Good day, everyone! This is Masha Kaganovich, a marketer at Western Bid. In today’s material, which is hard to call an ordinary motivational article, we will talk about what in life is worth giving upto achieve success in business and life. This is not the format where we talk about improving yourself or striving for something. Today, we will discuss what is already present in your life and unnoticed prevents you from moving forward — and it is these things that should be gradually let go of.
I speak confidently because I’ve been through it all myself. I’ve already managed to give up many things, and I’m still working on some. But I know for sure: these steps help both in business and in personal life, and change is felt much faster than it seems at the start.
1. The “sometime” mentality
The first thing you should really get rid of is the thought of “sometime.” We are not living in a rehearsal mode before some big event that is supposedly going to happen later. But many behave exactly like that: as if we are just preparing now, postponing everything “for later,” and real exciting life will come someday.
Oh, I wish I could hear such motivation right now, right-then, or after the New Year, yes, or when, when, when, exactly. No, life will always be filled with ongoing affairs, yes, which we keep doing all the time, and there is no good moment to start except right now, today.
Start and take a small but specific step, a small investigation, a small question in ChatGPT. Today, not tomorrow. So, this “sometime” mentality needs to be completely removed from your life.
2. The desire to get approval from others
Alright, so the second thing to get rid of — is the desire to get approval from others. Should I cut my hair? Should I change my hairstyle? Of all questions, we must necessarily seek approval from others. Some people, their approval is very important to us. And these are the people who lend us money, for example, in a bank. If you want to get married, it’s also desirable that the other side wants it too, yes, and to get her approval.
But all other people — your friends, acquaintances, relatives — fortunately, these people, firstly, are unqualified. Secondly, very often, you can hear advice from such people that doesn’t help at all. The reasons are usually the same. Either relatives sincerely want to support you and, in their desire to encourage you, insist that your idea is wonderful and should definitely be sold. Or, on the contrary, they criticize somewhat inappropriately because they have no idea about the market itself, competitors, or how everything in your niche is arranged.
In most such situations, everything is solved quite simply: don’t seek advice from those who do not understand the topic and cannot see things from your perspective. Their remarks — both positive and critical — more often confuse and derail you, because they are based not on experience, but only on their personal beliefs. Therefore, it’s better to gradually give up the habit of explaining your actions and constantly seeking approval from others.
3. Comparing yourself to others
So, the next thing, which you really, really need to drop — if you have it — is comparing yourself to other people. How many relationships, loves, businesses, overall good moods, peace — all of this is killed by constant comparison. And, you know, social networks have greatly influenced the increase in depression, worries, divorces, and so on in our society. Very much so. I personally spoke with a person who honestly told me that his girlfriend broke up with him because she thought her friends had a much better guy, who gave them huge bouquets and paid for all their outings in cafes and so on. And in the end, this comparison with others nullifies everything.
I realized this myself. I used to be very active, about seven years ago on Facebook, now I’m simply not there at all. Just because I understood that it significantly worses my life. You know, I don’t want to look at the grades of my neighbors’ children. I don’t want to see bouquets of flowers given by men to other women. I don’t want to see that. Not because it triggers some emotions or smell, but because, freely or subconsciously, you constantly compare your husband to other men, your business to other businesses, your children to others. Don’t do that. When they wake up at three in the night and fight at midnight, they are not going to write posts about it on Instagram or Facebook. Agree?
So, this next thing is to stop comparing yourself to others. Very useful. Very.
4. The “victim” mentality
Next, perhaps you haven’t thought about this, but it’s so popular in modern society, and we often fall into these networks — this victim mentality. It means that all our problems, or some part of them, are not my fault. Not because I did something wrong or because of that, but because I am a victim of the circumstances.
And, unfortunately, this mentality, well, arranges a tragedy in your life that cannot be fixed in any way. Because it’s as if everything already happened. You were poorly treated in school, or, I don’t know, someone beat you, or something else happened, some traumas. All these medium and big problems should be worked through precisely from the perspective that these things make me better and stronger. I do it despite the fact that my father is an alcoholic, and I help at this school, despite being treated badly. That is, do not fall into this “victim” mentality under any circumstances.
