Five bad habits that could be holding you back from success

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg overcame the doubters when he became successful. Photo / AP

Opinion

Success is one of those things we all want and aspire to at various stages of our career. However it can mean different things to different people.

There are many reasons why many of us fall short of our goals and never attain the success we seek. Here are five of the most common bad habits that you may be unaware of, holding you back.

1. Not having a vision or a plan

You can't know if you're making progress if you haven't got a road map of where you want to get to. A lot of hard work but going around in circles isn't going to get you very far. Many people get stuck in the 'doing' from day one, because that's what they are good at. However it takes dedication to step back and look at the bigger picture - i.e. where do you want to be in a year, five years, ten years? As Benjamin Franklin once said "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!"

Put the time to think about what you want to achieve, and plot a course with some milestones along the way. Then you can see if you are on track, heading in the right direction, on schedule, or lagging behind. This gives you the opportunity to make improvements along the way.

2. Procrastination

One of the best-known killers of success is procrastination. No matter how good you are at what you do, life will find a way to challenge you. It could be having things just pop up unexpected and clash, which means you having to constantly cancel and change plans. Sometimes its unavoidable, and other times it's just too convenient and you'll always find ways to justify it.

To be successful at what you do requires solid focus and commitment. This requires you to prioritise and say 'no' to many things that would otherwise 'steal' your time - i.e. a phone call, text message, favourite TV program, snacking, the urge to clean the house, or do shopping. Get your priorities right. Have a reward system for achieving goals and just work through them one by one.

3. Talking about it rather than doing it

We are by nature creatures of habit and get stuck in our daily routines and in our comfort zones. We romanticise about things we'd like to do one day and never take action. We may not necessarily like our current situation and want more out of life, but we're too comfortable to make any major shifts in our behaviour, or changes to our environment and social circles.
Time for talking and dreaming is done. Get busy 'doing' and moving forward each day. Action creates momentum and momentum creates energy and soon you will start to propel yourself forward and begin kicking goals. It's a simple formula, you just need to apply it.

4. Agreeing with the naysayers

People will constantly tell you it can't be done, its too hard and how many people have failed before you. You may even have people like this in your business, or better yet, in your family or close circle of friends! Your network is your 'net-worth' and the people you hang around with today will dictate what values you start to adopt and how you perceive things.

If you feel you are surrounded by a lot of naysayers and its getting you down, it's time for a change. Surround yourself with people who are driven, going places, into personal development, making and achieving goals and most importantly will support you along your journey.

5. Giving up when times get tough

Most people usually on the verge of getting their breakthrough, give up so close to the finish line feeling beaten, discouraged with the thought that it can't be done, its too hard, it doesn't work for me, it wasn't meant to be, I'm not good enough, etc. Recognise that there will be bumpy roads in the journey and each one is just a test to get to the next stage. Persistence will get you through.

My karate instructor always said, "A black belt is just a white belt that never gave up".

Times will always get tough and its during these challenging times that we experience 'growth' and 'personal development'. If you're feeling stuck, seek the help of a coach or mentor to guide you.

While it is important to adopt the habits that successful people have, its just as important to be aware of avoiding the bad habits that could slow or ultimately derail you from the path of achieving success.