A little while back I got an e-mail titled “Are You Sabotaging Your Success?” It was quite interesting and I thought it would be selfish of me not to share this with you. Here are the points:
1. Being A Know-It-All
I find myself doing this sometimes. I tend to say “I know/knew that!” on topics that I heard about and immediately shut of my brain to indulge my ADD tendencies. There are a lot of things we know and have heard of but we just do not do. How many times has your mother told you to wash the dishes immediately after you use them so you don’t get lazy and leave them to rot? Are they in that kitchen sink right now? Don’t lie to me!
Truth is, you can’t really say you know something unless you are actually doing it. So try to stop yourself when you find yourself doing this and listen! Chances are even if someone is speaking of a topic you know about, they may have a different perspective or a bit of additional information you never knew about.
2. Being A One-Man-Team
I am proud to say I have overcome this obstacle through excruciating amounts of forced group projects during my time at UBC. There is much satisfaction when you see projects that were self-completed and there is nothing more simple than only having to listen to one boss: yourself. However, as much as I know you are smart and knowledgeable it is impossible for you to know everything.
They say “two is better than one” for a reason. Others may know things you don’t and provide you with alternate perspectives. Working with others will allow you to create synergies to accomplish more complete and exhaustive results than if you do it yourself. In addition, you can share the stress and annoyance rather than simmer to yourself or complain to your friends who really don’t know what you are talking about.
3. Being Scattered or Unorganized
This is one that I never really had a problem with. I am quite a neat freak. However, during exam times, things in my room can get out of hand and occasionally it may look like a hurricane passed through it. Bills go unpaid and homework remains undone. When I get down to serious business though, I HAVE to clean up before I do anything. There is nothing like having a clear area to do you work to maintain a clear and focused mind. Not only will you find yourself more productive being organized but you will save money from unnecessary interest and you will be able to maintain better credit!
Also, does it seem like the time flies by and realize you really haven’t done much? Do you feel like everyday your task list grows longer and longer? Remember that a big deterrent to progress is taking on too much and feeling overwhelmed. Make your goals reasonable and attainable. If you feel like you can’t make it or don’t have the time for it, don’t add it to your schedule! In the business world, if you don’t follow through with your commitments you may lose credibility and trust. It is much better to not commit than to break a promise. Trust me!
4. Being Fearful
Fear can manifest itself in various forms such as finding yourself holding back from accomplishing certain things, procrastinating and so on. A way to overcome fear is to always have in mind what the bigger picture is. Make sure you have your big dreams and visions constantly nagging you in the face. What I do sometimes for my partner is stick a large piece of paper on his bathroom mirror so he can remind himself of why he is doing what he does. When you have a vision in mind there is just no time to be afraid.
5. Being A Perfectionist
For those who know me, this is a big one for me. It is both a huge asset and liability. I drove my friends crazy when I would spend hours and hours of useless time perfecting minor discrepancies between flow chart alignment or font sizes. I will sometimes call my suppliers a couple of times to make sure everything is turning out exactly the way its supposed to. I have also found myself refraining from submitting certain documents because I don’t feel they are perfect or up to my standards.
The truth is, although perfectionism is good to a certain extent, it holds you back from accomplishing many things. Embracing a not so perfect world or self allows you to try more and do more. If you read success stories, you will find many stumble open success in not so perfect ways
6. Being Your Best Asset
My partner’s biggest weakness! If you are like him, you are one that tries to take care of all your tasks except yourself. If you work absurd hours, have minimal sleep or eat at irregular hours you definitely have a problem. You have to keep in mind that YOU ARE YOUR BEST ASSET! Have you heard of the saying “You have to invest money to make money?” In a similar sense you have to invest in yourself in order to give it all you got.
Giving yourself enough sleep, healthy meals, exercise and mental stimulation (such as classes to learn more or develop new skills) allows you to give the best performance in all the tasks you do. You can think of it as investing in your ability to succeed.
