5 Guilty Pleasures to Cut Out Immediately if You Want to Be a Successful Entrepreneur

Admit it, you admire the mansion, you covet the sports car, you dream of that private jet or owning that marvelous yacht. To make matters worse you see your boss owning all of these and living the “good” life.  Deep down you envy your wealthy boss because you wish you could have his possessions.

These feelings and thoughts are all too familiar to wantrepreneurs. But to tell you the truth, you probably will never own any of these. Why? Because most people today lack focus.

Studies shows that more than ever, young people are dreaming of becoming entrepreneurs, build magnificent businesses and fire their bosses. Yet many younglings settle for the cubicle lifestyle.

You see it’s not that these younglings lack talent; not at all. It is simply because there is too many distractions. The previous generation had less distractions which made focus so much easier. However, all is not doomed for this generation if they simply learn how to cut through the noise and learn how to focus like their predecessors did.

Here are 5 guilty pleasures you should cut out today if you want to be a successful entrepreneur:

1. Friends

Have you noticed how small the circles of the most successful and wealthiest amongst us are? Yes they socialize a lot, have a lot of acquaintances and know tons of people. Yet they deliberately minimize their circle of real friends to a select few.

Why is that? Because they realized that they do not need too many people in their personal lives. Having a plethora of friends isn’t necessarily a good thing, it actually reeks of disaster. It is best to have a handful of trustworthy, helpful friends than a bunch of leeches.

“Choose your friends wisely, and also choose friends that you can trust.” – Elyn Saks

2. Video gaming

I place video gaming high on this list because to me, it is the number one killer of success. The video game industry is booming at an alarming pace. Shockingly, 95% of boys and a staggering 94% of girls play video games.

Video game designer Jane McGonigal argues that our workplaces could learn a lesson or two from the consequences/rewards systems in gaming. “The truth is this: in today’s society, computer and video games are fulfilling genuine human needs that the real world is currently unable to satisfy,” said McGonigal, the director of Game Research and Development at the Institute for the Future.

“Games are providing rewards that reality is not. They are teaching and inspiring and engaging us in ways that reality is not. They are bringing us together in ways that reality is not.”

While this statement is highly alarming, it is indeed true. After a long day at work who would want some more stress by trying to develop a product or service or thinking of starting a business? It is easier to indulge into video gaming than worry about the harshness of real life.

To tell you the truth, if you desire to be successful the first thing you need to do is throw out that gaming console and focus on some business ideas. Make a business plan, incorporate the right partner, network and learn as much as you can.

3. Too many self-help books

I personally love books and I enjoy a good self-help book now and then. Yet, I know there is no book that can present itself as the manual to live a happy and successful life.

Imagine a stranger walking up to you vilifying your entire existence, telling you countless times that you’ve been living your entire life wrong and that the only road to happiness and success is to be and do just like he/she did, then silently takes off. Wouldn’t it be confusing?

I recommend everyone read self-help books as a form of inspiration or entertainment not to find life’s answers. Nobody can tell you what to do, how to think and what your personality should look like.

“The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense.” – Thomas Edison

4. Excessive partying/television

Successful people rarely go clubbing. You might see them at social events here and there but they make sure to keep a balance life. More than just socializing they are focused on their next big venture. Even social events are utilized as networking vehicles. Cut the crap, party less and focus more on that which you wish to achieve.

Too much television: the TV is such a poisonous distraction. Television really offers nothing of substance, yet many of us transform into couch potatoes for hours watching shows.

Many successful people have reportedly admitted to not watch or even own a television for it doesn’t bring any usefulness to their lives.

5. Your hobby

There is only one thing that Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Elon Musk, Michael Jordan and countless others have in common. They turned a simple hobby into a lucrative professional career.

It is noticeable that most successful people immersed themselves fully through countless hours of hard work and transformed a simple hobby into a lucrative career. The key here is to focus on earning a career on your God-given talent instead of just treating it as just another hobby.

How badly do you want to succeed? Are you willing to cut out certain parts of your life which provide no benefit to you? Let us know how you feel in the comments below!

Image courtesy of Twenty20.com