Stephen Covey talked about the 7 habits of highly effective people. I thought it would be a good idea to give a different perspective and list down what I believe are the 7 habits of highly unsuccessful people. We have all seen them and have at some point in life come across at least 1 of this category.
1 – They have more excuses than possibilities.
They see problems in EVERY opportunity. They complain that the sun is too hot or that the rain ruined their plans for the day. They blame the wind for ruining their hair. They think that everyone is against them. They see the problems but never the solutions. They have an encyclopedia of EXCUSES for everything and anything.Every little difficulty is exaggerated to the point of tragedy. They regard failures as catastrophes. They become discouraged easily instead of learning from their mistakes. They never seem to move forward because they’re always afraid to come out of their comfort zones.
2 – Their mouth and hands work faster than their brains.
These people move based on instinct or impulse. They say things without thinking, which they regret later. If they see something they like, they buy at once without any second thought. Then they see something better. What they’re after is the pleasure they will experience at present. They don’t think about the consequences. In the end it is everyone else’s fault except theirs.
3 – They forget that they have 1 mouth and 2 ears.
Smart people talk because they have something to day, Idiots talk because they want to say something. We have all met people who can go on an on about all they are doing and the only thing we want to do is get out of the conversation.Oftentimes they are not aware that the other person has lost interest in the conversation. When other people advise them, they close their ears because they’re too proud to admit their mistakes. In their mind they’re always correct. They reject suggestions because that will make them feel inferior. They fail to spot opportunities because they are busy talking.
4. They lack persistence and patience.
Successful people treat failures as stepping stones to success. Incompetent ones call it quits upon recognizing the first signs of failure. At first, they may be excited to start an endeavor. But then they lose interest fairly quickly, especially when they encounter failures. Then they go & search for a new one. Same story & same results. Incompetent people don’t have the persistence to go on and fulfill their dreams. I call this the difference between being motivated and inspired. Its easy to get motivated and there are plenty of people who will motivate you. But we all know that motivation dies very fast unless you feed it every day. Inspiration on the other hand is more permanent and foundational. You need to be inspired and motivated to keep going in life.
5 – They have over inflated egos.
Incompetent people envy other successful individuals. Instead of working hard, and learning from them, they try to show their superiority by trying to undermine the other person. They constantly feel the need to stomp their authority because they believe that they can demand respect. We all know that you have to earn respect. They will challenge ideas from people below them simply because it puts them in bad light and it hurts their ego to say that I dint know that or I dint think about that. Even though these people will be successful initially due to the knowledge or skills they posses, they are always wanting acknowledgement and recognition for the work.
6 – They don’t understand time.
Time is the most valuable asset we have in our lives.People who procrastinate find it difficult to get things done and then wonder why they are ineffective. They find it difficult to prioritize their work and end up trying to multi task and starting a lot of things but not finishing anything. Time is always a BIG struggle for this lot. Successful people on the other hand understand that our worth is not based on how many hours we work, rather based on the value we bring to the hour.
7. They have become complacent.
If there are two roads to choose from, incompetent people would choose the wider road with less rewards than the narrower road with much better rewards at the end. They don’t want any suffering or hardship. They want a good life. These are people who will use words like, Its too risky, I’m happy with what I have, Why should I change, What’s the need, Why bother and Why try. They have become so comfortable that they have stopped learning and growing in life. These are people who go through life pretending in life that they dont have any desires or dreams and are not ready to admit that they have given up on their dreams because they have all the reasons why it wont happen. Their favourite word is “BUT”. When you say BUT you are arguing for your limitations and when you argue for your limitations you get to keep them. Do what you can with what you have, where you are never let BUT come in the way.
Successful people made it through trials & error. They never give up. They are willing to do everything necessary to achieve what they aspire for in life.You need to ask yourself 2 questions when you are chasing a dream.
1. How badly do you want it? If you want it as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful. Most people in life just kind of want to be successful?
2. Do you really want to win?
Most people don’t move forward because they don’t see how they will do it. Make the commitment and then you will see the answers. Not the other way around.
Stop being a spectator in your own life and just “GO” through life. Take “Charge” of your life and become a player. Talking about taking “Charge”, heres one of my favourite videos from a very young and successful person who teaches how to live a charged life… Brendon Burchard