Have you found yourself in a continuous cycle of going nowhere? You try to get ahead, make a difference, accomplish that task, but no matter how hard you try it always ends up the same…FAILURE! In this article, I will give you 8 things you should stop doing now so you can finally end the failure cycle.
Stop trying to do what everyone else is doing. You have a specific vision, idea or plan that is unique to you. Work it. Instead of looking at what everyone else is doing, figure out what is unique to you and just do it. This idea is not limited to business or career ideas but it also includes hobbies and extracurricular activities. Don’t become lost in the crowd because you’re trying so hard to be like the crowd. Embrace your unique ideas and interests.
Stop telling yourself it won’t work. This is a big one. If you are cancelling out every “big” idea that enters your mind by the time you have worked out the logistics, you will never get anywhere. Stop telling yourself that your idea won’t work simply because you can’t seem to find the immediate solution in your mind. Instead, consider it a challenge. An opportunity to work out the details and find a way (or two) to make it work.
Stop stopping before you start. So maybe you don’t even try to work out the logistics. Maybe you’re the type who gets an idea and immediately decides not to do it. STOP that! Why are you stopping yourself from even trying? If it is something you tried before that didn’t quite work out, look at it from a different perspective. If it is something that is new to you, gladly except the challenge. The worst thing you can do is not make an attempt.
Stop comparing yourself to others. You know you’ve done it. We all have. You see your friends on Facebook or Instagram posting great pictures and talking about all of the exciting accomplishments they have made over the past 24 hours. You want to post those kinds of pictures too, right? Stop it. Comparison can lead to other problems and issues and eventually drag you down a black hole. You are uniquely you. Embrace that fact and run with it.
Stop pretending. Authenticity and transparency will get you very far. We live in an age where Reality TV reigns and Facebook live is all the rave. Being who you truly are is more appealing than trying to be someone or something that you’re not. Imagine how much more liberated you would feel if you were able to let your true self run free! The world is waiting for you, not a duplicate of someone else.
Stop doing it for fame, money or notoriety. Do you even know why you are doing what you’re doing? We have all heard it before, “pursue passion and the money will come.” Well it’s true. When we focus on our true desires and the things that we love, everything else that is needed in order to make it a reality will begin to fall in place. It’s just that simple. If you focus on money, fame, or notoriety you will just end up going down a path that has no true meaning. Even if you actually accomplish those things, at the end of the day you may find yourself feeling empty because there was no meaning. Make sure you know your “why” and challenge your “why” continuously along the way.
Stop worrying about what others might think. Everyone has an opinion and most of the time it will not be a good one when it comes to what you are working on. Don’t allow the opinions of others to cause you to second guess yourself. Success starts with confidence. Confidence in who you are and what you are setting out to accomplish. If you depend on the opinions of others in order to get ahead, you never will.
Stop giving up when something doesn’t work. Just because it didn’t work this time, doesn’t mean it won’t eventually. Consider this your “testing” phase. Go back to the drawing board and try again. Eventually you will have the winning formula.
Even if these tips may not all apply to you at once, if you are trying to accomplish anything in life somewhere along your path they will. The most important thing is to keep pushing forward no matter what obstacle presents itself. Know that there will be obstacles, there will be challenges, and you will have moments of truth that look like failures to some. But at the end of the day, they are all just steps in your path to accomplishing your goals, dreams, and desires.
Originally published at medium.com