The 7 things successful people never say

You want to be successful. Everyone does. But your actual
words might be undermining your chances of success. The
things you say in the office, no matter how innocuous they seem
to you, might be knocking you down the career ladder and
putting the top position you dream about out of reach.
Your career is too important to be tanked by a few negative
phrases. Here are the seven things you should strike from your
workplace vocabulary if you want to achieve the success you
richly deserve:
1. “That’s not in my job description.”
When you accepted your current position, you had a good idea of
what the responsibilities and workload of the role would entail.
Throughout the months or years since you settled into your job,
however, your role has expanded and changed shape. Some of
these changes have probably been good, while others have made
you wish for simpler times. When a boss or manager piles
another responsibility on your already sore shoulders, it might be
tempting to pull out this classic gem of work avoidance.
The better option, however, is to schedule a time to talk to your
boss about your role. A specific conversation about your place in
the organization is a good time to bring up the particulars of
your job description, not when you’re asked to get something
accomplished. No matter how stressed you are or how valid the
complaint, dropping this phrase only makes you look lazy and
unmotivated.
2. “It can’t be done.”
Throwing in the towel makes you look like a quitter — and
quitters don’t get promoted. Instead of giving up on a project
entirely, frame your response in terms of alternative ways to get
the work accomplished. Very little is truly impossible, and most
managers and executives want forward-thinking problem solvers
to climb the corporate ladder. If you offer solutions instead of
giving up, you’ll be seen as a valuable member of the team.
3. “It’s not my fault.”
No one wants to work with a blame shifter. After all, it’s just a
matter of time before this person eventually shifts the blame
onto you. Take ownership of your mistakes instead of pointing
out where others have fallen short. Admitting to a mistake
shows character and the ability to learn and grow from problems.
Pointing the finger at someone else strongly implies you’ll never
truly learn from your errors.
4. “This will just take a minute.”
Unless something will literally take only 60 seconds, don’t
overpromise and underdeliver. Saying something will only take
“a minute” also has the side effect of undermining your efforts.
Most likely the reason the particular task won’t take long is due
to the benefit of your professional experience and acumen. By
saying it will “just” take a minute, you’re shortchanging what you
bring to the table.
5. “I don’t need any help.”
The rugged lone wolf type might be the hero of most action
movies, but they’re unlikely to become the hero at your
company. You might think you can go it alone on a project or in
your career, but teamwork is essential. Being able to work with
others is the hallmark of a good leader; you’re unlikely to climb
your career ladder always flying solo.
6. “It’s not fair.”
Life isn’t fair, and often your career won’t be as well. Instead of
complaining, you should look for specific and actionable
workarounds to the problems you encounter. Is it unfair a
coworker got to run point on the project you wanted? Maybe, but
instead of complaining, work harder and go the extra mile.
Finding a solution will always be preferable in your professional
life to whining about a problem.
7. “This is the way it’s always been done.”
Doing things the way they’ve always been done is no way to run
a business. Just ask some of the companies which toed the line,
accepted the status quo, and went under. Adapting to an ever-
changing marketplace is really the only way to survive in an
economy constantly being disrupted by the next big thing.
You don’t have to be a slave to the trends, but you also can’t
stick your head in the sand and hope things go back to normal.
Instead, come up with creative solutions to new problems and
innovate, and you’ll soon be in the driver’s seat taking your
organization into the future.
Everyone wants to be successful, so make sure your words
aren’t holding you back. These seven phrases are career
kryptonite — by avoiding them, you can fly into your future and
become a successful superstar.