“You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret to your success is found in your daily routine.” – John C. Maxwell
The moment you decide to achieve an ambitious goal, you will have to change. Change what you do. Change how you act and ultimately, change who you are. You do not have a choice in the matter.
People who pursue goals that demand everything of them, often come out on the other side battle-hardened and more confident in themselves. Success has become a part of their complexion and even if you do not see it, you will be able to feel it. They just exude an air of winning.
If you are an entrepreneur, in order for you to find success in life, you will have to let go of a few things that are holding you back. Just like a phoenix rising from the ashes when you cast away your old self, your new, stronger, and more radiant self will shine through.
It is a necessity for you to release these beliefs and behaviours for you to find financial success in your business.
- Regretting past failures
Regret is like a heavy burden that you carry everywhere with you despite the fact that it weighs you down. When you have big goals to achieve, scaling the mountainous journey to the top becomes much more arduous when you are being dragged down by past regrets.
It is time to let them go. You cannot change the past no matter how horrible your mistakes may have been. But the future is still ahead of you. You can still win. Time and success heal all wounds.
2. False beliefs
Forget the naysayers and the old beliefs that you need a college degree or the right connections to make it in life. You can become a highly successful entrepreneur even if you have no connections, no money, no degree, and no experience.
As long as you have a dream and a fire burns within you to pursue that dream relentlessly, success can be yours. You can develop connections, find resources to help you, learn whatever you need to for your business to work… and the experience will come with time.
3. Listening to the naysayers
The moment you have a goal and tell others about it, you can expect some people to discourage you. They will do it under the disguise of looking out for you. Even your initial supporters may start singing a different song when they see you starting to succeed.
It is important that you understand that your success will shine a spotlight on their failures. Your drive and success will be what they wish to see in themselves and their lives, but they can’t bring themselves to go through the hard yards.
So they hate on you in order to feel better about themselves. Ignore them for your own sanity.
4. Needing to be right
Get on social media and you’ll invariably see people debating and arguing about everything under the sun ranging from politics to the Covid vaccine to whether Meghan Markle is tearing the royal family apart.
Vitriolic debate is the norm. People constantly feel the need to be right and get others to see things from their point of view.
This is an exercise in futility. If you wish to progress in life and achieve success in your business, you will need to stop needing to be right and constantly debating with others.
Some stranger in another country agreeing with you on Facebook will have no positive impact on your life.
5. Procrastination
There is a saying – “The cost of procrastination is the life you could have lived.”
It is a very poignant and frightening quote if you see just how detrimental procrastination can be. Years can slip by with you procrastinating on your dreams and goals until one day there’s no time left for you to make your dreams a reality.
You will look back in regret at a life poorly lived and wish you had done better. Tell yourself that you will NOT procrastinate anymore, and pursue your goals with fervour like each day is your last.
6. Trying to appear successful
You are either successful or you are not. These days, everyone and their neighbour is trying to fake success by posting pictures on Instagram or Facebook to show the world how successful they are.
Real winners rarely have time for such displays. They are busy honing their craft and skills to achieve excellence at what they do. Work in the dark and you will soon find yourself in the limelight whether you want to or not. Success leaves clues and speaks volumes.
7. Making excuses
You can make a successful life for yourself, or you can make excuses… but you cannot do both. So, let go of old excuses and know that they are holding you back.
Very often, these excuses will contain an element of truth and be very convincing. But until you stop repeating them and decide to overcome them, you will not progress.
The story you tell yourself can either hold you back or propel you forward.
8. Going through life casually
If you go through life casually, you will likely end up a casualty. There is a time to be serious and work hard. Life is all about balance. They often say that you need to work hard and play hard.
Too many people only focus on the latter. It is time to drop the lackadaisical approach to life and pull up your socks. If you truly want to live a successful life, you will need to take a proactive approach, set goals and go all out to smash them. That is the only way to win in life.
9. Avoiding pain
Motivational guru, Tony Robbins, once said, “People will do more to avoid pain than they will do to gain pleasure.”
He is 100% right. People dread pain and discomfort. It is why they procrastinate on tasks that matter. It is why they avoid exercise, eating clean, reading more, etc.
The unfortunate irony of life is that what is good for you seldom seems fun and is even uncomfortable. However, if you get comfortable with being uncomfortable, the world will be your oyster.
If you have the ability to step outside your comfort zone and do what is painful and what you dislike, you will make rapid progress and be very successful. The more discomfort you endure on a frequent basis, the more callused you will become, and will not worry about pain as much.
You will work longer hours. You will take on more significant challenges. You will go the extra mile… because you can handle it. You do not avoid pain. You embrace it – and you will succeed.
So, let go of these habits/traits/beliefs which are holding you back. Once you can do that, you will be able to transform your life, and a year from now, you will be amazed at how much more you have achieved in life and business.
