I could have named this article “Things Never Uttered by Richard Branson.” While I don’t know him personally, his name sums up the type of person you wouldn’t catch saying these phrases. (Not sure you know who Richard Branson is? Yes you do)

These aren’t just phrases, they are mindsets. Successful individuals, entrepreneurs, and anyone that has gained massive amounts of success have avoided these mindsets – phrases & excuses.

That’s a great idea…..but

The ‘but’ word is guaranteed to demotivate your team. When frequently said by the boss, the team dreads meetings because their well thought-out plans and proposals will be batted back to the drawing board. However the ‘But Boss’ just can’t help seeing life through a kaleidoscope of pessimism and doom, and would rather stagnate in certainty, than forge forward to build up his business.

I’ll never succeed

So some of your projects got rejected, so your teammates didn’t agree with your proposals – don’t act like a reject and mope around. Analyze what went wrong, speak to your colleagues, make changes, and get up there to make your pitch again.

He doesn’t like me

“If he liked me, I would have won that contract.” Wrong. The world of business is not based solely on friendships. We don’t need to really like someone to work with them, so long as they are professional, knowledgeable, and deliver what we need. So brush up your act, become an authority in your field, and the next contract award will be yours.

I hate him

“If it wasn’t for him, I would have got that job offer/pay raise/great promotion.” Is that so? Are you certain you can blame all your ills on one person? It would be far healthier to be positive. Look hard at yourself and be honest about what you need to do to improve and nail those future breaks when they appear on your horizon.

It was just luck

“Thank you all so much for this coveted Industry Award. It was all down to good luck, you know.” Luck/divine intervention/jiggery-pokery were not the makers of your success. You and your hard working team were responsible. Learn to bask in the glory of your well-deserved success. I’ve made this mistake plenty of times and have learned the hard way that good/bad luck are just excuses.

Avoid these sayings in order to focus on moving forward, achieving your goals and staying positive in your working environment.