Bad habits can sink all your best efforts.Power best/Shutterstock
• Nobody's perfect — most of us have picked up a bad habit or two at some point.
• Most of the time, a bad habit won't wreck your whole life.
• Still, it's probably best to avoid these success-sabotaging tendencies.
Bad habits may not seem like a big deal on their own, but sometimes they can seriously drag you down in your life and career.
Of course, no one is perfect. In most cases, bad habits only result in relatively minor problems. So if you recognize one of these compulsions as your own, you probably have nothing to worry about.
However, in more extreme cases, certain tendencies can actually thwart you dreams of success.
Here are the top nine habits of unsuccessful people:
1. You're always tardy
Sure, things happen, but consistent tardiness is typically unacceptable in a professional setting. Showing up late makes you look careless and unreliable.
As Laura Schocker wrote for the Huffington Post, one San Francisco State University study linked " chronic lateness and certain personality characteristics, including anxiety, low self-control and a tendency toward thrill-seeking."
2. You hold grudges
You don't need to walk around singing kumbaya. It's fine and normal to dislike and distrust certain people in your life.
But holding intense grudges is just a waste of your valuable time and energy. In an article for Web MD, Mike Fillon cited one Hope College study that found that holding a grudge can even have negative health effects.
So learn to let things go.
3. You conform
Conforming was a survival tactic in middle school, but you're an adult with a career now. Stop caring intently about what others think and falling in line just for the sake of getting along. Do what works for you.
If you devote all your time to blending in, you'll never stand out.
4. You overspend
If money's always burning a hole in your pocket, you're setting yourself up for longterm financial woes. Saving money is crucial for your financial future.
Beat this habit by learning to identify psychological triggers for overspending.
6. You procrastinate
I'll tell you all about the downsides of procrastination later.
Just kidding. Seriously, though, indecisiveness could lose you time, money, and even the respect of those around you.
7. You lie
This one's pretty simple. Be honest. It's easy to fall into the trap of weaving small untruths that stretch into bigger and bigger lies. Break that habit.
Yeah, there are horror stories about cheats and liars who schemed their way to the top. But that doesn't mean you should develop a dishonest streak yourself.
7. You burn bridges
Listen, in life and your career, it's necessary to burn some bridges, if the person on the other side is toxic. However, those cases should be the exception, not the rule. As you move through different phases of your career, don't alienate the people you come into contact with.
That could seriously come back to bite you if you cross paths with them later on.
8. You don't take care of yourself
You could have all the success in the world, but it won't mean much for long if you don't maintain your health. Don't allow stress to drive you to neglect exercise, eat poorly, and neglect yourself. Sooner or later, those choices will catch up to you and might just derail your life.
9. You have bad body language
Body language makes a big difference in how people perceive us — it's often more important than what you verbally say.
That's why bad body language habits — like poor eye contact and slumping posture — are so damaging. You could be sabotaging your opportunities before you even open your mouth.
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