By now, you should have figured out some of the things that work and don’t work for you. But if you’re still struggling, here are 10 things you need to stop doing in your 20s to be successful. Once you make these changes, not only will you be more successful, but your life will also be happier, healthier and more rewarding overall.
1. Letting Fear Guide Your Decisions
It’s easy to feel afraid, especially when you’re entering uncharted territory. But being fearful of failure, making a mistake or being rejected can prevent you from taking risks and potentially make you lose out on opportunities that could be valuable for your future. If you want to be successful in your 20s, you have to overcome fear and make choices based on your values and best interests.
2. Stop eating unhealthy food
Unhealthy eating habits tend to stick with us, especially when we’re young. The bad news: these poor habits can actually accelerate weight gain and derail our best efforts to lose weight. That’s why it’s so important to curb unhealthy eating in your 20s—before you develop them. Once you get in the habit of healthy eating, it will be easier to keep those habits up as you age.
3. Stop wasting money on things you don’t need
Getting a little older doesn’t mean you have to spend money on stuff you don’t need. While it might seem like fun, remember that buying expensive clothes, cars and other material goods won’t make you any happier. Learn to control your spending in your twenties and save as much money as possible. Not only will you become financially secure, but your time will be better spent doing meaningful things instead of shopping.
4. Stop being lazy
Hard work is your most important key to success. If you’re not putting in enough effort, you won’t see any returns. Life isn’t easy or fair. It doesn’t matter how smart or talented you are—you need to work hard if you want to get ahead. So before you start complaining about other people having it easier, ask yourself: Am I working as hard as they are? Am I making things happen, or am I just making excuses?
5. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else
When you’re young, it’s easy to get caught up in others people’s lives. We do it all of time, whether it’s our friends, family or social media. Comparing yourself to everyone else around you is a big waste of time and energy – and can also lead to some pretty negative self-talk. Try your best to avoid comparing yourself to others and focus on being happy with where you are in life instead.
6. Stop hanging out with people you don’t like
One of my favorite quotes from J.D. Rockefeller is, The ability to deal with people is as purchasable a commodity as sugar or coffee, and I will pay more for that ability than for any other under the sun. His quote highlights an important truth—we are happier when we are around friends and family who lift us up instead of drag us down.
7. Stop avoiding responsibility. Be the person who knows how to apologize
It seems like you know what you did wrong. Take responsibility, apologize, and make amends. In the meantime, build up your confidence and your sense of direction in your 30s. You’re human – chances are you will mess up in your lifetime – but recognizing that you can make the right choice when you do means you are empowered, whereas failure to act may feel empowering but really robs you of your dignity.
8.Stop relying on your parents so much
Don’t call them for money, advice or a ride. If you want to be successful and live a fulfilled life, learn how to navigate these situations on your own. You need to learn how to rely on yourself first—that’s when you’ll start developing into an independent adult and take control of your life. The sooner you do that, then becoming successful won’t be so daunting because you already know what it takes!
9. Stop Giving Up Too Easily When Something Doesn’t Work Right Away
If you’re not getting any traction for your project, it might be time to change course. But before you do that, be sure you’ve given it a reasonable amount of time and effort. If your idea doesn’t get off to a great start—so what? Plenty of companies succeed despite humble beginnings, so don’t give up just because it didn’t work out right away.
10. Stop putting off necessary things
If you want to be successful in your 20s, you have to stop putting off everything that isn’t fun. College is over and there’s no professor telling you what and when to do it anymore. Chances are you aren’t going to pass any classes because of procrastination, so start doing things now before it gets too late! Start with homework or project deadlines, or if you need to create a budget for yourself.
