7 Life-Changing Habits to Stop Wasting Your Time and Achieve Success

The Path to Success: 7 Habits That Changed My Life

In the journey from financial struggle to becoming a multi-millionaire, I've learned that success isn't just about what you do - it's equally about what you don't do. When young people approach me, fascinated by my success, I always emphasize this crucial point. Today, I'm going to share with you the seven key habits I developed that played a pivotal role in my transformation.

1. Protect Your Energy: Avoid Energy Vampires

One of the most critical lessons I learned was the importance of surrounding myself with the right people. I realized that some individuals in my life were what I call "energy vampires" - people who consistently drained my energy and enthusiasm.

I had a childhood friend who exemplified this perfectly. Our friendship was entirely one-sided; he would only reach out when he needed something from me. Whether it was help with a task or a loan, his calls were always self-serving. It dawned on me that this wasn't the kind of friendship I wanted or needed in my life.

This realization led me to take a step back and create some distance. I began to respond less frequently to his calls and messages. It wasn't an easy decision, but it was necessary for my personal growth and well-being.

I then asked myself a crucial question: "What does a great friend look like?" The answer helped me understand that my childhood friend didn't possess any of the qualities I valued in a true friendship. I had been holding onto this relationship simply because of our shared history, which I realized was not a good enough reason.

The Importance of Supportive Relationships

It's vital to spend time with people who want more for you, not more from you. These are the individuals who will support your dreams, celebrate your successes, and provide a listening ear during tough times. If someone isn't there for you in both good times and bad, they might not be the right person to keep in your life.

I recommend conducting what I call a "friend-ventory" - an audit of the people in your life. Evaluate each relationship and consider whether it's supporting your growth and dreams or holding you back. Don't be afraid to distance yourself from those who make it difficult for you to succeed.

Remember, when you say no to someone who doesn't align with your goals, you're creating space for new, supportive relationships to enter your life. These new connections can propel you forward and contribute positively to your journey.

Energy Shapes Reality

I firmly believe that today's energy shapes tomorrow's reality. To improve your life, you need to change your energy. This means approaching each day with positivity, openness to opportunities, and positive expectations. Your environment plays a crucial role in this.

Think of it this way: you could have the most positive attitude in the world, but if you're placed in a freezing environment, you'll still feel cold. Your environment sets your internal thermostat, not just your attitude. That's why it's crucial to surround yourself with people and situations that elevate your energy and support your goals.

2. Seek Advice Wisely: Learn from Those Who've Achieved What You Want

Another crucial habit I developed was being selective about whose advice I took. I learned to seek guidance only from those who had already achieved what I aspired to accomplish.

I often encounter people at the gym who try to give me workout advice. While I appreciate their intentions, I always consider the source. If their physique doesn't reflect the results I'm aiming for, I politely decline their suggestions. Instead, I follow the guidance of my trainer, Allen, who has the Superman-like physique I'm working towards.

This principle extends beyond fitness. Here are some of my life principles when it comes to seeking advice:

• I don't take fitness advice from an out-of-shape life coach.
• I don't take business advice from a coach who doesn't have a successful business.
• I don't take parenting advice from someone who doesn't have a track record of successful parenting.

The Pitfall of Misguided Advice

Many people make the mistake of turning to their parents or close friends for advice on major life decisions. While these individuals may have your best interests at heart, their advice is often based on their own experiences and limitations.

If your parents or friends haven't achieved what you're aiming for, their advice might lead you to replicate their results rather than surpass them. This doesn't mean their input isn't valuable, but it's crucial to recognize its limitations.

Seek Out Success Stories

Instead, seek out individuals who have accomplished what you're striving for. If you want to be an Olympic athlete, get advice from someone who's been to the Olympics, not a weekend warrior. Surround yourself with people who have what you want and don't be afraid to ask them questions.

Success leaves clues, and by learning from those who have already achieved your goals, you can uncover these clues and apply them to your own journey. This approach applies to all areas of life - career, relationships, personal development, and more.

3. Take Responsibility: Don't Blame Others for Your Situation

One of the most transformative habits I developed was taking full responsibility for my life and circumstances. In my younger years, I had a tendency to blame others for any unfavorable situations I found myself in.

If I was late for work, I'd blame the traffic. If a deal fell through, I'd blame it on someone not liking me. But over time, I realized that this habit of blaming others was robbing me of my power to change my situation.

The Power of Taking Control

The truth is, I was responsible for my own actions and decisions. I was the one who didn't prepare well enough to arrive at work on time. I was the one who didn't perform well enough in the business deal. By accepting this responsibility, I gained the power to control and improve my circumstances.

Blaming others is essentially giving away your power. When you take responsibility, you take control. It's like cooking a meal - if it doesn't turn out as planned, blaming the ingredients won't help. As the chef, you're responsible for the outcome, and that gives you the power to improve next time.

Emotional Control: A Key to Success

The ability to control your emotions and reactions is one of the strongest predictors of success in life. If others can easily provoke you or throw you off balance, they have control over you. This can hinder your ability to navigate situations effectively and achieve your desired results.

One of my favorite quotes encapsulates this idea perfectly: "We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance." We have the power to shape our reality. The world isn't just as it is; it's as we perceive and interact with it.

If we can maintain the right internal state, external circumstances - whether positive or challenging - become easier to handle. By taking ownership of everything in your life, you gain the power to change it.

4. Learn to Say No: Don't Accept Every Opportunity

Early in my career, I had a habit of saying yes to every opportunity that came my way. I was afraid of missing out on potentially big breaks, especially when I didn't have much going on in my life. However, this approach quickly backfired.

By saying yes to everything, I spread myself too thin. I couldn't give my full attention and effort to any single task or commitment. As a result, everything I did was mediocre at best, and I started disappointing people who had counted on me.

The Art of Saying No

I learned that saying yes is easy, but saying no requires courage and discernment. A person who never says no can't be trusted when they say yes, because eventually, they're bound to let someone down. You don't want to be that person.

I have a friend who always says yes to me, and ironically, I can't trust his yes. I assume he's saying yes to everyone else too, and eventually, something will fall through the cracks. It's simply not possible to do it all.

Steve Jobs once said, "Sometimes, the most productive thing you can do is to say no." This wisdom has proven invaluable in my journey.

Managing Your Commitments

Think of your responsibilities like items in a backpack. If you keep adding more without removing anything, it eventually becomes too heavy to carry. You need to be selective about what you put in your backpack.

Only say yes to things that align with your goals and vision. Saying no to a cool opportunity today might be saying yes to your dreams and long-term goals. If you haven't achieved success yet and want to win big, pick one thing and commit to it for a decade.

I call this approach a "dedic" - deciding to go all-in on one thing for ten years. Put your head down, say no to everything else, and focus maniacally on becoming the best in the world at that one thing. Trust in the process, and you'll see remarkable results.

5. Control Your Device Usage: Don't Be a Prisoner to Your Phone

In my work with young people through the Kings Club program, I often discuss the challenges they face. Recently, one young man identified his smartphone as his biggest vice. He admitted that whenever he needed to get something done, he'd end up scrolling on his phone for hours, putting off his responsibilities.

This revelation highlighted a common problem in our digital age. Many people, especially young adults, find themselves trapped in a cycle of endless scrolling and notification checking, robbing them of productive time and focus.

The Root of the Problem

The root of this issue often lies in a lack of clear life goals and plans. When you don't have a compelling vision for your future, it's easy to get lost in the instant gratification of social media and mobile apps. You don't fully realize what you're sacrificing because you haven't clearly defined what you're working towards.

Reclaiming Your Attention

Your attention and focus are like a car on the road. If you get stuck in the traffic of notifications, apps, and social media scrolling, you'll find yourself going nowhere instead of cruising towards your goals.

Here's a practical step you can take right now: turn off all your notifications. Your attention is far too valuable to be constantly interrupted by app notifications and messages. Think about it - your focus, energy, and productivity are worth much more than a red jewel notification or someone's Snapchat.

Creating a More Interesting Life

If you find yourself addicted to your phone, it might be a sign that your life isn't as interesting or fulfilling as it could be. The solution? Make your life more interesting!

Create big plans for yourself. Develop a vision for your life that's so exciting and compelling that scrolling on social media pales in comparison. When you're genuinely excited about your future and the steps you're taking to get there, you'll find that you naturally spend less time on your device.

Practical Tips for Reducing Phone Usage

1. Schedule more fun and engaging activities in your calendar.
2. Plan activities with other people - you're less likely to skip out on plans with others.
3. Use app blockers or set time limits for social media apps.
4. Keep your phone out of reach when you're working on important tasks.
5. Practice mindfulness and be more aware of when and why you reach for your phone.

