In an increasingly fast-paced world, there’s more pressure than ever to be your most successful self. While many of us think we are doing all we can to get there, there are several things holding us back that are easy to miss. Whether it’s bad habits, flaws in our thinking, or lack of bravery, it’s easy to get comfortable with where you are and forget where you’re trying to go. Whether you’re pursuing new professional heights or a well-rounded, emotional view of success, avoiding these pitfalls can make all the difference in your road to success.
1. Overthinking holds us back.
One of the more common ways to keep yourself from success is by hesitating instead of acting. One fundamental rule of business states that if you have imagined a solution or product, it’s likely that someone, somewhere in the world, is working on the same thing. In order to be truly successful in your line of work, it’s important to jump in as soon as you have a good idea.
2. Fear is our worst enemy.
Another way we shortchange ourselves out of success is by being afraid to follow our ambitions. Whether coworkers, the task at hand, or personal insecurities are at the heart of our anxieties, it’s important to recognize when you are afraid for no good reason. Fear of the unknown can prevent you from taking the leap of faith you need to catapult yourself to real success.
3. Procrastination is self-sabotage.
Another way we sabotage our own success is by procrastinating the crucial tasks in our lives. Procratination is a bad habit that’s easy to sink into. It’s easy to get carried away with day-to-day errands that take time away from commitments that are more important. Avoid getting caught in a vortex of email, spending too much time cleaning, and being overly social, if you really want to find your road to success.
4. Those who self-obsess miss out on great oppurtunities.
Just as important as avoiding being overly social, is making sure you are not overly self-obsessed. By not being dedicated to your friends, or being disingenuine with your coworkers, you may lose connections that may have otherwise helped your career. Professional networking is important, but some of our best opportunities sometimes come from our personal social circles. Try and avoid being to self-obsessed, and be genuine with your social circles so they know you will be there for them professionally, as well as personally.
5. Busyness is not the same thing as success.
Another all too common way to take time away from working toward success, is to mistake busywork for important work. Avoid over cluttering your life with errands in order to make time for the unexpected problems and commitments you’ll need to tackle on your way to personal and professional success.
6. You know what’s best for you.
Another way to cheat yourself out of success is to be overly cautious and avoid going with your gut. Following the rulebook is important in any professional setting, but real rewards await those who are creative and innovative. Following your gut may be scary or unconventional, but ultimately will be the most rewarding path.
7. If we only accept perfection, we can’t appreciate what we already have.
Another simple way that we are unaware of standing in the way of our own success, is by failing to value our accomplishments. Being overly concerned with perfection, or undervaluing the progress we’ve made so far, gives yourself less credit than you deserve. By failing to see what we’ve already done, we may find ourselves with a lower self-esteem, or lower confidence, and may be less willing to go after challenges in the future.
8. Hesitating is the death of initiative.
Finally one of the most important things to make yourself successful is to take initiative. In a world of ever-increasing connectivity, learning new skills only takes a click of a button. Take initiative to go after the skills you need in order to take the next step in your life. If you jump at the opportunities you have now, you will find that success is soon much closer.
Featured photo credit: hotblack via morguefile.com
