Strong successful women don't do these 10 things

If you want to be a strong woman, don’t do these things.

A woman with dark hair, styled in an updo with side-swept bangs, wears a red, off-the-shoulder top. She stands outdoors with a blurred background that appears to be a stone building. She gazes slightly off-camera with a neutral expression.

What does it mean to be a strong woman? That’s up for debate. What’s not up for debate is that strong women don’t do these things. They just don’t.

1. They don’t see other women as the competition.

Two women are sitting together at a table, engaged in a discussion while looking at a laptop. They appear to be in a bright, modern office setting. One woman is pointing at the screen, and both are smiling and appear focused on the task at hand.

Women are so often set against each other in line ups of ‘who wore it better,’ top tens of style icons, or as the ‘hottest sex symbols.’

We still have a long way to go to get equal rights and respect for women everywhere. But we can’t demand respect and fair treatment for women across the world if we don’t show it to each other first.

So be an advocate for the women around you, not their competitor. Pick your female role model and strive to be one yourself. Don’t buy into negative comparisons or support those who continue to tear women down by setting them against each other.

Women supporting women is the greatest power we can utilize to encourage strength in each other and ourselves, so be an advocate and make sure you’re supporting the women in your life.

2. They don’t see failure as the end.

A woman with short, dark hair is standing indoors, holding a clipboard and a pen. She is wearing a dark blouse and glasses, looking confidently at the camera. The background features wooden-framed glass windows and shelves.

Do you avoid taking chances because you’re afraid to fail? Or perhaps you’re scared of giving something another go, because last time you tried, it didn’t work out how you expected.

Failure isn’t the enemy. In fact, it helps you get to where you really want to be. Whether it’s a failed relationship, a job you interviewed for but didn’t get, or a recipe that turned out inedible, there’s always something to learn from the experience.

Don’t let your failures stop you from moving forward. Let them propel you to be the best version of yourself.

3. They don’t claim to be the finished product.

A woman with long, wavy red hair is standing against a dark wall with shadows cast from a window. She is wearing a light-colored sweater and has a relaxed expression, with her arms crossed, looking directly at the camera.

Stop putting pressure on yourself to be perfect. If you have expectations of where you ought to be, and you’re not there right now, that doesn’t mean you haven’t already come further than you realize.

Embrace how far you’ve come over the years and learn to live with the idea of being a work in progress.

You don’t have to have everything in your life all together, all the time. If you did, there would be no opportunity for spontaneity, to learn from mistakes, or to discover new things.

Accept that you might not always get it right, but that’s ok because everything you do today brings you closer to a happier, more content tomorrow.

4. They don’t allow others to define them.

A woman with long brown hair, dressed in a light blue sweater, leans against a brick wall, smiling and gazing off into the distance. She holds a red mug with both hands and appears to be in a cozy, dimly lit room with a warm atmosphere.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a wife, a girlfriend, a mother, a daughter, or a boss, the only way you are defined is by how you see and value yourself.

Don’t ever forget that whether you’re in a relationship or not, you are a whole individual, and not one half of anyone else. You have your own thoughts, opinions, needs, and talents that deserve to be recognized, especially by you.

You don’t need to rely on anyone or anything else to define who you are. Embody the strong woman you know you can be and feel empowered to step into your own spotlight.

5. They don’t tear themselves down.

A woman with shoulder-length dark hair stands by a tall window, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. She is wearing a sleeveless, red halter-neck dress. The background is minimalist with light-grey textured walls.

It’s the simplest and yet the hardest piece of advice any woman can hear, but now is the time to learn to love yourself.

You are enough, just the way you are. You don’t have to look or be a certain way or do anything differently to be worthy of your own self-love.

When you start to embrace the idea of loving yourself, you can find a sense of contentment that you never knew was there. Motivating yourself to be the best version of who you are will come naturally because you’ll know that you deserve it.

Stop being so harsh on yourself and don’t try to live up to impossible standards of perfection. Instead, embrace all the positives you already have.

You are everything you need to be, and you have the potential to be everything you want to be; you just need to start believing that it’s true.

6. They don’t let fear stop them.

A woman with long hair, wearing a yellow sleeveless dress, stands pensively on an outdoor walkway. She has one hand on her chin and the other arm crossed, with a sky bridge in the blurred background. The image is taken during daytime.

Now is the time to be courageous. This could be learning that new skill you’ve been putting off, going for that promotion, or just simply putting yourself first.

It doesn’t matter how big or small the change is, it’s about pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to achieve the potential you know you have.

It might be a cause that you want to champion, or just being brave enough to ask for help if you need it. Think about what it is in your life that you want, and then have the courage to make it a reality.

7. They don’t dwell on regrets.

A woman with long, brown hair and a slight smile is sitting indoors. She is wearing a sleeveless black top. The background is softly blurred, showing a warm, well-lit interior with hanging lights and some blurred figures in the distance.

The past may not have gone the way you planned. Or maybe you thought you’d be somewhere else in your life by now if only you had made different choices.

Regrets only drain your energy and positivity. We can always learn from our mistakes, but dwelling on your regrets will get you nowhere.

Ultimately, there’s nothing you can do to change the past. All you can do is to strive to build a better future for yourself.

Rather than looking back, focus on looking forward, and pour your energy into finding happiness there.

8. They don’t set self-imposed limits on themselves.

A young woman with long brown hair wearing a black blazer and light pink blouse sits in a warmly lit cafe, extending her hand forward with a welcoming smile. The background features modern decor with hanging lights, wooden accents, and large windows.

You’re never ‘just a,’ you’re a ‘more than.’

How many times have you put yourself in a box as ‘just a stay-at-home mom’ or ‘just an employee,’ never a boss, never a Queen, never the important one?

If you think of yourself as smaller than you are, then that’s the person you’re going to limit yourself to be. Change your perspective and you become a confident, self-sufficient superwoman every day.

You’re the person that keeps your family’s world turning, you’re the person who made it through countless interviews to get to the job you’re in. You’re the person who shows up every day to help others, even when you don’t feel like it.

You’re a strong woman on her journey to success, and not a thing less.

9. They don’t try to rush things.

A woman with curly red hair, wearing a striped dress, is walking through a green park. She appears relaxed and content as she strolls along a tree-lined path with lush foliage in the background.

Happiness and contentment won’t just happen overnight. Everything takes the time it needs, and you can’t rush the process.

Time is the best healer and also the giver of opportunity. See it as your ally in getting yourself to the place you want to be in your life. Trust the journey that you’re on, and make the most of the opportunities for self-growth that come your way.

There’s very rarely a quick fix in life, so embrace all the steps that bring you closer to the strong, independent women you want to be.

10. They don’t compare themselves to others.

A woman with light brown hair rests her head on her hand. She is seated on a couch and gazes thoughtfully into the distance. She is wearing a sleeveless, pink top. The background is blurred with greenery, giving the image a serene feel.

No matter how perfect someone else’s life looks from your perspective, it’s never as it seems.

We all have our own insecurities and struggles; some people are just better at hiding them than others.

You can take inspiration from role models in your life, but focus on people who encourage you to get the best out of who you are, rather than trying to be like them.

There’s little point in comparing yourself to someone else because you are your own person. You can try your hardest to become like them in any way you can, but you’ll still never find contentment trying to fill someone else’s shoes.

Turn your energy inwards on yourself and look to find happiness in your everyday life rather than living vicariously through others. Your life is your own to make it, so stop wasting it by wanting to live someone else’s.