4 Things That Happen When You Become Complacent

1. You lose what you don't use 

One of the main problems with becoming complacent is that you stop improving. Not only do you stop improving, you actually start to lose what you once had. As the book, Who Moved My Cheese? tells us, it's important not to get too comfortable, because the world is constantly moving and turning. You have to learn to adapt to new situations. When you become complacent, your mental fitness decreases and you're no longer able to handle challenges with the same dexterity as before.

Becoming complacent can make you lose your positon to someone who never stops working hard. For example, if you have a YouTube channel and hope to stay relevant, becoming complacent will really ruin things for you. There are YouTubers who were the top of their day. They gathered thousands, even hundreds of thousands of subscribers, made a few videos that did extremely well....then they stopped posting. They got complacent. Sadly, many of such channels aren't remembered anymore, others arose and filled their spots. 

The same happens with channels that get complacent and no longer put effort into creating good quality content, because they feel they've 'made it' already. 

If you become complacent, you'll miss important updates and considerations that you should pay attention to. You'll be bringing out old stuff when everyone is bringing out the new, their best. Complacency also kills skill. To remain the best at what you do, or even to keep improving, you need to work at it. You can't rely on always having what you have now, or once had.

When you become complacent: 

• You stop improving 
• You get worse and lose your skill

Let's not get complacent. Here are 3 other reasons why:

2. The Climb back is a Struggle 

Like we just talked about, when you become complacent, you fall. But there's another part to it: It's a lot harder to get back up. 

It can be quite a struggle to get back to where you were before you got complacent. Some areas in life are harder than others when it comes to this. 

Think of it this way: When you're working hard and staying consistent, you build momentum. It's easy to keep going and growing because you're moving at a steady pace. It's like running downhill. 

When you become complacent and are trying to improve, it's like trekking back uphill. It takes a lot of energy to get back up, and every step feels like double the work. 

3. Your habits have been rewired 

Habits are a huge part of the reason why it's hard to get back to normal when you've allowed yourself to get complacent.

Habits take time and effort to develop. Can you remember the last time you set a goal for yourself and had to develop a habit? No doubt it took a lot of work and training to get yourself in a new frame of mind. 

It's a lot easier to break good habits than it is to build them. When you become complacent, something unusual happens. You don't just become habit-less. You actually start developing bad habits. You rewire your habits and change from a mindset that was familiar with making good choices to a mindset that easily gives in to temptation. 

That's why becoming complacent is so dangerous. Because once you get complacent, making the necessary changes starts to look very hard. You start to feel like you'd be more comfortable if you stayed exactly where you are. And the longer you remain complacent, the more stuck you get. 

However, you can change and get back up. In this post, I talk about the one thing that makes people eventually change.

4. You Start Believing It Was Chance in the First Place

Sometimes a crazy thing happens when you become complacent. After some time passes, you start looking back on the past with a slight tinge of delusion. 

You stop believing in your hard work, and you start believing that your success came about by chance in the first place. This is so wrong. It's this belief that stops you from making progress, because you essentially think it's out of your reach. 

Your previous successes didn't happen by chance. They came about through hard work, consistency and perseverance. And those are the traits that you need to return to. 

To quit complacency and get back to a healthy work ethic and mindset, you need to visualise the results - what could happen if you start putting in the work now. You need to believe that hard work pays and is absolutely worth it. 

One of the consequences of complacency is that it causes you to lose touch with the person you were in the past. And you feel the difference, how you're no longer high-energy. But once you realise that your actions are directly proportional to your results and that you're in control, you can regain your zeal and energy. 

To avoid the trap of self-doubt, analyse your previous successes. Trace back all the habits you had in place then, and compare them with your current daily habits. Notice the difference. Fix what needs to be fixed. 

Once you realise that a complacent attitude is what became the real enemy, you're on the right track. You'll be able to reflect on all the loses that complacency has caused, and the gains that renewed diligence can bring. 

Thanks for reading! What do you notice happens when you become complacent? Comment below!

Thanks for reading! If you liked this content, share with a friend:

Recent Articles

• 
• 
• 

1. 5 Best Media Training Courses to Prepare You for a Media Interview

   Apr 10, 24 05:37 PM

   
   Preparing for an upcoming media interview? Here are the best online media training courses to equip you with the tools you need to succeed.

   Read More

2. 5 Best Research Methods Courses and Certificates Online (2024)

   Mar 27, 24 05:06 PM

   
   Here are the best research methods courses online that enable students and professionals to learn at their own pace and earn a certificate in research methods.

   Read More

3. The Fear of Crying | Why People are Scared to Cry, But Why You Should

   Mar 27, 24 04:06 PM

   
   Are you scared to cry? Do you ever hold back your tears or hide them when you're in front of other people? Let's explore the fear of crying.

   Read More