Blogging Lifestyle Design

39 Reasons Why You Suck

Robb Sutton318.3K views

Some of the best information for bloggers is often how not to do something. You read tips on how to be a better blogger on a daily basis (sometimes multiple articles a day), but some of the true value is in mistakes.

Also, motivation is a key factor behind innovation and success, so a constant kick in the ass is the perfect ticket to new ideas and hard work. If you don’t like a little criticism to get the creative juices flowing…you are in the wrong line of work. Without further adieu…let me tell you why you suck.

39 Reasons Why You Suck

  1. You paraphrase instead of innovate.
  2. You think success comes through osmosis.
  3. You think “internet marketing” is spam.
  4. You already know everything.
  5. You are unteachable.
  6. You see a great idea and copy it instead of coming up with a great idea.
  7. “Hard work” is not one…but 2 four letter words to you.
  8. You talk about how easy others have it without knowing the full story.
  9. You have dozens of great ideas that you never act on.
  10. Everything is always going to be done tomorrow.
  11. You criticize the works of others more than your own.
  12. You think what you like must be what everyone likes.
  13. You rule out options because you do not understand them.
  14. You’ll drop bank on a TV’s but won’t spend a little a month on a newsletter service.
  15. You mock and criticize success and the people that achieve it.
  16. You can’t see that there are 2 sides to every story…and the truth lies in the 3rd…
  17. You are lazy.
  18. You have no plan.
  19. You have no goals.
  20. Your goals are not achievable.
  21. Your negativity rules your life.
  22. You live within a set of unchanging/strict rules that cannot be broken.
  23. You are not open minded.
  24. You are unwilling to try new things.
  25. Fear of failure keeps you from testing new ideas.
  26. You say “I can’t” more than you say “I can”.
  27. Your list of excuses is longer than your list of attempts.
  28. You have too many sentences that start with, “One day…”
  29. You do not live in the moment.
  30. You do not study your stats and trends.
  31. You do not have your own product.
  32. You do not promote the products of others.
  33. You let fear prevent you from reaching out to others for help.
  34. You forget to connect with people through words.
  35. You are bored.
  36. You would rather lie than admit fault.
  37. You lack consistency.
  38. You don’t deliver on promises.
  39. You put yourself above your readers.

Motivated yet?!

