9 Thing Top Achievers Never Do

Sometimes it is not just about what people do but also about what they don’t do that matters and this is true for successful people who plan their activities carefully. After having spoken to thousands of people who have achieved success in diverse fields, we have prepared a list of the things that one should avoid if they wish to make it big in life. Research shows that people who have made it big in life are emotionally intelligent, and they avoid certain things to keep themselves calm and happy. They consciously make it an effort to stay away from factors that can distract their focus from the goal. So, are you doing any of these things? Read on to find out if you are…

Given below are nine things that you are supposed to avoid if successful people are to be believed.

1. They Don’t Depend on Others for Happiness  Emotionally intelligent people know very well that they are the masters of their happiness and don’t let others affect how they feel within. They never compare themselves with others and choose to celebrate their achievements instead. They are well aware of the fact that happiness is a state of mind, and one can choose to be happy if he really wants to. To begin with, they never compare themselves with others as it only brings feelings of insecurity and bitterness.When you are successful, there are bound to be people who try to demotivate you or pull you back with their harsh words of discouragement. However, you should not take it to heart if you wish to maintain your sanity, say the highly successful. When one learns to take criticism in their stride, they find the key to happiness. Successful people are proud of themselves and do not let their self-worth be determined by what others feel about them. They know that they are never as good or as bad as others say,and this is one important lesson to be learnt.
2. They Don’t Forget Easily  Forgiveness is a quality that comes easy to people who are emotionally intelligent, but that does not mean that they forget all that had happened. While you might argue that to forgive and to forget are one and the same, you’ll be surprised to know that they are not. To forgive doesn’t necessarily mean the person has forgotten everything and is ready to give the offender another chance. People who are successful seldom enjoy fooling around, and they judge others as harshly as they judge themselves, which means they are not very willing to be bogged down by others’ mistakes. So, they choose to learn from mistakes of others as they move on to life.
3. They Never Get too Involved in Fights  People who are emotionally intelligent know that it is of little use to get so deeply involved in fights that it leaves one emotionally and mentally drained. So,when they feel that a situation is beyond their control, they never waste their time and energy on it and instead, choose to focus on something more fruitful. Conflicts often make you emotionally vulnerable and put you at the risk of saying or doing something that you’ll regret later. Successful people realize this and hence, choose their battles wisely.
4. They Never Aim for Perfection  They say experience is a great teacher, and successful people have learnt from experience that perfection is an abstract term that actually does not exist. Not a single human being on this earth is perfect and to aspire to perfection in all that we do will only leave us with a deep sense of failure at having not been able to achieve all that we had set out to do. Successful people believe in setting realistic goals and celebrate when they have accomplished them. Unlike most people who choose to lament on how a little bit of extra effort could make things different, only those are successful in life who have learnt to be proud of their achievements in life.
5. They Won’t Live in the Past  Whoever said failures are the stepping stones to success must have been a successful person himself. Failures are not to be regretted but learnt from. Successful people are aware that it is of no use blaming ourselves for failure as doing so will only make us lose our self-confidence and infuse negativity into our minds and souls. They know that one needs to take risks in order to accomplish something and taking a risk is more important than succeeding in it. To rise in the face of failure, one needs to get over the past, and also you cannot succeed in life unless you are confident to take calculated risks. So, successful people never allow failure to affect the confidence they have in themselves, and this makes them move ahead in life.
6. They Don’t Focus on Problems  Optimism is one of the biggest traits of successful people, and they are always ready to look at the brighter side of every situation, no matter how gloomy it may appear to most people.They believe in focusing on solutions instead of cribbing over the problem and this makes all the difference, because instead of directing their thoughts towards the problem, which leads to a chain of negative thoughts, emotionally intelligent people focus on what they can do and this results in a chain of positive thoughts and emotions which in turn improves performance. Most people who are successful would tell you that dwelling on problems would hardly take you anywhere and advise you to focus on solutions instead.
7. They are Never Seen with Negative People  In our daily lives, we come across so many people who do little else than complaining about their lives and how they are struggling to cope with their many problems. While it is completely normal to complain about our problems once in a while, there are some people who make it a habit and they are the ones you should stay away from if you don’t want to get sucked into their negativity. Complainers are people who are pessimistic and choose to focus on problems alone rather than looking for solutions. What makes them dangerous is the fact that they want others to sympathize with them. Emotionally intelligent people know how harmful it is for one’s emotional health to be around negative people, and they choose to avoid such people at all costs. Sometimes, it can be difficult to avoid them straightaway and you might be perceived to be rude, but you have little choice. A great way to avoid this is to ask the complainant to find a solution, and you’ll see that they will stop complaining.
8. They Don’t Hold Grudges  Emotionally intelligent people know that holding grudges does nothing but cause stress and accumulation of negative thoughts. This negativity can have severe repercussions on one’s health and successful people keep themselves happy by avoiding negative thoughts as much as possible. Research shows that excessive stress caused by negative thoughts leads to high blood pressure and heart disease and so one should keep stress levels in check in order to stay healthy.
9. They Don’t Say Yes when They Want to Say No  Researchers at the University of California in San Francisco say that one of the primary causes of stress and depression is the inability to assert yourself and say ‘NO’ when you want to. Most of us feel that saying no to a friend would hurt them or make them angry and so more often than not, we tend to ignore our own wishes to comply with theirs. However, successful people know the importance of choosing one’s own priorities over others and they are often saying a ‘NO’ straightaway instead of using phrases such as “I think I will do this”, “I guess I shall be able to manage that”, etc. Saying no to new assignments can be good as it allows one to focus on the ones at hand and complete them in time.

About the Author
Amit Agrawal is known as the most sought after Life, Career and Business Coach in the service industry and business community. He is also the Director of INIFD Deccan Pune and Founder of The CPS Group.