6 Mindsets That Could Sabotage Your Career

We all have bad habits we should be ditching. Eating all those cookies, for one, or having a pick-me-up soda (or three) each afternoon. External habits like these can be easy to spot, but what’s harder is seeing the bad mindset habits that are oh-so-easy for us to fall into.

Certain mindset habits can really destroy your career. Sure, not all of them will get you fired, but every one will hold you back in the long run.

Really successful people don’t just work hard at their jobs – they work hard on themselves, too. Are you letting any of these negative attitudes get in the way of the career – and life – you really want?

Dwelling on the past

It can be hard to let go of the past. It’s only human to mull over that awkward conversation, that missed opportunity, that stupid mistake. Plus, all too often we justify the indulgence by telling ourselves we’re learning from the past.

But are we? Dwelling on things that have already happened only steals from our current energy, and hobbles our ability to move forward. If something is bothering you – say, you need to apologize to a coworker, or address a mistake you made with your boss – resolve to simply deal with it and move on.

Comparing yourself to others

Jealousy and envy are soul-killers, plain and simple. Comparing your path with that of your more successful coworkers and peers can lead to immense dissatisfaction, and if you’re dissatisfied at work it’s likely to show through in your performance.

Rather than letting yourself get caught up in wondering why them and not me?, accept that everyone has their own life path and count your own blessings. Then, analyze what your more successful colleagues have done right – there may be some fantastic lessons in there for you.

Complaining

Yes, you may have had a frustrating day (or week, or month), and yes, it may make you feel better to vent to your coworkers. But constant complaining about your job isn’t doing you any favors.

Complaining sabotages your career in two ways. Externally, complaining shows that you’re pinning the blame on someone else, rather than taking responsibility for your own actions. Shirking responsibility is definitely the wrong way to try to get ahead in your job. Internally, constant complaining actually changes your own mindset from powerful to an impotent victim. It’s hard to be successful when you see yourself as unable to change anything!

Refusing to own up to mistakes

We all make mistakes – that’s simply a fact of life. Even the most successful people have made mistakes that have the potential to be career-crippling. The difference is that instead of sweeping them under the rug or foisting them off on someone else, successful people fess up to their mistakes and use them as an opportunity for growth.

Becoming complacent

Your career stops moving forward the minute you stop challenging yourself at work. Unless you’re truly content doing the same thing for the rest of your life, you should always be seeking out new responsibilities and opportunities to learn.

My husband likes to quote cyclist Greg LeMond: “It never gets easier, you just go faster.” Don’t ever let yourself become complacent with your skills, unless you’re willing to drop out of the race.

Letting fear rule you

Fear of failure – and fear of success – cause us to put stumbling blocks in our own way. Fear causes us to stay comfortable instead of reaching for the next rung, and to pretend we’re content with our flaws instead of striving to better ourselves. Fear tells us that we’re not good enough, or smart enough, or talented enough to take the next steps in our careers or lives.

Successful people aren’t fearless, they’ve just decided to face their fears over, and over, and over again. They’ve realized that fear can be overcome, and that it must be overcome every day. They don’t let fear rule their decisions – they rule their fear.

If you never ask for a raise, or a promotion, or a chance to head that team you’d be perfect for, you’ll never reach your true potential.