My phone abruptly ringing startled me out of my thoughts. An old college buddy I had not seen in 10 years was unexpectedly in town and asked if I’d like to meet up for some cocktails. My gut immediately told me to not go for multiple reasons: very important meeting the next day and the fact that I’ve been excellent on my health kick. “But, I haven’t seen him in YEARS.” I told myself. I grabbed my jacket and out the door I went.

Even though that was long ago, and since that time in my 20+ years of coaching, I realize that it’s not crystal clear for people to understand that it’s in the smallest decisions you make each and every day -- your daily wins – that are going to lead up to your biggest victories and successes.

Understand that it is the habits you have today that are determining your future. And, there are some habits that if you want to be Successful, then you must kick them to the curb.

9 Things to Kick to the Curb if You Want to be Successful

1. Quit being a perfectionist. No one is perfect; not one single person here on this planet. And nothing will ever be perfect no matter how much we try to make it that way. Most times it’s the fear of failing at something that holds us back from taking those important actions and putting yourself out there. Wayne Gretsky is quoted as saying, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” You will also miss 100% of the opportunities that are coming to you if you are always waiting for things or the time to “perfect”.

2. Stop being a control freak. When you realize that the only thing you can control is yourself, the world becomes a much easier place to navigate. Learn to detach from the things you cannot control and focus on what you can – which is your attitude.

3. Don’t spend all your free time on social media or watching TV. It’s easy to hop on the web to do some research and to see a funny cat video then you watch another and another and the next thing you know an hour has gone by. How much time each week are you Spending watching TV, browsing the internet, or on different social media sites? Make sure that you are spending your time on things that are going to elevate you and your life to your goals.

4. Drop your excuses. Do you ever catch yourself making excuses when things don’t turn out as you had expected? Have you ever tried to explain why you didn’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t or simply wouldn’t do something? These are all red flags that indicate you are living a life of excuses, which is hindering you from living up to your highest potential. Sit yourself down and ask yourself why are you making all these excuses. And stop it. To be successful, t’s time to truly own your life.

5. Stop saying yes to everything. Highly successful people understand that in order to reach their goals there are going to be times they will have to say “NO”, whether it’s to their co-workers, family and/or friends. You have to ask yourself what really is important to you.

6. Let the negative people go. Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” It’s the people that we are spending the most time with that add up to who we become in life. Who are you spending your time with? This is very important because you sure can’t soar with the eagles if you are down there hanging out with the turkeys. Take a good look at who you are spending the most time with and decide if you need to make some changes.

7. Stop believing in the “overnight success”. There really is no such thing as an overnight success. Successful people understand that it’s the daily consistent improvements that compounded over time end up giving them the desirable results. I teach making 1% a day improvements. What’s amazing about this is that as time progresses you build momentum. Just think if you made 1% improvement each day – think about where you would be in 1 year!

8. Quit being unhealthy. Your health is your wealth – it truly is. If you are not feeling good, then it makes it really hard to do anything in your life. You must first take care of your body! Make sure you are eating healthy and staying as active as you can. You don’t have to go overboard – just make sure you are doing something each and every day.

9. Give up the need to be liked by everybody. There’s a saying, “You can be the ripest, juiciest peach in the world, and there's still going to be somebody who hates peaches.” When you grasp the fact that not everybody is going to “get” you, life is so much easier! The most important things are that you are true to yourself, being authentic with others, and providing value every day in whatever it is you are doing.

If I had a chance to go back in time what would I do? I would ask my old college buddy to meet me for coffee that next morning. I would base my decision on what was going to benefit me reaching my goals. Make sure you are living up to your highest potential and making daily decisions and improvements that will help you succeed. Your time is now!