Stupid mistakes are like a thief in the night robbing you of your success.
And if you’re like most people, you may not even know you’re making stupid mistakes.
If you’re making stupid mistakes, don’t feel so bad.
When it comes to stupid mistakes, I can write the book.
I launched my start-up right out of school with no money, experience or team.
In my success journey, I’ve experienced a 9-figure exit and much success.
How did I go from failure to success, you ask?
I stopped making stupid mistakes.
And so can you.
Think of it this way.
In an earlier article, I wrote about Pareto’s Law and how 20% of your actions create 80% of your success.
When it comes to stupid mistakes, Pareto’s Law still holds.
But this time 20% of your stupid mistakes create 80% of your failures and misfortune?
Sad. But true.
Want to change your life? Change your questions.
Do you know the stupid mistakes that are robbing you of your success?
In this article, I reveal the most common stupid mistakes that you must stop now if you want to command success.
And with my over two-decades of in-the-trenches experience, remember this.
Knowing what not to do is as critical as knowing what to do when chasing after massive success.
Keep reading to learn the seven stupid mistakes that rob you of your happiness and success.
Download my Cheat Sheet 7 Stupid Mistakes Robbing You Of Enormous Success
Stupid Mistakes Robbing You Of Enormous Success: Ignoring Your Health
Sickness is the vengeance of nature for the violation of her laws. – Charles Simmons
In the lust for success, it’s all too easy to forget your most valuable possession.
Your health.
All the success, money, and fame mean nothing if you don’t have your health.
[tweet_box design=”default” url=”http://jef.tips/sm16″ float=”none”]You’re as poor as a pauper when you don’t have your health.[/tweet_box]
Do you want the secret to vibrant health?
Get ample sleep, exercise, and watch what you eat.
No more. No less.
But you have to earn a living, you protest.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
If you’re not getting your eight hours of sleep, do what successful people do.
Nap.
Author and thought leader Eric Barker agrees.
Barker’s article shares that when you have two fewer hours of sleep a night, you almost double your risk of death.
A NASA study found pilots who took a 25-minute cat nap were 35% more alert and 200% more focused.
If you like Barker’s article, you’ll love his book.
Sleep is one thing, you say, but you’re not a gym rat.
No worries.
Walk. Every day.
This article shares the miracles of walking a mere 20 minutes a day.
You’ll improve your mood, help your heart, and fight off disease.
And when it comes to eating, forget the latest fads and eat as your grandparents did.
The Weston A. Price Foundation shares how you can have your cake and eat it too.
Stupid Mistakes Robbing You Of Enormous Success: Toxic People
Gift the gift of absence to those who don’t appreciate your presence. – Unknown
Jim Rohn was right.
You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.
Don’t let toxic people bring you and your average down.
Way down.
High on the list of stupid mistakes is allowing toxic people in your life.
Who and what are toxic people, you ask?
Family, friends, co-workers, and people in your everyday life.
[tweet_box design=”default” url=”http://jef.tips/sm16″ float=”none”]Avoid toxic people like the plague. Toxic people rob you of happiness, success, and the good life.[/tweet_box]
Characteristics of toxic people include talking too much, controlling, and energy vampires.
But wait, there’s more.
Toxic people love drama, lie, and believe they’re smarter than you and always right.
Worst of all, toxic people rob you of your dreams and motivations.
Successful people banish toxic people from their lives.
And so should you.
Put yourself and make no apologies for this.
Do this now, and you’ll thank me later.
Stupid Mistakes Robbing You Of Enormous Success: Lacking Determination
People do not lack strength, they lack will. – Victor Hugo
Right up there for stupid mistakes that rob you of success is lacking determination.
We live in a society where instant gratification rules the day.
But don’t let this trend fool you.
There’s a story to be told on grit, or what I call determination.
When I launched my startup right out of school, I had competition that was smarter than me and had more money.
But despite the odds, I created a 9-figure exit.
How did I do that, you ask?
A great question.
I’ll give you a simple answer.
I outworked my competition through my determination.
All day.
Every day.
[tweet_box design=”default” url=”http://jef.tips/sm16″ float=”none”]You become unstoppable when you combine your focus and passion with determination.[/tweet_box]
As hard as it was, I took a pass on instant gratification. I was and still play the long game.
Key to my ability to play the long game is my passion and ability to say ‘no.’
The results speak for themselves.
And it turns out I’m not the only one.
Author and thought leader Angela Duckworth writes a brilliant book on the power of grit.
According to Duckworth, the science is in, and the results may shock you.
Determination trumps intelligence.
While talent is important, it’s not enough.
What’s the difference between success and failure?
Your ability to pick yourself up after failure and keep on going.
It worked for me, and it’ll work for you.
Check out Duckworth’s grit scale, and see how you rate.
And while you’re at it, do yourself a favor and pick up Duckworth’s book. You’ll thank me later.
Stupid Mistakes Robbing You Of Enormous Success: Repeating What Hasn’t Worked
He makes himself ridiculous who is forever repeating the same mistake. – Horace
When it comes to stupid mistakes, repeating what hasn’t worked is right up there.
What differentiates rich and successful people from everyone else?
Rich and successful people don’t make the same mistake, twice and they enjoy the journey.
Neither should you.
There’s a difference between determination and repeating the same mistakes.
Determination is finding a way when there appears to be no way. And you do this through experimenting.
[tweet_box design=”default” url=”http://jef.tips/sm16″ float=”none”]Follow the lead of rich and successful people by not repeating what hasn’t worked.[/tweet_box]
Think of Thomas Edison experimenting to figure out the light bulb.
