9 things high achievers never do in their free time

Who doesn’t want to be successful?

We all have slightly different ideas of what success for us might look like. But it’s hard to argue with the idea that life is better when you spend it pursuing your goals.

So if you want to be a high achiever, one of the best ways to get there is to copy the behaviors of others who have achieved a lot.

And sometimes, the key to getting the best results is knowing what not to do just as clearly as what you should do.

We all have various obligations when it comes to our work and family lives. And not all of those are things that we can control. That’s why focusing on how you spend your free time can end up being key to achieving great success.

Here are some things successful people never do. Remove them from your routine, and you’ll find yourself more likely to mimic their success.

1) Binge watching

No generation in human history has had the abundance of entertainment options we now have.

And while that’s a great thing if you’re looking for entertainment, it can become dangerous when it becomes compulsive.

The thing is, your streaming platforms of choice are set up to keep you watching for as long as possible. One episode of your favorite TV show flows seamlessly into another, and before you know it, you’ve spent the whole night passively consuming other people’s creative work.

I’m not saying it’s wrong to watch TV ever. But I am saying that it’s important to be mindful in how you use screens.

And it’s especially important to remember that people who achieve a lot in life do so because they don’t waste a lot of time watching TV.

Think about it. The hours you spend watching TV don’t really contribute anything to your life. All they do is distract you from reality so that you can unwind by losing yourself in fantasy.

That’s okay in small doses. But any more than that, and you’re wasting time that could be much better spent on more productive activities.

2) Mindless scrolling 

Just like binge watching TV, mindless scrolling on your phone can suck up hours of your day and give nothing back.

But the effects of constant cell phone use can be even more damaging.

You see, the online world is driven by engagement. And nothing engages people on a more visceral level than bad news. That’s why most of what you hear on the Internet on any given day will always be negative.

And doomscrolling through bad news has serious effects on your health:

• It reinforces negative thoughts and feelings
• It worsens mental illness
• It increases panic and worry
• It interferes with your sleep
• It sows social unrest
• It increases stress

Beyond just wasting precious time, scrolling social media and news sites can poison your view of the world, make everything seem hopeless, and damage both your mental and physical health.

So don’t do it.

As a writer, I rely on social media to make a living. At the same time, I’m aware of its dangerous effects. That’s why I have my phone set to limit my access to apps like Facebook and Instagram to just one hour a day.

I can get on, promote myself, get all the information I need, and get off before I get sucked into the vortex of anger, misinformation, and exploitation that define the online landscape we live in.

3) Sitting around

Don’t get me wrong. Downtime is important to everyone. After all, humans are animals, not machines, and we all need healthy rest to function at our best.

With that said, it’s noticeable that high achievers don’t spend a lot of time sitting around doing nothing. That’s because they know they can’t continue to perform at their best if they neglect their health.

I know you don’t need another article telling you to get more exercise and eat more leafy greens. But I’m going to tell you that anyway, because you know I’m right. You know that taking care of your body is the key to functioning at your best.

Guess what? Successful people know that too.

That’s why they push themselves to get exercise and eat well to stay healthy. It’s easy to neglect your health in the pursuit of your goals, but if you aren’t in the best of health, it’s going to be so much harder to get where you want to be.

4) Missing opportunities to network

Successful people know that more often than not, success comes from the relationships you have with other people.

That’s why high achievers understand that networking isn’t about trying to use others, so much as it is building mutually beneficial relationships that are good for everyone.

This article in the Harvard Business Review states, “When we studied 165 lawyers at a large North American law firm, for example, we found that their success depended on their ability to network effectively both internally (to get themselves assigned to choice clients) and externally (to bring business into the firm).”

That’s why high achievers often spend their spare time attending networking events like industry seminars.

Often, success is about who you know, so high achievers never miss an opportunity to expand their circle of influence and learn from other people.

5) Not learning

Every day is an opportunity to learn something new.

And the more you learn, the more avenues you have to chase success.

An old saying states that knowledge is power. But many times, knowledge is also a key component to success.

That’s why high achievers never miss an opportunity to learn.

Maybe they spend their free time reading books. Maybe they watch documentaries or attend lectures. However they do it, they are always exercising their minds and learning new things, even if they don’t seem directly connected to the field they are in.

Often, the best ideas come from connecting different areas of knowledge in a way no one else thought to do. That’s why learning is such a key component of success.

6) Neglecting important relationships

So far, it may seem as though to be successful, you need to devote your life to a particular pursuit with absolute single-mindedness.

While there’s a lot to be said for drive and ambition, it’s also important not to neglect the things that matter most.

Successful people know that no amount of success means anything compared to the people who matter most. So no matter how busy they get, they carve out time for their spouses, kids, family, and friends.

No amount of success will make up for losing the people that really matter. Plus, a happy home life can often provide the solid foundation that allows a high achiever to go out and chase their dreams without fear.

7) Avoiding challenges

Success is always a challenge. And often, what leads people to success is a willingness to endure difficulty and keep pushing through.

That means high achievers don’t shrink from a challenge. In fact, they often welcome it.

This is true at work or in whatever field they are pursuing. But it can also be true in your personal life.

High achievers will often challenge themselves even in their free time. They may pursue something difficult like learning a new language, or engage in challenging hobbies like mountain climbing or extreme sports.

This keeps them from stagnating and strengthens their willpower to pursue success.

8) Stagnating as a person

All the success in the world means nothing if you don’tgrow as a person.

We all have our flaws, weaknesses, and blind spots. And it’s the journey of a lifetime to understand and overcome these personal failures.

After all, there’s no point reaching the top of a particular field, only to find that you’re still the broken, miserable person you once were.

That’s why high achievers also focus on personal growth.

Maybe that means meditation. Maybe it means reading. Maybe it means taking a course to understand yourself better.

There are virtually limitless avenues for personal growth, and it’s never been easier to become a better person.

9) Ignoring the future

Free time is supposed to be about enjoying yourself and relaxing. So it’s tempting, when you have sometimes yourself, to try to forget about your day-to-day anxieties.

That’s not something high achievers do.

Instead, they make plans. They research to see what to expect from the future, and adjust their goals accordingly. They keep an eye on what’s coming so that they are never caught by surprise.

That’s how to stay ahead of the pack if you want real success.

How you spend your days is how you spend your life

High achievers know that. And that’s why they don’t let a single day slip away without seizing every opportunity it provides.

There may not be enough hours in the day to do all of these things every day. But when you put aside destructive habits like binge-watching and scrolling on your phone, you free up hours to focus on what really matters.

That’s what high achievers do. And in many ways, how you spend your free time determines the life you will lead.