To be honest with ourselves 7 lies about success must stop.

We spend much of our time seeking purpose or searching for our passions.

We talk about time management, getting more sleep and the importance of “finding our why”.

We build tribes and spend hours on social media “building our brand”.

We share quotes from Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos while pontificating about the virtues of building a better mindset.

We point out what books to read for establishing better habits and why we shouldn’t give a damn about what people think.

People lecture me all the time about the amount of sleep I sacrificed to build my business. Ironically, they also admit my energy, self discipline and focus are unparalleled.

I have a bulletin.

We will never get to where we want to be if we follow all the rules people claim are essential for success.

Entrepreneurs are unconventional which is why they succeed.

They drop of school, sleep in their offices, sacrifice social activities most people can’t live without and walk alone whenever necessary to make their dreams materialize.

Want to be a successful entrepreneur?

“Always bear in mind that your own resolution to success is more important than any other one thing.”?Abe Lincoln

Here are 7 things that simply aren’t true about being successful:

Know it all

There’s a popular misconception that successful entrepreneurs are super smart and have all the answers.?In fact, entrepreneurs are bold and willing to act.?They don’t obsess over failure, and they learn from their mistakes.?They press on regardless of disappointment and they don’t make excuses.?They definitely don’t have all the answers.??

Next level

People that aren’t willing to completely reinvent themselves will never enjoy tremendous success.?Being extraordinary requires reaching higher that most people care to fly, and that demands change.?Perseverance, hard work, and fortitude are essential for success.?Doing the same thing repeatedly is insanity and we won’t elevate to the next plateau without making adjustments.

Immediate gratification

Many people believe success is instantaneous.?Compliments of social media, influencers make success look easy and most people don’t realize it’s fake. People that succeed spend many years cultivating their craft and carefully accumulating wealth.?It takes time, patience and discipline.?People that pursue instant success and immediate gratification, usually make costly mistakes that end tragically.??

“Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.”

No sacrifice

Believing we can be successful without giving up many of the things people can’t resist, isn’t true.?In my book Anatomy of Success, I argue you can have it all, but it comes with a price.?You can make an incredibly living, have a successful business, enjoy beautiful relationships and enjoy remarkable health, but it won’t be easy. It takes enormous sacrifice.?

Troubles dissolve

Poor people and rich people both have money problems.?However, I would rather have a rich person’s money problems any day.?There’s a common belief that success makes all your troubles dissipate.?Everyone has problems, wealthy people have big problems most people can’t imagine. The difference, successful people are better at managing money problems.?Resist wishing for more money believing it solves all our problems. Start investing time, effort and energy into creating a more successful life.?

Popularity

Here’s the ironic thing about success, more people will dislike you.?Envy and jealously are powerful emotions, and social comparisons make it easy to measure ourselves against the competition.

Our accomplishments make many people feel uncomfortable, and by putting ourselves out there we become easy targets for the disenfranchised.

Even “close friends” will turn on us when they feel themselves falling behind.?The good news, you will make new but fewer friends that don’t have time for such trivialities.

Happier

The first misconception of happiness is predicated on the idea that happiness is something we find. If we only got married, had a better job, made more money, or had a bigger house.?

Research consistently demonstrates that major life events account for only 10% of overall happiness.

It’s important to point out one insidious component of this proclivity. Adaptation! Rising aspirations coincide with material success. Once you get a beautiful home, the initial euphoria fades, and then we desire a bigger house. In addition, social comparisons nullify the sense of satisfaction with newly acquired positions. That new car is great, until your neighbor pulls up with a better car.

Happiness is a state of mind. It’s a condition that provides insight for viewing the world and our position in it.?If we aren’t a “happy person”, more stuff isn't the cure.

“Success is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to achieve.”

Sum it up.

What other misconceptions do people have about success??Share your thoughts in the comments section and please like and share this article. I love learning from you as well.

About Steve:

Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.??Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming.?Steve is an author and host of the podcast program Anatomy of Success.?Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn. ?Learn more about my work and grab the free Weatherology mobile app by clicking any picture in this article!