And don’t forget Abraham Lincoln on his journey to become President.
Lincoln had the grit to stay in the game after not being elected to Congress, the US Senate, or as Vice-President.
There’s a difference between repeating the same mistake and grit.
My biggest successes came right after my largest failures.
Why, you ask?
I tried something different to achieve my desired outcome.
Successful people do this.
So should you.
Download my Cheat Sheet 7 Stupid Mistakes Robbing You Of Enormous Success
Stupid Mistakes Robbing You Of Enormous Success: Pleasing Everyone
Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner. – Lao Tzu
The desire to please everyone is one of those stupid mistakes that lead to failure.
Your failure.
Don’t do it.
At all costs.
Rich and successful people don’t do it.
Neither should you.
How do you know if you’re a people pleaser?
People pleaser feel guilty saying ‘no,’ have the desire to fit in, and often feel selfish if they don’t say ‘yes.’
But trying to please people is a death trap for your success.
When I first launched my start-up, my insecurities had me say ‘yes’ to everyone and anything.
The results showed.
Only when I learned to say ‘no,’ did my results and company skyrocket.
[tweet_box design=”default” url=”http://jef.tips/sm16″ float=”none”]When you say ‘no’ to being a people pleaser you say ‘yes’ to unleashing your massive success.[/tweet_box]
How do you stop pleasing people and put yourself first?
Know your vision and ask yourself this one simple question:
If I say ‘yes’ to this request, am I closer to achieving my goal?
If the answer is ‘no,’ run.
Run as fast as you can in the opposite direction.
Stupid mistakes cost you your success.
And being a people pleaser is right up there as a success killer.
Learn to stay true to yourself.
You’ll not only be happier and successful, but you’re in a better position to care for those around you.
Stupid Mistakes Robbing You Of Enormous Success: Not Reading (A Lot) Every Day
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. – Joseph Addison
Not reading (a lot) every day is one of those stupid mistakes that hold you back.
What do Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Elon Musk, and Oprah Winfrey have in common?
This select group of billionaires all read to succeed.
And so should you.
[tweet_box design=”default” url=”http://jef.tips/sm16″ float=”none”]Not reading and learning every day is like not breathing. You wither and die.[/tweet_box]
Benefits of reading include reduced stress, improved knowledge, and a larger vocabulary.
Science shows that reading improves your focus, analytical skills, and mental stimulation.
What should you read, you ask?
Follow the lead of rich and successful people and read biographies and autobiographies. While you’re at it, read books on success.
Why?
Reading the success journey of other people gives you a success template to model your life on.
You also have the confidence knowing that other people have done what you’re attempting to do.
When I launched my EdTech, Embanet, my early days were working out of my parent’s attic.
Alone and confused.
Not a great combination for success.
Books were my salvation. I read anything and everything relating to success, business, and psychology.
I tossed the ideas that didn’t resonate and kept the ones that did.
Like compound interest, my momentum built and success followed.
It worked for me, and it will work for you.
What should you read, you ask?
These books are some of my favorites that made the difference.
May you read and prosper!
Stupid Mistakes Robbing You Of Enormous Success: You Lack Rituals
Ritualize the mundane to make room for the brilliant. – Jonathan Fields
Ever wonder why Steve Jobs wore the same black top and jeans?
Or why fashion king Karl Lagerfield wears black suit pants, a white shirt, and a tie. Every day?
Successful people like Jobs and Lagerfield avoid decision fatigue.
What’s decision fatigue, you ask?
Decision fatigue is when good judgment suffers from making too many decisions.
Enter rituals.
Rituals take the thinking out of mundane activities like getting dressed.
But rituals are anything but boring.
Rich and successful people became rich and successful because rituals promote a focus on the important things.
I’ll always remember the wise words from one of my mentors.
“Jeffrey,” my mentor said, “the rituals you create are the secret to a happy and fulfilled life.”
My mentor continued. “A ritual to welcome spring with a dinner party for friends and loved ones. A ritual for how you start your morning. And rituals for the seasons of life.”
Wisdom spoken from the heart of a happy and successful man.
That talk with my mentor lasted two minutes but will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Rituals take the grind out of the daily grind and make life enjoyable.
[tweet_box design=”default” url=”http://jef.tips/sm16″ float=”none”]When you find your rituals you define and find your brilliant success.[/tweet_box]
Rituals help keep the distractions out of your life so you can focus on the important.
When it comes to success, avoid stupid mistakes at all cost.
Set yourself up for a life of success and happiness through meaningful rituals.
Download my Cheat Sheet 7 Stupid Mistakes Robbing You Of Enormous Success
Conclusion
On your journey to a successful and happy life, beware of stupid mistakes that rob you of your success.
In creating my 9-figure exit, I failed forward.
Knowing what not to do is key to your success.
I learned this first hand when I launched my startup out of school with no money, experience, or team.
My 9-figure exit, thirteen years later, happened because I eliminated my stupid mistakes.
And so should you.
How do you remove your stupid mistakes to unlock your success?
I have great news for you.
I’ve done the heavy lifting for you with my decades of in-the-trenches experience.
Review the list of stupid mistakes and note which ones you’re doing.
Stop doing the stupid mistakes, one at a time.
And know this.
You already have, right now, everything you need to be happy and successful.
Your success is around the corner, waiting for you.
Take action, right now, and claim what’s yours.
I know you can and will.
Here’s to you and your success!
Your Raving Fan,
Jeffrey Feldberg