My mom has always told me, “If you think long, you think wrong”. Obviously, as a child, I thought she was mad, but growing up and facing the challenges and excitements of the world I finally got it.

Daydreaming instead of doing could be my downfall

Studies have shown that in the realm of careers, people who spent too much time imagining their dream jobs were actually hindering their progress.

Huh, you say? Researchers discovered that a daydreamer’s brain sees the big end game without noticing the problems and challenges ahead until they reach those hurdles. This can lead to discouragement too easily, as daydreamers will pass on minor opportunities because they struggle to see the big picture – sometimes to make it to the big leagues you have to master the minor league game first.

The early bird catches the worm

Not simply a cliché but a fact. And if you are a night owl like me, waking up too late is the domino effect of going to bed too late. Did you know that many CEO’s wake up at 6am, even if they don’t need to be in the office before 9?

What can you do that early?

Maintain your well-being through meditation or exercise, catch up on news, sort through personal tasks, all before heading to work. This is a personal goal for me. So once I master how not to fall back to sleep once I rise at 6am, then I will get back to you.

This leads to complacency

Evolution is the result of growing. If you don’t grow, you don’t progress in the present and therefore you remain in the past.

Today’s digital age and overabundance of information makes it easier yet more challenging to go one step ahead of your competition. With the amount of blogs, vlogs, MOOCS and video tutorials out there, anyone who still says “I can’t because I don’t know or I don’t have …” is simply avoiding the obvious – “I don’t want to”.

Nonetheless, I don’t say this to encourage you to compare yourself to others…

The fourth habit holding you back. Success is personal and everyone should have their own definition of success. What is successful to me is not to someone else. Look to others as mentors and aspirations, but don’t knock yourself down because you haven’t achieved what someone else has.

Once you define what success looks like to you, then plan how to get there and do whatever makes you flourish.

Be patient in your pursuit to success

Impatience, one could say, is the number one cause of holding someone back from their definition of success.

All things come in time, and I am learning by dreaming, planning, doing and setting goals; my biggest dreams came true with the least effort.

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