When one doesn't work,
you throw it away, quickly adopting another new tactic. As you repeat that
cycle, the idea of becoming a millionaire becomes blurry. What used to be very
clear now seems frantically out of reach. One thing successful people know is
that getting ahead is as much about what you do as what you don't do. Here are
eight things you have to give up to achieve success.
1. Not taking
responsibility for your actions: In any area of your life, what you do has
consequences. Sometimes those are good. Other times you are left with regrets.
Actions have results. That's a universal truth. It never changes. You will
always get the results deserved by the activity that you're doing. You might
not like those results, but you'll always get them. Which is a good thing. You
need to believe that what you do can make a difference. Hard work matters. A
kind word matters. Honesty matters. Candor, personal responsibility, and
fairness — they all matter. Because the lifestyle you lead is what ultimately
determines how rich and successful you become. Make sure you're doing the right
things.
2. Being a
know-it-all: Don't be that person that cuts everyone off mid-sentence. Listen
to people. Don't interrupt your employees or your customers. Don't roll your
eyes and stomp your feet while you wait for the person who is talking to stop.
That's selfish and shortsighted. And besides coming off as completely arrogant,
you are missing out on important lessons by acting that way. Let's be
honest, a lot of things you hear are unimportant: facts you already know, or
criticism that is hurtful and unusable. But if you can listen long enough
you'll hear some really important information that will help you succeed.
Listen for those moments. Ignore everything else.
3. Whining: Stop
complaining. Stop being the person who has to help "keep everyone else's
feet on the ground." That's just an excuse for you to whine and mope and
be unnecessarily negative. No one likes a whiner. That's just the truth. It impacts more than the people around you at the time of
your whining. It directly impacts who you hire and how you manage your teams.
If you whine, your people will whine. And the last thing you need when you're
trying to win is an army of wimps and whiners. So stop.
4. Expecting
life to be fair: Stop pretending like you're the only one who has bad,
unexpected circumstances happen to them. Everyone lives in the same
sometimes-erratic universe. You didn't get it any worse than anyone else.
Enough already with the theatrics. Rich people don't get that way by sulking. A
lot of things that we like to call "unfair" are really outcomes of
the decisions that we have made in the past. We make risky decisions and then
cry "unfair" when our gamble doesn't turn out with us hitting the
jackpot. That's unfortunate because there is a valuable lesson that could be
learned if we stopped pouting and started listening.
5. Following the
crowd: Idiots do stupid things. Sometimes a lot of idiots do the same thing
together. And you can feel like there are so many people doing something that
you are missing out if you are not doing it too. The only thing you are missing
out on are the results of idiot behavior. But it's not always that
extreme. Many times your industry is heading is a good direction and it feels
safe to follow the leader. But instead of achieving greatness you get the
"success left-overs" of everyone else in your industry who gets to
the finish line first. Take the time to go your own way. Have an idea of your
own. Dedicate yourself to pursuing your own brand of greatness.
6. Burying your head
in the sand: Success doesn't mean that you need to be perfect, or anything
close. You just need to be honest about those mistakes and learn from the results
that you achieve. It does you no good to pretend like you're more successful
that you really are. It stops you from doing the things that would help you
achieve your goals. Becoming a millionaire isn't about having one giant
brilliant idea and executing it. It's about taking tiny steps forward
continuously. When you're right, you keep moving. When you're wrong, you change
course and keep moving. Mistakes lead you towards success.
7. Blaming
others for your mistakes: This is likely the most important lesson that you
need to learn. You are going to make many mistakes if you attempt anything
remarkable. You are going to hurt people, create disappointment and cause
confusion and chaos. The best way to make these right is to apologize. The
best way to apologize is simply to say, "I'm sorry." No excuses. No
drawn-out reasons. Just powerful words and an attitude of sincerity. And when
you do, the results are mind-blowing. You solve problems faster, win the
confidence of your clients better and make yourself more accessible to everyone
around you.
8. Immaturity: You
need to be tough if you're going to win at life. That means you're going to get
kicked in the teeth when you least expect it and need to get back up on your
feet. That's why you need to grow up. Instead of getting offended, insulted, or
misunderstood, you need to focus on the "real dramas." You'll know
them when you see them. Whining and complaining aren't what big kids do. Part
of growing up involves learning from your mistakes, being more mature and
getting better at making decisions. If you can't say that you are making better
decisions and learning better lessons, then you know that you need to grow up.
And fast. Remember, being successful isn't always about advanced analysis. It
is about the core values you let guide your day-to-day decisions.
Courtesy: Dan Waldschmidt.