5. Constant feeling that tasks need to be done urgently
The next thing I would really like you to get rid of is the constant feeling that tasks need to be done urgently. There are things that are important, and there are things that are urgent. These are two completely different categories. By the way, I already recorded a material on this topic a long time ago, and it’s very relevant. Here, I’ll give you the link. Watch it, it’s called “Important or Urgent?”.
Especially when we have phones, when we constantly scroll, look at news, when messages keep coming from Telegram, WhatsApp, messengers, and so on. Think about how much time you spend on this, on feeling that these things need to be done immediately. In reality, most of these things are not urgent at all. And not important.
There is no need for me to keep my finger on the pulse and know everything about what’s happening in the world and different countries. It’s just empty information that only fills our minds and doesn’t give us the chance to create, act, change ourselves, work on something, or work on your business, relationships in your family, and things that are not urgent but very important.
So, try to get rid of this terrible attitude towards everything that is urgent and needs to be done right now.
6. Overthinking — thinking too much
The next thing. In English, it’s called overthinking. It’s when we overanalyze our decisions about purchasing things. Even planning a banquet or dinner can take months for some people, and for a wedding — even years.
Yes, there are questions that really need research and confirmation, like launching a new product. These are moments when you really need to think and even have some facts. But this endless use of imagination to envision all negative effects, potential outcomes that may happen in the future — is impossible. And unnecessary.
Working method with the worst-case scenario
Imagine the worst, most horrible version possible. I often use this method. I try to imagine that this scenario has already become reality, and think about how I would behave in such a situation.
If I can’t even roughly understand what I would do and how I would handle the worst development of events, I usually try to refrain from such a decision. But if even the most unpleasant scenario doesn’t seem like the end of the world to you, and you can at least roughly imagine how you would get out of the situation, then maybe the risk is worth it. Maybe it’s the very step you need to take to move forward.
7. People pleasing — trying to please everyone
So, the next thing to get rid of is called people pleasing. It’s when we need, even at the expense of our comfort and against our “I don’t want, I can’t” attitude, to try to satisfy the wishes of all surrounding people. And the inability to say no.
And I know such people myself — people who suffer greatly because they don’t feel comfortable doing it. They do it not out of positive motives or a desire to help friends, but just because they can’t refuse. Such a bad negative trait, this one. Let go of it, try to free yourself from it.
8. Huge amounts of time on the phone
Finally, the last thing I want to tell you about is the huge amount of time spent on the phone. Oh, how you can get stuck in it and how much time can be lost. Hours just like that. And not getting enough sleep afterward.
I actively fight against this. In the morning, when I wake up, I make huge efforts of will not to pick up the phone first thing. I tell you this from my own experience, that I really try to get rid of this thing because I feel a lot is lost in real life because of it. Because of lack of sleep, pointless wasting of time, and loss of life, relationships, everything.
Conclusion
Friends, I just tell you from my own experience that if you can eliminate or minimize even some of these things — quietly, calmly, and remove them from your life — I am confident it will greatly help you. Life, really, if you understand some very simple formulas, simple things, but truly not just understanding them, but internalizing them so they seep from your mind into your heart, will become much simpler and more enjoyable.
To build good relationships, you need to help each other, listen to each other, treat others and yourself with less egoism, and try to understand and do something for another person. These are simple things, yes, but people write books about them, you understand — many things about success, starting a business are complicated, but some basic, simple truths — if you really grasp and understand them, you can lead a peaceful, free, beautiful life without overthinking.
Why it’s important to learn to refuse habits, that hold you back — like postponing and endless approval of others?
Because these little things quietly steal years and completely block your ability to move forward. When you let go of at least one — the “sometime” mentality or constant dependence on others’ opinions — it becomes easier to start, decide, and grow in business, relationships, and life.
How does refusing to compare yourself to others affect your emotional state and success?
Very simply: peace returns to your mind. When you stop looking at others’ achievements, bouquets, travels, and “perfect” lives, focus shifts to your own path. And this calm gives strength, clarity, and real results that previously sank into others’ pictures.
What changes occur when a person stops living in “everything is urgent” mode and spends less time on the phone?
Literally everything changes: time stops slipping through your fingers, resources appear for important tasks, not just reactions. And when unnecessary haste, overthinking, and endless scrolling disappear, finally space for decisions, creativity, and real life — not on screens but nearby — emerges.
I hope this material was useful and interesting. Thank you very much for your attention. Goodbye to all!
