Being Successful Means Avoiding These Things

What’s stopping you from being successful?

What’s getting in your way from fulfilling your potential?

When we think about success, we often think about what we need to do.

But sometimes, we can improve productivity simply by NOT doing a few things.

Let’s look at some examples.

7 things that stop you from being successful

1. Being a social media junkie.

Bottom line: if people spent 50 percent of the time they spent on Facebook (or other social media sites) on their goals, they would be more successful.

We all want to stay connected, and we all want to know what’s going on with our friends and family, but a line has to be drawn.

If you’re using Facebook to network, that’s awesome.

If you’re using social media to build relationships with people headed in the same direction as you, that’s great.

But if you’re using Facebook multiple hours a day because you’re bored, that’s a problem.

If you don’t have a plan and can’t find anything better to do with your time, that’s a problem.

Wasting time is a habit we can’t afford.

Time is the ‘stuff’ of life.

We are killing opportunity if we allow different things to suck it up.

You will also enjoy our article on Stop Getting Distracted and Get Things Done.

2. Being too distracted will stop you from being successful

We live in an age of information overload and mass distractions.

In today’s world, being successful means living with less distraction.

How much work can we accomplish online if we have 20 open tabs?

If this sounds like you, take some time to study productivity, habit-building, and the best practices for whatever you’re trying to accomplish.

Distraction will allow you to waste time and dilute your potential.

Decide: what’s more important, your dreams or the distractions?

3. Lack of vision, purpose, or direction.

Where do you want to be in five, 10 years, or even next month?

What do you want to have?

What do you want life to be like?

We can’t stay on course if we never set one, to begin with.

The distractions become less appealing when we have a sense of purpose and direction.

If we don’t generate a sense of purpose, we’re just blowing in the wind, falling victim to all the time-wasters around us.

Define yourself: who you are, who you want to be, and where you want to go.

Love life, have fun, and smile.

I’m not saying take life too seriously.

Just know who you are and don’t compromise it—or you might regret it later.

4. Spending time with the wrong people.

If you’re hanging out with people who don’t push you – you’re losing.

You’re losing out on all the positive relationships you could be having.

You’re losing out on how your time is spent.

Motivation and inspiration come from within, but never underestimate the influence of external circumstances, like friendships.

Think about the people you surround yourself with regularly.

Do they:

• support you?
• believe in you?
• want to see you succeed?

If the answer is yes, you’re blessed.

If the answer is no, you know what to do.

Sign in to a social media account and look at all the folks on your list.

Be honest with yourself.

Who are the individuals you could build your dream with?

Who improves the quality of your life?

Only surround yourself with quality people on the road to being successful.

5. Multitasking.

Multitasking is a myth.

It’s impossible to be great at multiple things at the same time.

What is one thing you want to accomplish right now?

What will have a positive impact on many other things?

Don’t do too much.

Cut back.

Do what is essential.

Do what is most important right now, and don’t put it down until it’s complete.

When you’ve completed your task with focused and undivided attention, you will tap into a new level of creativity.

This will get you new results and on towards being successful.

This could open up previously locked doors.

6. Putting off challenges.

Are you a procrastinator?

Do you major in minor things?

Are you doing things that don’t matter to avoid those that do?

Every time we don’t act, we push it back.

Why can we get so much done right before it’s due?

For travelers out there, why is it we are so productive the day before a vacation or business trip?

Break the habit of putting things off.

If it’s a small thing, knock it down NOW.

David Allen says that if it can take you less than two minutes to get done, don’t put it on a list – get it done!

7. Overthinking.

Are you a perfectionist?

Do you think about things more than you act on them?

Are you afraid to fail?

Studies show that we learn from failure.

Quick launches are vital for success.

Stanford calls this process ‘Design Thinking.’

This is when you find a social need or want, then come up and experiment with a solution so someone can enhance it as soon as possible.

This same thinking is true for our everyday lives.

Of course, we have a reputation to uphold and want to always produce quality work.

But we can correct nothing until we put it out there.

You can’t improve what you haven’t started.

Sometimes, being successful requires thinking on your feet.

What things are stopping you from being successful?

Which of these 7 things are stopping you from being as successful as you could be?

Let us know in the comment section below.

You will also enjoy our article on Stop Expecting.

If you have any other things you believe are stopping you from reaching your potential, share those with us too!

Last, if you found this article helpful, please share it with your friends on social media.