12 Cheat Codes That Will Make You More Successful Than Everyone Else, According To Psychology
Be motivated and realistic with your aspirations.
Lais Schulz | Canva When I look back over all the goals and success I’ve achieved, which are comparatively few, they have all more or less been reached because I was keenly aware of how bad not achieving that goal would be.
Thirty-nine years on this planet has been quite a ride. My bitter struggles taught me far more than my wins. Everyone is trying to get ahead in their careers, especially in such an unstable economy. And you can do just that by using cheat codes that lead to success.
Here are 12 cheat codes that make you more successful than everyone else:
1. Your potential is a myth
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Forget that “you can be anything” crap. Don’t worry. Understanding this is a good thing because now you’re forced to get real and narrow in on stuff you can make a dent with.
You have limits. Embrace them. Work within them. Exceed them where possible. But don’t delude yourself.
2. Talent is overrated
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Raw talent without discipline is worse than uselessness. It’s a waste. Consistent effort trumps innate ability every time. Let your consistent actions combine with talent to produce something astounding.
Research by an associate professor at Arcadia University has shown certain contextual factors can mitigate the bias. While people may prefer natural geniuses for jobs requiring a single-star performer to shine, Brown found that people prefer strivers for tasks requiring cooperation. Most modern careers will need a certain level of teamwork – and if we solely emphasize our innate ability, we might come across like a diva who will struggle to collaborate.
3. Failure isn’t always a teacher
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Failure only teaches those clever enough to learn. Most people fail repeatedly without gaining a thing. Be the exception.
A 2020 study found that learning from failures encourages employees to self-develop, which has practical meanings and enhances understanding of the antecedent of self-development and its underlying rationale.
4. Your dreams don’t matter
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The world doesn’t care about your aspirations. It cares about results. And, more importantly, so do you. Take a dream, but then do something with it!
A 2020 study published in the Journal of Research in Personality suggested that “mindful” individuals are better at setting the right goals for themselves. After surveying 800 undergraduate students, the research team found that students who scored higher in a mindfulness questionnaire were better at setting what psychologists refer to as self-concordant goals.
5. Motivation is for the weak
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Most people wait for motivation to show up at their doorsteps holding a bouquet of roses. Get out of here. Relying on motivation is like depending on the weather for your mood. Cultivate good habits instead. It’s the all-weather friend of success.
When striving for long-term goals, people often get in conflict with their short-term goals. Research suggests that people who successfully control their behavior in line with their long-term goals rely on effortless strategies, such as good habits.
6. Work-life balance doesn't exist
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True success demands imbalance. Whenever I produced anything worthwhile, I had to make sacrifices, and it wasn’t always fun. It could be exhausting. Have periods of intense focus followed by strategic recovery. Balance is best left for the mediocre.
7. Your network determines your net worth
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Surround yourself with losers, become a loser. Keep away from the terminally unlucky. It’s that simple. Curate your circle ruthlessly.
Across myriad research, scholars agree that mentoring can be associated with many positive outcomes. Mentoring has been discussed as a strategy for positive youth development, as a deterrent to risky youth behavior, as a way to improve college students' academic adjustment, retention, and success, and as a means to facilitate career development among employees.
8. Comfort is the enemy of growth
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If you’re comfortable, you’re stagnating. Use comfort as a reward for jumping in the trenches and getting muddy. Embrace discomfort. Turn it into aliveness. It’s the only path to meaningful progress.
9. Nobody owes you anything
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Entitlement is a disease and the Internet makes it seem ok. It’s not. You’re as good as a cripple wearing a half-ton backpack when you believe you’re entitled to happiness and success. The world doesn’t owe you success, recognition, or even basic respect. Earn all of it.
10. Your excuses are invalid
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Everyone has problems. Successful people find solutions. Unsuccessful people find excuses. Sure, have the occasional gripe with a friend in private. It’s cathartic. Just don’t become a whiny baby.
According to research from the University of Kansas, excuses come in many forms, some of which are subtle and devious. At their worst, they are chronic evasions of responsibility driven by irrational fear. These excuses not only hinder our understanding of our problems but also act as a barrier to healthy personal growth. Unlike excuses that help resolve real tensions, pathological ones often use feigned pretexts or unreasonably exaggerate the facts.
11. Time management is a lie
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You don’t manage time because time doesn’t exist. You manage yourself and your energy. When you do, you begin to use time more effectively. Stop blaming the clock and start owning your choices.
A 2021 study highlights the substantial link between time management and the extent to which people perceive they’re in control of their lives. This is unsurprising because time management presupposes people believing they can change their lives.
Alternatively, experimental evidence suggests that time management helps people strengthen their internal locus of control. Researchers also highlight the link between time management and self-esteem is equally substantial. One can argue either way: people with high self-esteem might be confident enough to manage their time, or, conversely, time management may boost self-esteem.
12. Success isn’t a destination
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It’s a continual journey of setting and achieving increasingly more challenging and exciting goals. The moment you think you’ve “made it” is the moment you start to fail. See these tips as empowering — when you really sense their truth, they will be. You got this!
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient.