On the Road to Riches, there are probably One, maybe Two things you're getting seriously right. I mean seriously good for you, you're killing it.

Pareto's Law- 80% of your results are a consequence of 20% of your efforts.

So do more of that.

But then there's everything else you're doing...

If you're like me, you're probably doing a whole host of things that are definitely not helping you get closer to your goals.

Heck, you're probably wasting a bunch of time doing things you don't even like that much!

Time to get to work.

Time to make it happen. You're smart?

So What

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
― Calvin Coolidge

Dreams vs Reality

This is the reality of most people out there. They dream big, but never actually achieve what they set out to do.

If you're like me, you're terrified of lying on your deathbed and not measuring up to what you could have been. Well here's the good news: you don't need to do more stuff. You need to start getting lean and start saying "no" to everything that's not getting you closer to where you want to be.

5 Things to STOP Doing if you Want to be Successful

1. Give Up the Short Term Mindset

I'll tell you what, this has made the biggest difference in my own life. Everyone is out there chasing one shiny object after another. Stop chasing the thousands of 'Get Rich Quick' schemes. If you even thought about buying Paris Hilton's ICO, I'm talking to you. Take a moment and think about how much time you've wasted on slick marketing and ad copy that ultimately sold you a dream and relieved you of your cash.

A short term mindset will leave you poor and living check to check.

Create a plan and follow through. I found that once I started to delay gratification and think in longer 5+ year time frames, my success and overall wealth really started to snowball.

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”
― Bill Gates

2. Thinking Small

Look, we're all guilty of this one sometimes. But ask yourself, why settle? Is it a confidence thing? I look at people all the time and wander this. I don't think it's laziness... I think in many cases we're all a prisoner of our own minds.

Time to bust out of the box and THINK BIG! Move out of your comfort zone, challenge yourself. I read somewhere that the only people who end up changing the world are those crazy enough to think they can.

If you're going to think anyway, might as well think big!

3. Stop with the Excuses Already.

We all like to tell ourselves stories, comforting lies. Like, "I don't have time". or "I'm going to travel some day". Somehow someday never comes and neither does the time.

I also find that these stories we tell ourselves all conveniently prevent us from doing exactly the thing we need to be doing in order to become successful. Now If you don't want to change, by all means keep doing what you're doing.

BUT if you're willing to let go of your excuses and focus on how you can do something, how to make it happen, you'll set yourself free.

Winners always come up with reasons for why they CAN.
Meanwhile Losers always come up with excuses and reasons for why they CAN'T.

As soon as you say "I can't", your brain shuts down and doesn't have to think anymore. When you think, "How can I"? Now you're engaging your mind in problem solving, something 90% of your peers and competition are not doing.

If you can solve problems, you will become very rich.

“Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.”
― Henry Ford

4. Become a Content Creator, Not Consumer.

This one, you're probably already doing if you're on Steemit. However let's examine the rest of your day.

How much time are you really spending on "clash of clans", fantasy football or some other such time vacuum. If you're the average red blooded american male, chances are you're wasting a lot of time playing games on your phone, trolling social media, (fb, twitter, youtube, instagram, at least Steemit pays you!) or actively finding some way to consume an entire Netflix series in a weekend.

True story I know a guy, we'll call him "Dave", with a Bengals football tattoo on his leg. He has NFL ticket and spends his entire Sunday watching football. Now, there's nothing wrong with football, but this guy will never be successful. He's invested so much of his time and energy into something that doesn't pay him. In 10 years he will have nothing to show for it. He will have consumed a ton of content, and created nothing.

Don't be Dave. What if you spent that time researching your next article, investment or business venture? What would your next week look like? Month? Year? I've personally committed to writing on Steemit for one year, what are your goals here?

How much more successful might you be if you gave up consuming entertainment for a week and started creating it?

5. Give Up Being Liked

We're all social creatures, and on some level, crave social validation from our friends, family and peers. But look, not everyone's going to like you. Earth shattering I know. Sit down if you have to. It's OKAY, they're probably jerks anyway, I mean- I like you.

The good news is: Well Who Cares? Every successful person out there has a strong belief in his or her personal truth and isn't willing to sacrifice that for anybody. Know yourself, hold true to your core beliefs. Don't flap in the wind, ready to switch sides as soon as you fear you might upset someone. Walk YOUR path, and if someone doesn't like it, that's their problem.

Certainly there's an advantage to being liked both socially and professionally. You're more likely to do business with someone you like, but it's not the be all end all.

I remember listening to Robert Kiyosaki speak years ago, and something he said really stuck with me.
He said:

"A third of the people you meet are gonna like you no matter what you do. Another third will not like you, no matter what you do. And the last third doesn't care one way or the other. Your job is to make the third that doesn't care, like you. But if you focus on the third that doesn't like you, you'll never get anywhere in life.

Well I hope you enjoyed my top 5 things to stop doing for success. Think BIG, plan long, don't make excuses, and remember at least I like you. :) Now get out there and make some content!

Until next time.

It's your move.

JESS