Sometimes, you don’t have to do anything special to be successful. There are instances where it is not what you do, but what you don’t do that stand in the way of your success. Historian Will Durant paraphrased Aristotle’s idea. He said that, “We are what we repeatedly do.” If this is the case then you are your habits, and sometimes it is your habits that help you succeed or block the path to your goals. If you can rise above the unhealthy habits that block you, then you can unlock our potential. Here are some unhealthy habits you need to give up to be successful.
Unhealthy Lifestyle
To become successful at anything, you have to start taking care of your body. As Jim Rohn said, “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live”. Before you can take care of anything else, you need to start with your health. In its most basic level this means that you need to be physically active and eat a balanced diet.
If you smoke or eat unhealthy food all the time, it’s time to swap those unhealthy habits to healthier ones like exercise and eating more fruits and vegetables. Taking care of your body now means that you are less likely to get sick and more likely to conquer other obstacles that block your path to success.
Excuses
Successful people do not shirk away from their responsibilities. They know that they are responsible for their actions no matter what it is. Realizing that you’re responsible for what happens to you can be terrifying but it is also exciting. Excuses are very limiting. It tells you that you don’t have to do it or it’s not your responsibility. It also prevents us from growing and discovering new things. Give up on your excuses and be responsible. It is a very liberating feeling to know that you are responsible for your own destiny.
Overnight Success
During the late 1990’s Bill Gate’s triumph seemed like an overnight success. Sometimes we fail to see that there is no such thing. Just like you, Bill Gates had to work hard to become successful. The same is true with other people like Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson and Steve Jobs. The sooner you realize that there is no “magic bullet” that will propel you to success, the sooner you can start working harder to reach your goals.
Perfect
There is no such thing as perfect. Just like realizing that you are ultimately responsible for your success, you also have to realize that perfection is a myth. No human being is perfect therefore perfection does not exist. We can come close to it but that’s it. The fear of failure hinders you from becoming successful because you’re hesitant to try new things. A lot of opportunities can be lost just because you’re scared of taking action.
Multi-Tasking
It might seem like you’re accomplishing a lot of things but you’re really not. If you want to be successful, focus on one thing until it is beaten to submission. Whether it is a business idea, school work, losing weight or learning a new language, focus on that single task and reap the rewards.
It doesn’t mean to say that you can’t do other things at the same time. It just means that you have to be truly present and committed to a single task at a time.
Control
Give up on things that you can’t control. Sometimes things are not up to you. Instead of being fixated on everything, focus on things that you can control. The only one you can control is you, so focus on this and you will be able to control your attitude.
Need To Be Liked
Think of yourself as a specialized product. Some people will like you, others will not. No matter what you do, you will not be liked by everybody so it’s better to give up this need. What you can do is to continue improving and contributing each day instead of trying for mass market appeal.
Start eliminating these unhealthy habits that are standing in your way today. Getting rid of these path blockers will help you discover the successful person underneath.
