These 5 behaviours sabotage your chances of success

Success is subjective. While for some it may mean becoming a billionaire, for others it could be as simple as having a stable income and the freedom to work at their own comfort. Regardless of their take on success, it is the end goal towards which everyone works, whatever jobs they may be doing. There are no alternatives or shortcuts to success, especially when it comes to professional life. One needs to be consistent in the game to soar high in today's competitive world.

That said, failures are part of the professional journey, and failing to learn from them is one of the biggest mistakes that professionals make. In the entrepreneurial world, this is also one of the reasons why most startups fail in the very first year.

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Most times, certain subtle, yet self-destructive, behaviours can make you more prone to failure. Displaying some of these behaviours occasionally is only human. However, if you constantly find yourself stuck in the trap of wrong behavioural practices, maybe it’s time to introspect and get back on the right track.

Here are five damaging behaviours that are often found in unsuccessful people:

Procrastination

 Procrastination is the mother of all unhealthy behaviours. It makes one unproductive and creates unnecessary lags in the workflow. The more you follow the ‘will do it later’ attitude, the steadier your downfall will be. Procrastination has been mentioned as one of the top most reasons for unsuccessful careers. In order to be successful, you need to learn how to prioritise and make efforts to meet deadlines. Apart from this, having a keen interest in your work is of utmost importance. The faster and more positively you respond to your work, the closer you will get to success.

Inability to create healthy relationships at work

Are you too judgemental? Do you often find difficulty in connecting with other humans? If that’s the case, chances are that this could be what is stalling your career growth. While determination and persistence will help you deliver results at work, effective communication and long-lasting work relationships will help you climb the ladder to success. When you make efforts to connect with others, it opens a plethora of opportunities for you to explore. Every person you connect with will have some insights to share that will not only help you grow as a professional but as an individual, too.

Giving up too easily

Let your failures build your success. Just because you failed at one of your projects, it does not mean you're incapable of handling anymore projects. It just means that you have to work harder on the next one and avoid making the same mistakes. Sadly, this is not what people who end up unsuccessful believe when they fail. They give up easily and stop putting in any effort, having convinced themselves that they will remain failures. Remember to learn from your mistakes. Low self-confidence is one of the main damaging behaviours of unsuccessful people. If you wish to be successful, confidence is the bridge that you should walk on.

Comparing oneself with others

“The reason why we struggle with insecurities is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else's highlight reel.” – Steven Furtick, American pastor and author

The minute one starts to compare themselves with others, their downfall begins. It makes you question everything. Success can't be measured, but nothing tastes better than your own success. When you start comparing yourself with others, you are only trying to be better than the other person and that’s nothing more than a rat race. This not only impacts your focus but also affects your mental health, leaving you more stressed and anxious. Focus on your goal. The race to success is long, so understand that you are competing only with yourself.

“How much time he gains who does not look to see what his neighbour says or does or thinks, but only at what he does himself, to make it just and holy.” – Marcus Aurelius

Daydreaming

Daydreaming is important, but too much is simply a waste of time. If you often find yourself wasting your work hours thinking about ‘could have beens’, you are automatically pushing yourself towards failure. Dream big, but make sure you don’t compromise on your productivity as this is the only way to realise those dreams. Tracking your progress is a good way to keep yourself motivated throughout the journey. Study your achievement graph at the end of the month. This will motivate you to do better and outperform yourself.

So if you have time to think about your behavioural patterns at work, you need make a note and find out ways to iron them out. No matter how much you hate to do this, remember that discipline plays an important role in the overall success of a person.