Image by gilesclement

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31 comments

Chris Webb May 6, 2010 - 8:38 am
Jeez I only read half and already feel like crap ;-) But seriously, 10 and 33 hit home for me. I'd add: 40. You justify taking action by starting things, not finishing them
alex May 6, 2010 - 8:51 pm
Awesome list Robb! Great checklist to go through to keep your arse in gear too. And Chris, I agree with your additional point. No.40 has got my name written all over it.
Robb Sutton May 6, 2010 - 11:51 pm
Not finishing anything is a HUGE one. Great add.
Drezz May 6, 2010 - 9:27 am
When someone tells me their life sucks or how something about their situation sucks, I tell them that 99% of their life is what THEY make of it. So if their life sucks, it's because THEY suck. People don't like being told that they suck. But the truth hurts. You need to know this in order to improve and not suck anymore.
Robb Sutton May 6, 2010 - 11:52 pm
Very true. Some people make excuses and others do something about it. I haven't seen much of an in between.
Corinne Edwards May 6, 2010 - 10:35 am
Dear Robb - Motivated? YES. Guilty of many of these? YES.
Mars Dorian May 6, 2010 - 10:55 am
Man, I feel juiced up aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalready ! But honestly, I can relate with at least half of the points stated here. everyone needs a kick in the ass some time !
Mike CJ May 6, 2010 - 11:00 am
Classic post - I love it. Sadly, the people that refers to will probably read it and go "Hell, yes! I see that everywhere!" not even realizing they are guilty of many. ...in fact, I hope I'm not one of them! :)
Jewelry Secrets May 6, 2010 - 1:23 pm
39? You couldn't find one more reason to round this off to 40? You suck! lol I think we all go through our sucky days where we have no motivation and just can't get anything done. Then we have other days where we work for 15 hours straight and get a whole weeks worth of projects finished. It's the human way. :)
Robb Sutton May 6, 2010 - 11:52 pm
lol! I kind of liked the 39! Off numbers attract attention. ;)
Agent Deepak | Blogging. Marketing & Success May 6, 2010 - 3:33 pm
Reason 40 - You make such a long list that people cannot even read it. I read only point 1.
Robb Sutton May 6, 2010 - 11:53 pm
Took enough time to comment though. They are short lines...I am sure you read something a lot longer today.
We Fly Spitfires May 6, 2010 - 5:15 pm
Brilliant :) Y'know, I really like articles like this that aren't afraid to be a bit more edgy and not so worried about offending people. Not that this article was ofensive but you know what I mean... it wasn't playing it safe and just reinforcing us what we already know. Great stuff!
Robb Sutton May 6, 2010 - 11:53 pm
Thanks man! I like getting on the edgier side of things every now and then. Keeps the blood flowing.
Curtis Chappell May 6, 2010 - 8:29 pm
Robb, Why is 95% of the wealth of the planet owned by 5% of the population? Points 1-39 spell out the answer! 4% of the wealth is inherited, but there is that 1% of individuals who don’t allow themselves to fall prey to one of these 39 excuses... I read a story recently about how Richard Branson was at a regional airport when his flight was cancelled...he HAD to be at the planned meeting, so he went across the airport and hired a private plane...he then went back with a hand written sign and sold tickets on the private plane to all the other passengers who had their flights cancelled...which then paid for the private jet rental...that is inventiveness and tenacity at its best! ...after 40 odd years of allowing myself to be limited by at least a dozen of Robb’s ‘ways you suck’, I’m now happy to be on track! My blog traffic has doubled, my first book is done and I’m now planning blogs 2 and 3... No more 39 ways to suck for me! Write on!
Robb Sutton May 6, 2010 - 11:55 pm
Get on it! Keep it up Curtis. You are putting in the work for sure. Great story too BTW.
Aqif May 6, 2010 - 9:11 pm
Hey there Robb, What a great outlined post about why we suck in 39 ways. I love the point highlighted in number 23 which is "open minded". Yeah, most of us still stuck in certain ways because we don't want to listen to others. Most of the time, we thought that we are right, the best and so on. This is absolutely true. But for me, sometimes we need to listen to others in order to get fresh ideas and create new perspective. Way to go Robb. :)
Robb Sutton May 6, 2010 - 11:55 pm
Thanks man. The day we stop being open minded and teachable will be the dumbest day of our lives.
Dev @ Blogging Tips May 7, 2010 - 4:18 am
Hey !! Awesome List Rob. "Everything is always going to be done tomorrow." Grreat point. ;)
Edward May 7, 2010 - 7:56 am
Excellent list. What I like most about it is the clarity and simplicity. Everything that needs to be said. Perfect!
Kathleen O'Connor May 7, 2010 - 1:39 pm
Hey, wait a minute. Aren't you committing number 39 with this post? ;) I am guilty of committing some of these wrongs, for sure. Thanks for the ass-kicking.
Robb Sutton May 8, 2010 - 7:41 am
haha! No...I am in the group of offenders from time to time too. ;)
Jimi Jones May 8, 2010 - 8:00 am
A list that covers everything in the book of failure. :-) I've hit a few of those, the thing is to recognize the shortcoming, learn and take corrective action.
Jasmine Henry from System Fail News May 9, 2010 - 7:24 am
From reading some of the comments, I can see that a lot of us can identify with one of these reasons! At least we've managed to acknowledge our problems, now if we could just be motivated enough to get rid of them...
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Shaz May 9, 2010 - 3:20 pm
The list make me realize, that I am the reason why I failed. A lot of us only knows how to complained and create sympathize. We need to think out of the box. Focus on the solution instead of problem. Now I'm motivated and ready for changes. I'll not repeat the same mistake again. Thanks to you Robb :)
Jason May 9, 2010 - 4:16 pm
Another great post Robb, I identify with a few of them! What is the best way to reach out to someone for help or collaboration in your opinion? Thanks!
instantsiteguide May 12, 2010 - 6:19 pm
you always read blogs, and never comment on them.
Robb Sutton May 12, 2010 - 6:43 pm
That is a good one. What goes around comes around...
Ryan Cowles May 12, 2010 - 8:53 pm
Haha, ouch! Sometimes a nice slap in the face is the best way to get motivated. It can be a nice change from all the "Everything is wonderful" type posts, haha. Thanks for sharing!
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[...] 39 Reasons Why You Suck – Robb Sutton explains why a blogger may not be successful. He is blunt about the why you suck. As a blogger, if you fall into any of these categories, get motivated and change it! [...]
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