What is the one thing you need to know, which can give you so much freedom and power in your everyday life?
Brian Tracy said it best with this quote:
“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.”
You are in control of many of the aspects of your life which are in charge of your happiness and success. There are simple changes you can make to the way you live your life, and simple habits that you can change, which will have a great impact on the amount of success you have in your life.
These changes are simple to incorporate, but difficult to keep up. Your test will be in your ability to keep doing what is required, and renewing the promises you make to yourself on a regular basis.
The purpose of this post is to highlight the aspects of your life that are in your control, and for so long have either been neglected or mismanaged. You have made some serious mistakes, and the points below, once incorporated into your life, will make you more productive and happier in everything that you do.
6 Things You Should Stop Doing Right Now
1. Doubting Yourself
“Our doubts are traitors,
and make us lose the good we oft might win,
by fearing to attempt.”
― William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure
Everyone is guilty of doubting themselves, it’s a part of who we are. The difference is whether you let the doubts turn into a crippling liability. Some of your fears are logical, such as your fear of heights, but when you explore the majority of them, you realize there is no basis for them, and they are only based on what has happened to you in the past, and not at all what might happen again in the future.
There were moments in your life that you had to face a challenges and you overcame them, which is why you are here today. You were able to learn a new skill, or just simply face your fears and do what was required of you anyway. If you have done this in the past, you have already done something that simply needs to be repeated, and you have nothing to doubt yourself for. Everyone faces their fears and it is beyond those fears is where the your new and improved life is waiting for you. Keep breaking through those barriers you have given yourself and stop doubting yourself.
2. Thinking Negatively
Negative thinking and negative self talk is like having someone following you around all day berating everything you do and say. It may seem like an extreme example, but for some people, this is exactly how it feels. The first step of stopping this is to be aware of it, and when you become aware of it, see it for what it is. It doesn’t have to be something you listen to, but something which becomes a trigger to initiate a positive spin on your negative self talk.
The phrase: “You can’t do that” is changed to “You may not be able to do that perfectly right now, but there is nothing stopping you trying it, and even if you fail, you will learn from it and do it better next time”.
If you have a fear of failure, read on to the next point.
3. Fearing Failure
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston Churchill
When you do something for the first time, there is a chance you won’t do very well. There is also a chance that you will do very well, but lets focus on the fear of failure. Failure is not succeeding in something you set out to do, but fearing something that is inevitable for someone living a rich life is a total waste of time. Although it’s a very common thing to fear, failure is not fatal, and you can always come back and try again.
Instead of fearing failure, be happy that you have to courage to try new things, and those who shelter themselves from failure don’t experience the rich and meaningful experiences that life has to offer.
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4. Procrastinating
“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone”
― Pablo Picasso
There are 1440 minutes in each day, and every day, you have another 1440 minutes to work with. Time spent doing the things you enjoy to do are vital, and the goal is to fill your day with that, but if there is something important that needs to be done, the longer it is left undone, the more of an issue it becomes and the bigger the burden it is on your mind. When you procrastinate, you think the task will remain the same the next day, but as other things come into you life which you also have to procrastinate to make room for what you were supposed to do before, your life soon becomes clogged and stressful. Complete tasks as they come in, or schedule a time to get them done and stick to your schedule.
An earlier post on procrastination is worth checking out for more tips.
5. Fearing Success
If you want to be successful in life, first you have to believe in yourself. Fearing that when you become successful, you may not be able to maintain it and other people will see through your cracks, is a common fear. Anyone with a dream big enough will tell you about the fear of success.
Having to give up other parts of your life for a chance at achieving your dream, is a common part of a fear of success. A more important fear should be a fear of never trying and never knowing for sure if you could have achieved your dreams.
6. People Pleasing
“In trying to please all, he had pleased none.”
― Aesop, Aesop’s Fables
This quote sums up the danger of living a life which is mainly for pleasing others. Although taking other people emotions seriously and never aiming to hurt anyone is a credible life goal, having that as your only goal is not going to work for anybody. In your day-to-day pursuits, its important to be doing the things that make you happy and the activities that please you, and in the process of doing that, you will come across people who you can be good to.
Your main purpose is to make yourself happy, and as long as your life is filled with things that you love, you will unintentionally have a positive impact on those around you without consciously knowing it.
