Successful people have several things in common — things they do that help them become successful and things they don't do.

Following is a list of 25 things successful people refuse to do:

1. Make excuses for their own mistakes. They learn and grow and improve obsessively.

2. Whine when things don't go their way. They figure out a way to win in spite of setbacks.

3. Copy what other people have done to be successful. They ignore the crowd and do their own thing.

4. Stay down when they get knocked down or fail. They pull themselves together and come back stronger.

5. Avoid doing the hard work that success demands. They sweat, fight, and bleed for their cause.

6. Adopt the thinking of the status quo. They do their own research and always think for themselves.

7. Ignore their own weaknesses and bad habits. They take steps to fix and improve them.

8. Pretend that they are perfect or better than anyone else. They are focused maniacally on improving.

improve

Successful people are laser focused on finding ways to improve. (Photo: iStock)

9. Look down on others around them who aren't winners yet. They encourage them to achieve more.

10. Overlook the details that drive better results. They are deliberate about being better — even when that hurts.

11. Be discouraged that people around them aren't cheerleading for them. They find inner motivation and drive.

12. Spend time correcting everyone else's perceptions about them. They just focus on being awesome.

13. Let money make them arrogant or take stupid risks. They stay financially disciplined. And humble.

14. Complain about things that are outside of their control. They focus on action and deliberately ignore the rest.

15. Waste their time doing things that don't matter. They maniacally prioritize how they expend their energy.

16. Try to be good at everything at the same time. They focus on doing one thing awesomely at a time.

17. Give up when things get tough. They endure the tough times, innovate past obstacles and keep trying.

persistence istock

A never-quit attitude is one shared by many successful people. (Photo: iStock)

18. Listen to the doubters, critics or skeptics. They stay focused and mentally disciplined.

19. Let anything stop them from following up and following through on what they promise. They deliver.

20. Think about defeat or success as final. They continue to set bigger goals no matter their previous outcome.

21. Blame other people for their own mistakes. They take responsibility for their actions.

22. Let current chaos distract them from future success. They get things done each day regardless of what is happening.

23. Put their ego ahead of achieving epic results. They work on staying humble and teachable.

24. Lose sight of why they are are doing what they are doing. They stay inspired and motivated.

25. Think of themselves as anything other than successful — even if they don't have big results yet. They reject negativity.

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