6. Focusing on too many things at once.
“Pick one thing you’re passionate about and do it better than everyone else. Too many people have 1,000 brilliant ideas and never start any of them. Instead, they get involved in everyone else’s business.
If you’re not a lawyer, for example, don’t pretend to be one. Stay in your lane and delegate to experienced professionals. Sign contracts and form your company properly. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
I once left a company because the founder was more in love with his next idea than the success of the business. And while he was dreaming of new inventions, he starved his company of resources and attention. As a result, we lost many breakthrough opportunities.”
—James Daily, founding partner of Daily Law Group, which helps high-profile clients with fiduciary abuse litigation.
7. Not scheduling important reminders in your calendar.
“As an entrepreneur, I get things done by sticking to one rule: Scheduling and organizing each and every single thing I commit to. It might sound like a no-brainer, but most people fail to do this.
If you can get into the rhythm of assigning yourself tasks and calendar appointments, you’ll never find yourself struggling to remember all the things you already forgot at 3 a.m.”
8. Blindly emulating the most successful people.
“When there are many potential solutions for a problem, it’s easy to pick one that worked for someone else. But here’s the truth: It doesn’t matter if it worked for someone else. What matters is whether it’s going to work for you.
The best leaders don’t blindly emulate the most successful people around them. They know that wearing a black turtleneck every day won’t turn them into Steve Jobs. Instead, they look at the components of success and apply them to their own circumstances.”
—Luke Freiler, CEO and co-founder of Centercode, a Customer Validation solutions provider that helps hundreds of enterprises and high-growth tech companies bring dynamic and delightful products to market.
9. Trying to control everything.
“If you want to achieve your goals, let go of the common belief that everything is within your control.
Sometimes, you just have to accept the reality of a situation, be decisive and allocate your time to where you can truly make a difference. This is the key to achieving success in both your work and personal lives.”
10. Not leaping into the unknown.
“Our office motto is, ‘You either skydive or you don’t.’ Building a company, personal brand, or career demands an ‘all in’ mentality. Step outside of your comfort zone and don’t be afraid to fight an opponent above your weight class.
For example, apply for that executive position you really want, even though it requires decades of experience and seemingly unattainable qualifications. What’s the worst that can happen? You might get the job and find that you’re in over your head. But it doesn’t mean you can’t dive in and learn.
In six months, you might grow in ways you couldn’t have otherwise. Even if you don’t get the job, you can still say you took the leap — and that makes you better than all the other people who stayed their cubicles because they were too afraid to fail.”