One of the major differences between successful people and unsuccessful people is that they never stop trying in whatever it is that they do.
Edmond Mbiaka
No one wants to be unsuccessful. Everyone aspires to be as successful as they can.
While definition of success varies from person to person, most of us do know the feeling of success. The most successful among us are too humble to accept that they are successful. But you know someone is successful when you see them.
No one chooses to be unsuccessful. But your ways and means show where you are headed. I have met both ultra successful people and not-so-successful people in my life. I have spoken to my friends on what is their definition of success.
There are common threads among all unsuccessful people. And to help you avoid the same mistakes of unsuccessful people, here are the Top 7 Behaviors that all Unsuccessful People Have in Common:
#1. Unsuccessful People are Lazy:
Idleness is only the refuge of weak minds.
Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield (1694-1773)
Yes, they have a job. But they are lethargic; to the point that they lack the energy to do much of the daily activities to keep themselves active. All of us face challenges to take the first steps.
Besides not having any goals, unsuccessful people are lazy to make efforts to set their personal goals.
A few years back, I was in the same boat. Taking life as it came. I lacked the energy to do most of my stuff. I felt everything was a burden; my job, commute, relationships, finances, etc.
And I did not take any action owing to my laziness. I procrastinated or postponed all my dreams and goals.
But since taking charge of my life, I have made myself quite aware of my goals and am persistent on them on a daily basis.
#2. Unsuccessful People ‘Know It All’:
Snobbery management is as difficult and necessary as anger management.
Michael Foley
They are snobbish. They know everything that is happening around the world. But the reality is unsuccessful people do not know themselves well.
They act like they are in control of their life. This is an outer facade or mask that they wear to make others feel confident about them. But the truth is that they are hollow from within.
Have you met someone who is very loud? Who acts life they know everything?
Their need for validation is so high that they are OK to give up the basic needs of their life like personal growth, development and so on.
In a word, they lack humility.
#3. Unsuccessful People are Hurt When they Receive Feedback on Improvement:
Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.
Benjamin Franklin
I had a colleague who was not so good at managing the work he was given. These were sets of simple tasks that I had assigned to him. He did a sloppy job and since this was for a crucial project, I tried correcting him by sitting next to him and suggesting changes.
Instead of taking suggestions for improvement, he went on to complain about me to our manager.
I did not feel bad for complaining, but I felt bad because he did not want to change himself. This happens with many people who are unsuccessful. They tend to take suggestions for improvement personally.
When you do that, you go down the path often tread by unsuccessful people. They do not learn or do not want to learn from their mistakes.
#4. Unsuccessful People Blame others for their Situation:
Blame-all and Praise-all are two blockheads.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
I have done this in a previous version myself.
When I lost my job, I blamed everybody else except me. I blamed the company, I blamed the management, I blamed the economy, I blamed the leaders, and so on.
I have come out of that situation.
When an unsuccessful person doesn’t get what they want, they blame others for their situation. It’s easier to blame a lack of success to something beyond your control. Happens to the best of us.
When you don’t get a job, you blame the economy. When you are fired, you blame your company management or the economy.
Successful people on the other hand take responsibility for their situation and own up to their mistakes.
#5. Unsuccessful People Complain about Everything:
Sweat silently. Let’s have no squawking about a little expenditure of energy.
Martin H. Fischer
- The car is broken, complain.
- The coffee machine is broken, complain.
- Did not charge mobile, complain.
- Food is overcooked, complain.
- Weather is not good, complain.
- Traffic on road, complain.
Unsuccessful people have loads to complain about!
Sometimes, we all do this. We complain about trivial things that are within our own control and sometimes not within our control.
On the opposite spectrum, successful people never complain about things that are bothering them. They try and find a solution.
Rather than complaining, you must find solution to the situation.
#6. Unsuccessful People are Constantly Jealous:
Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius.
Fulton J. Sheen
You may have come across these kinds of people in your life. They are perpetually jealous of every other person for whatever purpose. Usually, they do not express this, but inside of them, they are envious and jealous of the good things that happen to others.
More often than not, these are your own friends and relatives. This jealousy drives them to talk behind your back to others spreading false news about how you achieved whatever you have done.
Unsuccessful people spend lot of their time and energy thinking and being envious of the accomplishments of others. This leaves them no time to think about their own developments.
Successful people are genuinely happy when you achieve something in life. They encourage you to be further successful.
#7. Unsuccessful People Think Successful People were Lucky:
Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.
Ray Kroc
Roughly 10 years back, I used to think that every rich person was rich because they were extremely lucky in life. And I left everything for chance in my life.
Unsuccessful people literally give up on everything because they have this preconceived notion that success is a work of luck.
But since realizing that success means hard work, taking risks, defining goals, achieving goals, putting in time and effort, being obsessed with your goals, and so on. If success was easy, everyone would be successful.
Ask any small business owner or an entrepreneur. They would say the above behaviors are quite necessary.
All the above mentioned behaviors are intertwined with each other. There is a commonality within these. Unsuccessful people thus are selfish and always look for ways to enrich themselves. While successful people are outward focussed. They are there to solve a problem, provide solutions. They are constantly looking for ways to grow themselves.
Where do you group yourself?
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