Give These Up If You Want to Succeed
“On your last day on earth, the person you became will meet the person you could have become.”
— Anonymous
These words have always resonated deeply with me. Not because they scared me, but because I felt lucky to have found a way to grow, and it is not what most people assume. Sometimes, to succeed and move closer to the person we can become, we do not need to add more. We need to give some things up. A few of them are universal. Drop them and you raise your odds of success, even though each of us defines success differently.
You can drop some of them today. Others may take a little longer.
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1- Give up an unhealthy lifestyle
I have said this many times in writing and on stage. If you cannot make the small daily effort for your health, you will not have the mental strength for big projects. If you want to achieve anything meaningful, it starts here. First take care of your health. Only two things matter:
1. A healthy diet
2. Physical activity
2- Drop the short-term mindset
Successful people set long-term goals, and they know those goals are simply the result of short-term habits they practice every day. Healthy habits should not be something you do. They should be something you live. There is a difference between “working out to get a summer body” and “working out because you want to stay fit.”
3- Give up your excuses
As I explain in this article, you have to start taking responsibility. Successful people know they own their lives, no matter their starting point, weaknesses, or past failures. Understanding that you are responsible for what happens next is both terrifying and exciting. Once you accept it, that is the only real path to success, because excuses limit us and block personal and professional growth.
Own your life. No one else will.
— Anonymous
4- Give up your perfectionism
Get this: nothing will ever be perfect, no matter how hard we try. Perfectionism is a mental trap that can be treated with a personal coach and also with a psychologist.
Fear of failure (or even fear of success) often stops us from acting and putting our work into the world. You will miss many opportunities if you wait for everything to be just right. Launch your project. Then improve it step by step with feedback from your customers, users, or clients.
5- Give up the need to control everything
Learn to delegate. Separate yourself from what you cannot control and focus on what you can. Sometimes the only thing you can control is your attitude. Leave the rest to your team and to the people who know how to handle it.
6- Stop saying YES to things that do not support your goals
In the same way Yes Men are dangerous, being one when you lead your own project is even worse. Successful people know that reaching their goals means saying NO to certain tasks, activities, and requests from friends, family, and colleagues. Keep your goal in sight and do not let anyone or anything stand in the way.
7- Walk away from toxic people
Some people have achieved less than you in their personal and professional lives. Others have achieved more. Spend time with those behind you and your level drops, and with it your success.
Spend time with people who have achieved more than you, no matter how challenging they are, and you will rise. Do not look only at achievements. Their personality matters a lot, and it will shape who you become over the years.
8- Give up the need to be liked by everyone
You cannot please everyone, whether in a community or in a market. The only real option is to stay authentic, keep improving, and deliver value every day. Know that a rising number of “haters” usually means you are doing something that matters.
9- Stop playing small
In a world this connected through the internet and emerging technologies, there is little room left for tiny thinking. If you never try, never take big opportunities, or never let your dreams become real, you will never unlock your true potential. And the world will never benefit from what you could have achieved.
So share your ideas. Do not fear failure. And certainly do not fear success.