You can be successful in life, but you need to say goodbye to these 7 behaviors first

I have news for you: You will be successful in life. 

But the caveat here is that you have to want it bad enough, and your daily behaviors and habits have to consistently reflect that sentiment. 

Unfortunately, success won’t just land in your lap while you’re lounging on the couch bingeing through Love Is Blind.

Life simply doesn’t work this way. 

If you want to be successful one day, both personally and professionally, you’ve come to the right place. 

I’m here to help. 

In this article, I’ll take you through the behaviors you need to let go of, if you want to be successful in life. 

So if a few of these items sound familiar, take that as a cue to start making adjustments. 

Let’s get to it! 

1) Overconsumption of social media 

These days, nobody is safe from mindless, excess scrolling, so if you tend to get sidetracked by screen time, take extra precautions. 

Just the other day, I found myself scrolling through Instagram reels for about two hours. 

I remember constantly telling myself as I swiped up, “Just a few more reels.” 

Well, I was lying to myself. 

Before I knew it, it was the middle of the day, and I was lagging behind in work, feeling lightheaded, having caused myself unnecessary stress. 

My case is hardly an isolated one. The fact is, with the limitless, mind-numbing stimuli on your social media apps, we can all get sucked in. 

And if we’re not careful, the latter can be a major roadblock to getting stuff done, to healthy relationships, and even to getting sleep. 

Why? Because spending excessive time on social media means overwhelming distraction and a lack of productivity. 

Limit your screen time and mindfully focus on meaningful activities. You’ll notice a change in no time. 

2) Comparing yourself to others

A major drawback of social media? 

We subconsciously (or consciously) begin to compare ourselves to others, to the people we see on our feeds. 

Within seconds of unlocking your phone, you’ll likely see a friend or stranger on the internet living a life that is seemingly better than yours. 

Left unchecked, this practice can lead to feelings of inadequacy and a lack of motivation. 

You’ll never truly be happy because there is always someone doing a bit better. 

Happiness and satisfaction are feelings that should come from within, not relative to how everybody else is doing. 

Focus on your own progress and celebrate the journey. 

Whether on the internet or in the real world, don’t measure your success against others, or risk envy and prolonged dissatisfaction. 

3) Settling for mediocrity 

I get it, sometimes we can get so caught up in work and life, that things get excessively routine. 

Life can get tiring. 

Often, you just want to collect your monthly paycheck and go through the motions. 

Sure, you can get by by accepting average results, but doing so means you’ll just end up as another average cog in the system. 

If you want to stand out from the herd, strive for more, strive for excellence. 

Push yourself, however menial and tedious that process can be. 

Leave your comfort zone now and then and take calculated risks. 

Don’t settle for being average. Trust me, the people who matter will notice. 

And if they don’t, perhaps it’s time to reassess where you’re working or who you’re surrounding yourself with. 

4) Impulsive spending

I know people who regularly take the concept of “treat yourself” a bit too far. 

They’ll work hard all month and as soon as they get paid, they’ll blow their money on overpriced sneakers or trendy gadgets. 

Of course, everyone is entitled to do what they want with their money, but this can objectively be problematic, even reckless, if it’s done without restraint, without consideration for budget and saving. 

Unless you earn like Jeff Bezos, set aside a specific monthly amount you can spend on self-care and “luxury” shopping… and save the rest. 

Trust me, making hasty financial decisions without proper consideration can lead to mistakes, regret, and avoidable stress. 

5) Avoiding difficult conversations 

If you want to go far in life, you’ll invariably have to deal with other people. 

And to deal with people efficiently, you need to talk and communicate. 

Communication is crucial for any type of human relationship to succeed. 

Think about it… say you’re an employer and you have staff that don’t take their work seriously and have become a liability. 

To set them straight, you have to communicate and have a relatively difficult conversation, or risk allowing a destructive status quo to perpetuate. 

Or maybe you’re in an unhappy relationship, but you’re also averse to talking about your feelings, so you let things carry on indefinitely, however unhealthy and unhappy. 

Not good.

The bottom line is that shying away from tough discussions can hinder personal and professional growth. 

Sometimes, we have to do things we don’t enjoy; it’s part of being a grown-up. 

6) Living in the past 

Dwelling and ruminating on past mistakes will not do you any favors. 

Learn from your mistakes and move on; anything less, and it’s counterproductive. 

Extreme cases aside, making mistakes in life is a part of life, a part of the human condition. 

There are few things more human than coming up short. 

So rather than dwell and allow that feeling to debilitate you, actively stay focused on the present and future. 

Your mistakes and shortcomings don’t define you, how you bounce back from adversity, however, will. 

7) Neglecting self-care 

While working hard is generally an admirable pursuit, it can also be problematic. 

We live at a time when this toxic “hustle” mentality is glorified… and many of us can be susceptible to being so engrossed, that we lose touch of what truly matters. 

Remember, strive for balance in all you do. 

Don’t overcommit, and allow work to become an addiction. 

Learn to say no and always prioritize tasks that align with your goals. 

I know firsthand that ignoring your physical and mental health can lead to burnout. 

Look after yourself by prioritizing self-care practices like exercise, healthy eating, mindfulness, and simply doing calming things that you enjoy. 

Through balance, you’ll find meaning. Real talk. 

Clifton Kopp

Welcome to my writings on Hack Spirit! I'm a bit of a "polymath" in that I like writing about many different things. Often I'm learning from the process of writing. I hope you enjoy, and please leave a comment on one of my articles.

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