Hey everyone, and welcome to TopThink.
Today, we are going to learn about 10 habits that are killing your success.
Now, let’s begin. 1. Assuming Incompetence
How well do you know your strengths and weaknesses? Do you assume you can’t do things
you’ve never tried? Many people maintain negative expectations toward unfamiliar activities.
Instead of giving themselves the benefit of the doubt, you assume you’re going to fail.
You assume every difficult problem is out of your league, but that’s rarely the case.
The problem is… you shy away from skills that don’t come
naturally to you. If something isn’t easy or second nature, you assume you’re incapable,
and you put other skilled people on a pedestal. For example, many people believe they’re not
creative because they can’t draw realistic portraits or detailed
landscapes. You see the incredible works of other talented people and you assume,
“I could never do that!” But have you ever tried? While the people you envy are gifted and talented,
they spent years learning and practicing new skills.
In the beginning, they didn’t know what they were doing. They assumed they were incapable, but they
learned as much as they could until eventually, they knew enough to create something amazing.
In other words, you’re not unskilled or talent-less. You are just as capable as anyone,
but you must put in the work. You must learn, grow, and practice every day.
Otherwise, you’ll spend your days wishing for talents you chose to ignore.
2. Broadcasting Plans Many people lay claim to goals they’ve
never achieved. They broadcast their plans to the world, making bold statements like, “I’m writing
a book,” or, “I can play the guitar.” But they never follow through on their promises. They may
spend years recycling the same phrases, soaking in the admiration of others. Over and over,
they say, “I’m writing a book,” but the truth is… they haven’t written more than a few pages.
Instead of telling the world about your goals, keep your goals to yourself. Work
quietly to achieve your dreams, and let your accomplishments speak for themselves.
3. Running from Challenges Do you run away from personal
or professional challenges? Let’s face it. Success is not easy, and it’s not supposed
to be. The road to success is littered with thorns, traps, and dangerous obstacles,
which send many people running for the hills. But those obstacles contribute to your long-term
growth. Unless you have the grit and courage to overcome those obstacles, you’ll never
understand what it means to be successful. Think of it this way. What is more valuable:
a dollar you earn or a dollar you receive for free? The dollar you earn will always carry
more value, because you’re investing time and effort to earn your reward.
In the same way, every trail on your path toward success makes your achievements more meaningful.
But if you run from those challenges, you may never find the success you’re looking for.
4. Limited Descriptions How would you describe yourself? Are
you productive? Lazy? Unmotivated? Often, labeling yourself affects your expectations of yourself.
For example, if you call yourself a lazy person, you may expect lazier habits and
choices. In other words, labeling yourself can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.
When you restrict your potential to a single, narrow definition, you’re locking
yourself inside a box, forcing yourself to satisfy your own, negative expectations.
Don’t let one, narrow label define your potential. Because you’re much more than lazy or unmotivated.
You’re a complicated individual with the power to change who you are and how you behave.
So, don’t box yourself in. Expand your definition of yourself and set your expectations high.
Because you can achieve much, much more than you think.
5. Procrastinating Dreams Are you procrastinating your goals? Are
you afraid of success? Many people procrastinate their goals for years, waiting too long to pursue
the dreams that matter most. You may be afraid of taking risks. You may be afraid of losing your
comfortable life. But you don’t have as much time as you think. The longer you wait to pursue your
goals, the less time you have to achieve them. Your path toward success begins now, not tomorrow,
not next week— now. If there is a goal you want to accomplish, there’s no use waiting a moment
longer. Don’t waste years procrastinating your dreams. Don’t teeter on the edge, wondering if
you have what it takes. If there is something you love, something that excites and inspires you,
then you owe it to yourself to chase that dream with everything you have. You don’t
have to achieve that dream overnight. You don’t have to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
But if there’s something you want in this life, you need to get started. Otherwise,
you’ll look back, years in the future, and mourn the time you wasted procrastinating your dreams.