Remember, turning off notifications and regaining control of your attention is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to stop wasting your life and start making real progress towards your goals.

6. Study Books, Don't Just Read Them

When I first started my journey of self-improvement and learning, I was eager to consume as many books as possible. People were constantly recommending must-read books, and I felt pressured to get through them all. As a result, I found myself speed-reading through books, not taking notes, not highlighting important passages, and not really absorbing the information.

However, I soon realized that this approach was flawed. The real value of a book doesn't lie in simply having read it, but in applying the knowledge and insights it provides.

The JFDI Approach

To address this, I developed what I call the JFDI muscle - Just Effing Do It. As soon as I read something actionable in a book, I would immediately take action on it. This approach transformed my reading from a passive activity into an active, transformative process.

Even better than immediate action is teaching others what you've learned. When you read with the intention of teaching the material to someone else, you engage with the content in a completely different way. You pay more attention, you think more critically about the ideas, and you internalize the information more deeply.

Reading with Purpose

Often, we already know what we should be doing - we've read about it in books. The problem is that we don't always put that knowledge into practice. My recommendation is to be strategic about your reading:

1. Identify areas in your life where you're stuck or need improvement.
2. Only read books that can help you unlock the next skill you need to acquire.
3. Look for books that can help you develop beliefs or implement habits that will get you incredible results.

I call this approach "just in time" learning, as opposed to "just in case" learning. When someone recommends a book to me, I'll buy it, but I might not read it immediately. Instead, I'll keep it as a resource and study it when I encounter a relevant problem or need.

Avoiding "Shelf Help"

Many people read books, buy courses, or hire coaches just to feel good about themselves. I call this "shelf help" - you're consuming knowledge to put on a shelf, to have a badge that you can show off to others. But are you actually implementing what you've learned?

If the answer is no, it's time to change your approach. Don't just read - study. Don't just learn - execute. Take action on the things you learn immediately.

7. Compete Only with Yourself

For a long time, I fell into the trap of comparing myself to others - people my age, people in my city, people who were more successful than me. This habit was not only unproductive but also detrimental to my mental health and self-esteem. It left me feeling depressed, worried that I was falling behind, and doubting my own worth.

However, I had a realization that changed everything: the only person I should be competing against is myself - the person I was yesterday, last week, or last year.

The Futility of Comparison

The reason for this is simple: you are not anyone else. You don't have their brain, their body, their relationships, their environment, or their circumstances. But guess what? They don't have yours either.

The only thing you can do is take who you are and honestly ask yourself: "Am I getting better? Am I focusing on the things I can control?" If you can improve by just 1% every day, that compounds dramatically over a year, over a decade. That's how you change your life.

Your Unique Journey

Think of your life experience as a Spotify playlist. Comparing yourself to someone else ignores the value of your own unique taste - who you are, what you love. Focus on curating your own playlist that resonates with you.

I often tell people, "Why would you compare your Chapter 3 to someone else's Chapter 27?" I've been in business for 27 years. If you're just starting off - 6 months, a year, 3 years in - why would you compare yourself to me? If anything, know that I've been doing this for 27 years, and when you're at 27 years, I expect you to be way further along because you have access to resources and knowledge that I didn't have when I started.

Embracing Your Uniqueness

The biggest thing you can do is just be yourself. It's the most unique thing you have. Everything that you're insecure about is what makes you you. You may not like the sound of your voice, the way your nose is shaped, the way your ears are shaped. You might think that you're not very smart. But I'm telling you, if you lean into these things, that's what makes you memorable.

Trying to pretend you're someone else or constantly comparing yourself to others will only steal your potential to stand out in this world. We live in a world where being unique and authentic is valuable. So take advantage of it.

Conclusion: Your Path to Success

These seven habits - protecting your energy, seeking advice wisely, taking responsibility, learning to say no, controlling your device usage, studying books effectively, and competing only with yourself - were instrumental in my journey from financial struggle to becoming a multi-millionaire.

By implementing these habits in your own life, you can stop wasting time and start making real progress towards your goals. Remember, success is not just about what you do, but also about what you choose not to do.

As you embark on your own journey of self-improvement and success, keep these principles in mind. Be patient with yourself, but also be persistent. Change doesn't happen overnight, but with consistent effort and the right habits, you can transform your life in ways you never thought possible.

Your future self will thank you for the changes you make today. So start now, take action, and commit to these habits. Your journey to success begins with the decisions you make right now.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbaf3eAfyd4