7 Mistakes to Avoid in Life

It takes one missing brick on a wall to cause the total collapse of the same no matter how good looking it is. Similarly, it takes one link in a strong chain to cause the total disintegration of the same. I have spent a significant amount of time studying key pillars for success in life. The attainment or failure to achieve boils down to how you put the bricks of the success wall together. I have observed in my life some of the things which I had overlooked and were slowing me down immensely in terms of achievement of my own goals. I will share with you a few key links which when they are missing in life will cause an immense dislocation. There could be many more but these stand out for me.

1.    Life without purpose – A life that lack the reason for its own existence is not usually a fulfilled and fruitful life. A fundamental question in life is “why am I here”. Whether you believe it or not there is reason why you had to show up and not another person. I discovered my purpose not so long ago which is summed up “I exist to uncover greatness in others through inspiration”. My purpose fuels me. It is the reason why I woke up to write this article. What is yours?

2.    Existence outside of relationships – you were not born in a vacuum and neither were you created for solitary confinement. Human beings are created for communion with other humans. We need others to grow mentally, physically, emotionally and in every other area of our existence. I have noticed that the more I isolate myself, the less I grow as a person as my purpose relies on relationships around me. Everyday ask yourself “who is in my circle”. What are those people doing in your life?

3.    Living only for yourself – this is closely tied to the point I just raised on relationships. There is a huge temptation to live for yourself and your family only forgetting that you need to serve other people beyond your own clan and lineage. Serving others does not always mean you are losing money. It could mean mentoring and coaching someone who is trying to find their way in life. It may mean sharing the little food you have just so that another person can afford a smile. When you see me do charity work it is not because I have excess, I have been raised to know that sharing is caring. Do you care enough about serving others?

4.    Mind that refuses knowledge – every day that you exist on this earth is important in as far as your mental development is concerned. It is easy to think you have reached the pinnacle of information acquisition when in actual fact you need to develop and feed your mind every day. The most dangerous things in life are those we don’t even know. Ignorance is a serious epidemic which you must always work to reduce in your life. No matter how much they call you a learned person, you need to ensure that you are growing your mind daily. Read a book, watch the news, attend a seminar – just do something about increasing the quantity of what you know.

5.    Expenditure without reason – you can always tell what a person values by what occupies their priority list the moment they receive money. One thing that derailed me especially soon after I left college was financial indiscipline. I remember music used to occupy my budget, that is if I had a budget. I used to get money and simply spent it without planning and I would wonder where my money was “disappearing to”. It is the small things such as having a carefully planned budget that determine how much progress you make in life. Take care of these small issues and the bigger picture will soon take shape.

6.    Acting without careful thinking – every day we make decisions. Life is a series of decisions. It is important for you to exercise your mind before making a decision. This is why you cannot enter into a day without a plan. Work on a simply action list a day before and as you go through your day start ticking the items off. As you go through the day, never be under pressure to say stuff without carefully processing whether it is necessary or not. Words by their very nature can damage others around you. Your maturity is in knowing when to act and when to speak.

7. Mistakes that don’t cause learning – I have made a number of mistakes in life but I don’t bury my head in the sand. I have made decision in life that nearly decimated my own life but I don’t wallow in self-pity. I simply learn from my mistakes and I move on. I have realized that I will not always have things right. No matter how much of an expert I may think I have become, there are things I will continue to learn out of every mistake I make. It is a waste of time to make the same mistake daily and not learn from it. Also learn from the mistakes of others.