6. Insecure Commitments
What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to start a business, learn a new skill,
or develop a healthier routine? Whatever goal you want to achieve, commitment is the key. If you
aren’t willing to commit to your dreams, you stand no chance of getting those dreams off the ground.
Many people fail to find success because they aren’t willing to commit to their dreams.
You always find some excuse to delay your progress. You don’t have enough money. You
don’t have enough time. You always have a reason why now isn’t the right time.
This is an insecure commitment. You aren’t willing to take your ambitions seriously because
you aren’t sure whether you’re making the right decision. Maybe you’re afraid of what might happen
if you try your hardest. In either case, you’re waiting to invest in your dreams and passions.
If you’re serious about your goals, you need to invest in your success. Treat your
ambitions as the lifeblood of your lifestyle and well-being. Take your work seriously,
fight for what you want, and spend each day progressing toward meaningful and specific dreams.
Often, those dreams require sacrifices. When other people are enjoying free days and vacations,
you must buckle down and keep your eyes on the price.
But it’s because of your commitment that you can accomplish things other people cannot. It’s
because of your commitment that you can achieve your goals instead of dreaming from a distance.
Sit down, look yourself in the mirror, and make a commitment to your lasting success.
7. Excess Devotion
Commitment is essential to your success, but there is such a thing as “working too hard.” In fact,
overworking is one of the most common causes of personal and professional burn-out.
Some people spend every waking second focused on their goals. They sacrifice their needs,
upend their relationships, and neglect their health—all to achieve their ambitions. But instead
of finding success, their life falls to pieces. You should work hard to accomplish your goals,
but you should also take breaks and enjoy personal interests. An hour with your hobbies, for example,
can relax your mind or inspires new connections, allowing you to think differently about your
ambitions. Many people stumble upon their most meaningful revelations when the workday is over.
So, yes. You should put in the hours. You should work hard, and you should commit to
your success. But once the day is over, give yourself a break. Because those breaks are
more valuable than you realize. 8. A Self-Defeating Mindset
After experiencing failure, it takes time to rediscover your confidence and rebuild your
motivation. You must step away from your work and reassess your goals,
but during that period many people lose hope, developing a self-defeating mindset.
A self-defeating mindset belittles your ability to solve problems, overcome obstacles,
and achieve long-term goals. You convince yourself you aren’t intelligent, experienced, or capable
enough to do a job. No matter how badly you want that job, you can never perform at your best,
because you don’t believe in your success. With such a negative mindset,
it’s difficult to rebound from failure or persevere through hardship.
Each failure reinforces your self-defeating mindset and pushes you further from success.
If you have a self-defeating mindset, it’s time to change the way you view success. Because failure
doesn’t make you unworthy or incapable. Instead of letting failures decrease your motivation, find
something positive in every missed opportunity. Learn something each time you fail and use those
lessons to gain an advantage in the future. 9. Neglecting Your Needs
Do you take care of yourself? When you’re chasing success, you may neglect your mental and physical
health. It’s easy to forget about self-care when you’re concentrated on greater ambitions,
but self-care is the foundation of all lasting success.
For example, cleaning your living space can increase your stress and anxiety while amplifying
lazy, unhealthy habits. A cluttered space impacts your ability to concentrate on your work,
cultivating a disorganized routine and diminishing your motivation.
No matter how ambitious you are, prioritize your needs, your health, and your space. Self-care is
often left out of the conversation, but few things are more essential to your long-term success.
10. A Narrow Mind Do you talk more than
you listen? Unsuccessful people often ignore the wisdom of others. They think they know everything,
and they refuse help from others. But the truth is… you need others to find success.
You need the opinions, backgrounds, and talents of the people around you.
Their ideas and unique talents may compensate for their weakness, allowing the two of you to create
something greater than any one person can alone. So, open your eyes and ears to the people
around you. Listen to the meaningful things other people have to offer,
because you’ll never climb the ladder alone. Thank you for watching TopThink,
and be sure to subscribe, because more incredible content is on the way.