What are the 5 main types of complacency and how to overcome it?

“Complacency is the last hurdle that stands between any team and its potential success”–Pat Riley, former NBA coach and player.

While hard work is one of the biggest contributors to achieving greatness, being complacent about work might be counterproductive. Complacency is a silent sense of satisfaction or security usually accompanied by a lack of potential deficiencies. In short, it is the enemy of excellence and can stunt the progress in your work.

Here are 5 main types of complacency that directly affect any kind of growth in your life:

1. Overconfidence
   Is there such a thing called overconfidence? If so, how does it affect your productivity? An excessive sense of self-confidence, which often stems from a false sense of well-being or security, can drown you in a state of complacency. For instance, taking chances in a risky situation thinking nothing bad can happen considering the previous records. From statistical calculation and the illusion of preparedness to outright arrogance, a complacent mind might be inviting more problems than you think.
2. False sense of reality
   It is in our nature to be lured into complacency, especially if you’ve lived a basic and uncomplicated life for years on end. It even creates a false sense of reality for you, that makes you think that you’ve lived and seen pretty much every scenario and is equipped to predict the outcome of almost every situation that life throws at you. But the problem arises when we stop putting in the effort and being creative to proactively plan for any potential threats. When you believe you know all the answers, your mind becomes stagnant and complacent.
3. Tendency to make excuses
   When you’re complacent, you’re in a comfort zone where excuses are made and accepted easily. These excuses often lead to inaction and a failure to conduct necessary steps to avoid any shortcomings. For instance, if you’ve been doing well at studies after working hard, you may feel the need to stop working so hard and expect to gain good marks without hard work. This may not be true.
4. Settling for mediocrity
   Compromising on quality is another type of complacency that is often found in people. One of the best examples that prove this is a food joint that serves amazing food during its early days in the market and slowly dwindles in its quality of service and food once it has received enough traction in the industry.
5. Resistance to change
   Well, it goes without saying, change is inevitable in the process of growth. However, a person with a complacent mind often tends to be in a state of inertia and resist any change to the status quo. Succumbing to change can either make or break you, but it will definitely teach you something too.

   If you’re worried that you might be falling into a state of complacency, here are some tips to help you avoid it.

   1. Plan out your future goals and aspirations
   2. Have a specific plan for each day
   3. Assign some time for yourself every week
   4. Encourage and reward yourself for your good actions
   5. Create a process to learn from mistakes
   6. Invest time and money to learn new skills and expand your knowledge