.
People like this only think about themselves, and best believe that they’ll do whatever it takes to get what they want. Including using other people.
So what does that mean for you?
Well, you’ll be surrounded by deceit. You’ll be distracted. You’ll be pushed into doing things that don’t necessarily serve you or help you reach your goals.
It can take ages to overcome manipulation and heal from it, which is something you don’t need when trying to focus on your future.
9) The Unreliable
Very few people achieve success all by themselves.
Most need the support and help of those around them – whether it’s moral support, babysitting the kids, giving guidance, or physically lending a hand.
So if the people around you are unreliable, you’ll miss out on all the above.
You’ll try to lean on them (as they’ve done with you, no doubt) only to find that they’ll perpetually let you down.
And while this might not stop you from reaching your goal in the end, it can make life harder.
Not to mention, you’ll have to deal with the emotional turmoil of being disappointed in those around you because they can’t keep their word and follow through.
10) The Judgmental
And finally, avoid judgmental people.
The only thing they’re good for is making you feel self-conscious about your decisions. This can stop you from stepping out of your comfort zone.
Instead, you need people who are bold and daring (but not reckless). People who are open-minded and who will challenge you in a good way.
Ultimately, while avoiding the people I’ve mentioned in this article is a great starting point, the next thing you need to consider is who you actually surround yourself with.
Go for the people who have your best interests at heart. The ones who are always honest with you and always there for you.
And make sure you hang out with people who you aspire to be like – if you’re the smartest in the room, you’re in the wrong room.
