When it comes to success, every thought, belief and behaviour that we hold creates our future. The actions we take influence our outcomes and if we really want to be successful in our efforts, we need to get clear on what habits are holding us back so that we can stop them from dominating our headspace or sabotaging our attempts at success.
Below are 7 toxic habits that could be holding you back from success:
1. Living in the past
If you spend most of your time dwelling on the past or mulling over what went wrong you may be robbing yourself of creating a different outcome. Take the lesson from it and use your newfound knowledge and experience to move forwards. Success lies in understanding your past, not dwelling there. The next time you find yourself focusing on past events make a note of what you learnt from the experience and what you could do differently next time and use it as a guide for your next attempt. You may not be able to change the past but you can create a new future.
2. Allowing problems to overwhelm you
In life you are bound to run into situations that can be challenging. Overthinking a situation can slow you down and overwhelm you. Learning how to be resilient to challenges is a skill that is sharpened from learning to let things go and bouncing back stronger. The next time you find yourself in a challenging situation, consider taking a break from thinking about the problem and shifting your focus onto something that you enjoy doing. When you move your focus onto something else you allow yourself to shift into a more positive frame of mind that can help you to approach your challenge with a different perspective that could help you to come up with a solution that you may not have previously considered.
3 Not believing in yourself
When you continue to question your abilities or refuse to believe in them you hold yourself back from all of the things that you could achieve. Instead, work on building up your confidence, whether that's up-skilling or pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. When you push your boundaries and celebrate your accomplishments along the way you allow your faith to be bigger than your fears and avoid being paralyzed by doubt. If you believe in yourself, others will too.
4. Worrying about what others think
In life and business there will always be people who have negative things to say, that's part of the game. If you spend your time continuously worrying about the thoughts of others or caring what they think, you may limit yourself from taking action or exploring the possibilities available to you. Instead of focusing on what others think, turn your attention to your own inner voice. You could also start to surround yourself with more likeminded people, by doing you'll spend time with people who may be more supportive to your goals which can help you to boost your confidence.
5. Comparing yourself to others
If you've fallen into a trap of continuously comparing yourself to others you will always be in a losing battle. Remember that you are on your own unique journey that can't be compared to others. Walk your path without falling into someone else's footprint and focus your efforts on being the best that you can be with where you're at now. If you compare yourself to others you waste precious energy focusing on other people's lives instead of your own. Instead of comparing yourself to others, celebrate their successes and use their achievements as fuel to inspire you to polish your very own unique talents.
6. Being self-critical
It's human nature to make mistakes or mess up at times. Give yourself a break before being self-critical or beating yourself up for what went wrong; learning from your mistakes is a part of your road to success. Instead of automatically directing your attention to feelings of failure, make a list of all of the things that you have been doing well and focus on your strengths and achievements, and if your inner critic still appears, reframe your thoughts with ones that are more supportive for example 'I am proud of myself for trying and I'll do better next time' or 'I am doing the best I can'.
7. Resisting change
Change is the name of the game! Things are always changing whether its technology or trends. If you are resistant to moving with the tides of change you close yourself off from potential opportunities with outdated models of thinking. When you're flexible and open to change, you welcome more doors of opportunity to open for you. You can start embracing change with small steps; maybe you could try a new experience, eat at a different restaurant or visit new places which are all ways that can help you to build your confidence and consider making bigger changes.
When we allow ourselves to become aware of our toxic habits and focus on minimising their impact by taking action steps that can move us forward, we instantly create breakthroughs that help us to reboot our mind-set and transition into our best self.