--- title: 10 Behaviors to Avoid if You Want to Be Successful description: Success is not just about you canonical: https://time.com/3722256/10-behaviors-avoid-for-success/ author: TIME article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-02-26T18:36:48.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T04:42:28.711Z article:section: Ideas og:title: 10 Behaviors to Avoid if You Want to Be Successful og:description: Success is not just about you og:url: https://time.com/3722256/10-behaviors-avoid-for-success/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8a592c1cb61731cb/698779cf06f2c13c9e33360d/150114_ff_successfinancehabits.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: 150114_FF_SuccessFinanceHabits og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 10 Behaviors to Avoid if You Want to Be Successful twitter:description: Success is not just about you twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8a592c1cb61731cb/698779cf06f2c13c9e33360d/150114_ff_successfinancehabits.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 10 Behaviors to Avoid if You Want To Be Successful by [Quora](/author/quora/) ## Quora Feb 26, 2015 6:36 PM CUT  Getty Images by [Quora](/author/quora/) ## Quora Feb 26, 2015 6:36 PM CUT [_Answer_](http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-universal-things-we-should-not-do-to-become-successful/answer/Brandon-Lee-11 "undefined") _by_ [_Brandon Lee_](http://www.quora.com/Brandon-Lee-11 "undefined") _on_ [_Quora_](http://www.quora.com/ "undefined")_._ These aren’t hard and fast rules, there are always exceptions, caveats, and nuances to lists like these, but here are a few things: 1. Don’t take advice from people who _do not_ have the results you are looking for (e.g. Asking Michael Jordan for tennis advice or getting financial advice from your broke friend). **Study those who have the results you are looking for.** 2. Don’t instantly believe everything you hear. **Trust but validate.** 3. Don’t feel like you need do everything by yourself; you don’t have to be the best or the smartest. It’s far better to have the support of a team, mentors, and friends who will watch your back. 4. Don’t underestimate the power of rest, play, and fun in the midst of all the hours you spend working — there is a place for both. 5. Don’t neglect your physical, emotional, and spiritual health in your pursuit of financial wealth. 6. Don’t be a bridge burner — don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t circumvent, don’t backstab, don’t take advantage of, don’t deceive, don’t steal credit — unless you want your future bridges to come _pre-burned_ because of your reputation. **Build and continually build bridges and others will help build them for you**. 7. Don’t build a reputation of overpromising and underdelivering. **Underpromise and overdeliver.** 8. Don’t focus on having the biggest slice of the pie. Focus on **growing the pie** so everybody wins. 9. Don’t rush yourself. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Think **decades**, not month by month. 10. Don’t forget to **thank those that have helped you along the way**. **Bonus**: When you make it, give back and help those that want to follow in your footsteps. _This question originally appeared on_ [_Quora: What are some universal things we should not do to become successful?_](http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-universal-things-we-should-not-do-to-become-successful "undefined") _More from Quora:_ * [Who are some successful people who failed at their first try?](http://www.quora.com/Who-are-some-successful-people-who-failed-at-their-first-try "undefined") * [What are a few unique pieces of career advice that nobody ever mentions?](http://www.quora.com/What-are-a-few-unique-pieces-of-career-advice-that-nobody-ever-mentions "undefined") * [Why do some people succeed and some don’t?](http://www.quora.com/Why-do-some-people-succeed-and-some-dont-1 "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3722256/10-behaviors-avoid-for-success/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3722256/10-behaviors-avoid-for-success/"},"headline":"10 Behaviors to Avoid if You Want To Be Successful","datePublished":"2015-02-26T18:36:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T04:42:28.711Z","description":"Success is not just about you","url":"https://time.com/3722256/10-behaviors-avoid-for-success/","keywords":["career","Careers & Workplace","Business topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8a592c1cb61731cb/698779cf06f2c13c9e33360d/150114_ff_successfinancehabits.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Quora","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/quora/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8a592c1cb61731cb/698779cf06f2c13c9e33360d/150114_ff_successfinancehabits.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"150114_FF_SuccessFinanceHabits","caption":"multiple hands holding lightbulb","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/career/","name":"career"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3722256/10-behaviors-avoid-for-success/","name":"10 Behaviors to Avoid if You Want To Be Successful"}}]}] ```