What distinguishes successful people from the unsuccessful? Mainly the ability to learn from mistakes and never repeat what did not work. This is the conclusion of recent research by Henry Cloud, U.S. clinical psychologist and consultant in the field of personal development, summarized in his new book entitled Never Go Back: 10 Things You'll Never Do Again. Henry Cloud describes the moments that changes the lives of successful people forever by helping them understand what they should never do again. What are these moments?
Don't go back to anything that did not work
Both at work and in their personal relationships, successful people stick to the rule of not doing anything in the same way which proved itself to be wrong in the past. Once they see that something is not working, they try a different way.
Don't play at being someone you are not
Successful people consider very carefully whether they will do things which they do not believe in or do not suit them.
Don't try to change other people
Once you understand that you can't force others to do something they don't want to do, you give them the freedom to control their own destinies. Consequently, you will get more freedom too.
Don't try to please everyone
The moment you understand that this is impossible, you begin to look how to please the right people.
Don't prefer short-term comfort over long-term success
Successful people know that to achieve something in the long-term, they have to be willing to overcome short-term discomfort.
Don't believe anything that looks perfect
If someone or something looks too perfect, there's bound to be a catch. The world is not perfect and successful people know this.
Don't lose sight of a broader context
Successful people understand all events in a certain context. They tried to make decisions based on individual events without context, but these decisions did not work out. Therefore, they do not try it anymore.
Don't stop asking why you are where you are
Nobody is a victim of circumstances beyond his or her control. Successful people pay attention to the active role they play in their lives.
Don't forget about your inner life
Satisfaction with who we are inside significantly contributes to how successful we are on the outside. Successful people work on themselves, and this helps them to succeed in relation to others.
-kk-