There are two types of people in this world—those who are successful and those who aren’t. These days, there’s no limit to podcasts, books, webinars, email campaigns, social media posts, and conferences about how to be successful—so much so that it can all be a bit confusing. Sometimes, it helps to stop and think about what not to do, too. Here are some things that unsuccessful people waste their time on.
1. They think too much.
Are you a classic overthinker? If you are, this could be what’s getting in the way of success. It’s essential to be thorough when completing tasks, and when you have a goal you’re working towards, you want to make sure you cover all your bases, but overdoing it in the thinking department can hinder your success. Perhaps you’re someone who, when studying for an exam, overthinks it to the point that you highlight everything in your notes or spend time writing out your notes again instead of learning the material.
2. They procrastinate.
How long do you put something off before deciding to do it? This is another thing that people who are unsuccessful waste time on. They have it down to an art — putting as much time between them and their goal. This might sound familiar — you’ve been asked to present a PowerPoint at work, and it’s now the night before. You still haven’t even started thinking about organizing and creating the project because you can’t bring yourself to do it.
3. They get bogged down by negativity.
Unsuccessful people often aren’t great at brushing off negativity and continuing in pursuit of their dreams. Instead of focusing on a solution to an issue, they focus on all the reasons why they can’t overcome it. They’re so bogged down by the obstacles in life that they never get to where they want to be. Perhaps you always wanted to go to college and study law, but you let the negative thoughts get the better of you — you don’t have any way of paying for it, you got average grades in high school, or your nearest law school is more than an hour away.
4. They become obsessed with social media.
There are many things you can waste your time and energy on in life, and if you’re unsuccessful, you might have fallen victim to the social media black hole. Everyone is guilty of falling for this at one time or another, but if you make a habit of it, it could cost you your success in the long run. Perhaps you can’t wait to get home from work so you can microwave your dinner, put your feet up, and spend the next three hours scrolling through your Instagram feed. This is unhealthy and gets in the way of your goals.
5. They spend a lot of time looking back at the past.
Everyone has regrets, but successful people know how to leave these regrets in the past. They understand that they can’t go back in time and change anything, so they have nothing left to do but move on. They put that energy instead into achieving future goals and being successful. Perhaps you tried getting into medical school and failed the first time. Instead of going back and trying to get in again, you decided to give up, and your frustration and shame around not being accepted in the first place put you off college completely.
6. They are always looking for validation.
Successful people are usually successful because they have chartered their own path, believed in their vision, and pushed through when it was tough. This required them to not care about what others thought. If someone is unsuccessful, they will spend a lot of time seeking others’ approval of what they’re doing and limit themselves and their success to how much validation they get from those around them. Perhaps you never pursued your dream job of becoming an actor when you were young because everyone told you that you couldn’t do it, and it wouldn’t lead anywhere.
7. They don’t like risk.
There aren’t many people out there who became successful from playing it safe. To succeed, you have to be prepared to take a certain amount of risk, whether financial, emotional, or otherwise. People who aren’t successful like to stay within their comfort zone and avoid risk. Someone like this might turn down the offer of going into business with a couple of their friends on a start-up to avoid taking the financial risk.
8. They don’t take feedback well.
To be successful, it’s essential to be open and receptive to feedback, whether positive or negative. Otherwise, you cannot change and improve over time, honing your skills to become even more successful. Someone who wastes time getting offended at every little criticism won’t get far. Take great artists like Matisse, Van Gogh, or Monet. If any of these painters hadn’t been open to criticism of their work, they wouldn’t have become the masters that they are remembered as.
9. They don’t set goals.
If someone isn’t successful, they tend to live their life day to day, not thinking about the future. They don’t think about what they want to achieve and who they want to be in a few years. Successful people set goals and then meticulously go about working towards those goals. Someone who doesn’t set goals might start working at an entry-level job, but quit after a few months because they haven’t set the goal to work their way up the ranks to a mid or even corporate-level position one day.
10. They don’t take time for self-care.
Just as important as helping others is helping yourself. If you aren’t taking care of your own mental and physical health, you won’t be successful in other areas of your life. Perhaps it’s been a couple of years since you set foot in the gym, and while you used to have a healthy, balanced diet, you’ve resorted lately to ordering takeout and microwaving meals.
11. They indulge in drama.
Wherever you go, whoever you’re friends with, at some point, you’re going to be a fly on the wall to drama. However, some live for drama, while others pretend it’s not happening. Successful people have an easier time disregarding it and focusing on what they need to do. Unsuccessful people do the opposite — instead of spending their spare time at college studying for their exams, they’ll live in the common room, catching any tidbit of gossip they can to keep tabs on what’s happening in their friend group.
12. They don’t know how to balance work and play.
People who aren’t successful often get in their way when balancing work and play. While they might still hold down a job, they ensure they do the bare minimum and clock out as soon as it’s 5 pm. Three nights a week, you can catch them downtown at their favorite bar, and they’ll take any opportunity to play video games, watch movies, and relax. Successful people are successful because they’ve found a balance between work and play, and work just as hard as they relax.
13. They like to please others.
Another way unsuccessful people waste time is by trying to please others. At some point, to be successful, they have to be assertive enough to say “no” and put themselves first. Otherwise, they’ll keep being pushed to the back of the line and never come first. Perhaps they have wanted a promotion at work for a long time, but every time the opportunity arises, they vouch for someone else.
14. They don’t set the right goals.
Another time waster that’s just as dangerous as not setting goals at all is setting goals that aren’t right for your values. The reality is that every project we put time into takes a lot out of us, which means that you need to choose your goals carefully to avoid wasting more time than if you had just decided not to set a goal at all. Perhaps you chose philosophy in college when you knew you should have taken law, and as a result, you’re nowhere near as successful as you could be.
15. They put too much into their romantic relationships.
Another easy way for people who aren’t successful to waste time is to prioritize their partner. Putting your partner’s needs first is fine, but not to the point that it consumes your entire life and doesn’t leave room for anything else. Perhaps you’ve put off returning to school to get that degree you always wanted because your partner only works part-time, and you have to be the breadwinner. Sacrificing everything for a relationship is something an unsuccessful person might do.
