{"id":45684,"date":"2021-08-12T18:02:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-12T22:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=45684"},"modified":"2021-08-20T08:32:03","modified_gmt":"2021-08-20T12:32:03","slug":"success-myths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/success-myths\/","title":{"rendered":"The 6 Success Myths You Should Stop Believing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What success myths<\/a> are floating around out there? Which ones do you believe?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Real estate entrepreneur Gary Keller<\/a> identifies six success myths that we’ve been taught. He argues that these beliefs get in the way of our ability to focus on One Thing. Ultimately, they stand in the way of our success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn about these success myths.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The 6 Success Myths <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Despite our potential for huge success, most of us believe a number of myths we\u2019ve been taught about it, which keep us from focusing on One Thing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Success<\/strong> Myth 1) Everything is equally important<\/strong> and we must do it all. We\u2019re flooded with new information and input constantly. Everything feels urgent and important<\/a>, so we try to do everything, using an ever-increasing to-do list<\/a> that gives every item equal weight. However, without prioritization, it\u2019s merely a \u201csurvival\u201d list. All things are not<\/em> equally important. Research shows that a minority of our effort (20%) produces the majority (80%) of our results, which means focusing on the few, highest-impact things is the key to creating extraordinary results<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Success<\/strong> Myth 2) Multitasking gets more done<\/strong>. Multitasking is a myth\u2014our brains can\u2019t focus on more than one thing at a time<\/a>. What looks like multitasking is actually task-switching as our brains go back and forth between tasks. Rather than increasing our efficiency, this process is a huge time-waster. Researchers estimate that employees are interrupted every eleven minutes and spend a third of their day recovering from interruptions. It also takes longer to do things. Depending on the complexity of the task, switching can add 25% to 100% more time to completing it. You won\u2019t succeed in your work or life unless you figure out what matters most in the moment and give it your undivided attention.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Success<\/strong> Myth 3) Only people with superhuman discipline succeed<\/strong>. Most people have all the discipline they need to succeed. Success isn\u2019t a result of ongoing discipline. It results from applying discipline<\/a> long enough for a new habit to stick and become automatic. When you exercise discipline, you\u2019re training yourself to act in a certain way. When you do it long enough\u2014research shows it takes 66 days to establish a habit\u2014the new behavior becomes routine. You become successful when you\u2019ve strategically applied discipline to the right thing\u2014establishing a powerful new habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Success<\/strong> Myth 4) Willpower is unlimited<\/strong>. Willpower is like the battery power of your phone. As you draw on the available power, the supply diminishes. You make difficult challenges harder when you don\u2019t reserve enough willpower to help you with them. Things that sap willpower include: resisting temptation<\/a>, doing a task you dislike, and suppressing emotions<\/a>. The key to having willpower when you need it is to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n