Don’t Do These 5 Things

Sometimes knowing what NOT to do is just as important as deciding what to do. Staying away from drugs and excess alcohol consumption are common examples. But what about the more subtle habits that we should avoid, especially if we want to retire early? I recently read this article which discusses what financially successful people are known to avoid. I’ll summarize the important parts in 5 points below.

5 things successful people do not do.

1. Let others limit their joy.

Don’t rely on other people for personal satisfaction. People might be critical of our success but we have to take their criticism with a grain of salt because they could simply be jealous of our accomplishments. Our success shouldn’t depend on other people’s failures. If we feel good about something we’ve done, we shouldn’t let anyone else’s opinions or accomplishments take that way from us.

2. Hold a grudge.

We should be quick to forgive, but not to forget. Forgiveness requires letting go of what’s happened so we can move on with our lives, but we must also be assertive in protecting ourselves from similar harm in the future. Holding a grudge also induces stress which contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease. 😐

3. Prioritize perfection.

Don’t be a perfectionist. Human beings are fallible by nature. When we make perfection our goal we’re inevitably going to be disappointed with our results sooner or later. We should try to spend our time enjoying what we’ve achieved 🙂 rather than lament how imperfect we are. Trying to be perfect is just too much pressure.

4. Dwell on the past.

Anything worth achieving will require some effort and risk. We can’t allow our failures from the past to stop us from believing in our abilities to succeed in the future. Our emotional state depends on what our minds are focused on. If we fixate on problems and mistakes, we create negative emotions and unnecessary stress which thwarts our creativity and potential. But if we prioritize on actions and solutions to improve our circumstances then we can produce positive emotions, and an improved outlook. Instead of dwelling on problems we can become more effective when we focus on solutions.

 5. Say yes all the time.

Don’t be a “yes” person or a people pleaser. Learn to wield the power of the word “no.” Saying no can be a challenge for some people, but learning to do so can honour our existing commitments and give us the opportunity to successfully fulfill them.

Avoid these 5 practices and we can all become rich some day. 🙂

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Random Useless Fact

The Dalai Lama is fascinated by science and technology. He has claimed that if he had not become a monk, he would have become an engineer.