Here are some of the worst lies that entrepreneurs tell themselves, and the (sometimes) hard truths:

1. The money will come eventually

You think that if your idea is top notch, if the product/service you’re offering solves a real problem or if you have true passion and drive, your company will succeed and eventually start making some real money. This is a fallacy.

It’s easy when you’re busy growing your company to buy into this lie, but incredibly dangerous. It may be true that there’s a pot of gold further down the road, but you can’t just count on it being there. You must plan for it.

2. If I price low enough, I can attract more business

This may be true in some sense. You may bring in more business if your prices are lower than your competition’s. But if your pricing isn’t covering your costs and allowing for the kind of margin you need to make a profit to at least live on, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.

You need to figure out your gross profit (how much you need to cover fixed costs — from salary to materials to marketing). Based on this figure, you can calculate your gross profit margin and figure out how much you need to make in sales.

3. If something isn’t working, I can always change direction

Pivoting is an essential startup business practice. Knowing when to change direction, tweaking your offerings and repositioning yourself in the marketplace are all good things. But this isn’t a magic bullet. You can’t just shift with the wind and expect things to work out. You need to base a direction change on number-driven data that guides and supports your plan. Before you change direction, you need to map out what steps you will take.

4. All I need to succeed is more volume

Quantity is a good marker for business success, but it’s not the only one. Increasing volume can lead to scaling issues. Instead of pursuing more customers, think about what other tactics you could take. How could you increase your dollar per customer? How can you save on costs per product? How can you increase customer satisfaction to ensure customer loyalty and increase the customer value over time? These metrics are just as important as volume.

5. I will only hire the best

Of course you want top-notch employees, but you may need to redefine who that is. Find out what positions can be outsourced to save on astronomical staffing costs. Top team members are expensive. Sometimes they’re worth that cost, but remember that you can also hire for potential rather than experience. Under-staffing is a good choice for many bootstrapped startups.

6. My time is best spent focusing on my industry

Not exactly. Of course you want to be on top of what’s going on in your industry, but if you want to see the big picture, get fresh perspectives and make valuable connections, you need to look outside of your niche. Business partners outside of your area are sometimes the most valuable contacts you can have.

7. I’ve tried X and it doesn’t work, so I’m done with it

Just because you’ve tried something before, that doesn’t mean you can’t tweak it and try again. (Click here to tweet this thought.) Sometimes small changes can have a big impact.

For example, a colleague of mine who was VP of Marketing for a huge company had had little success with affiliate marketing. He was thinking of shutting down this marketing channel, but instead decided to put some real money and time behind it. He hired someone solely responsible for managing the program. This one change made for astronomical increases in revenue for the company.

8. X has always worked for me in the past, so if I just keep doing it, I will be successful

Just because you’ve always done something a certain way, that doesn’t mean it’s the best way, the most efficient way or the most cost-effective way. As an entrepreneur, you need to keep an open mind and always look for better solutions. Even if your way was the best way at some point, times change, markets change, economic conditions change and the competitive landscape changes. Business is dynamic. You need to be, too.

9. My passion for my company won’t allow me to fail

Wrong. Without determination and persistence — and a real love for what you’re doing — you won’t be able to see this thing through to the finish line. But passion, in and of itself, isn’t enough. You need to execute. A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes.

10. My product/service is so great that my business can’t fail

We’d like to believe this fallacy, but unfortunately, it’s not true. A great idea is important. If there’s a real market for your idea, then you’re already a couple of steps ahead in the game. But it’s not enough.

A dash of optimism is a good entrepreneurial characteristic. You’re going to face a lot of setbacks, so the ability to put on some rose-colored glasses to improve the view is understandable. But when you begin to repeat the same lies and make them your mantra, you’re preventing clarity, masking opportunities and getting in the way of your growth.

When you stop lying to yourself, you can start anew. That’s where real change lies. That’s the future of your company.

David Ehrenberg is the founder and CEO of Early Growth Financial Services, an outsourced financial services firm that provides early-stage companies with day-to-day transactional accounting, CFO service, tax and valuation services and support. He’s a financial expert and startup mentor whose passion is helping businesses focus on what they do best. Follow David @EarlyGrowthFS.

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

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After all, simply being there isn’t the same as contributing, and participating isn’t the same as succeeding. No one will be rewarded for just showing up in the real world.

Success isn’t found inside a rubric. And it certainly isn’t something achieved without a few experiments, mistakes and failures along the way. Here are seven common lies that young people hear growing up—and the blunt, uncensored truths behind them:

1. You’re amazing at everything you do

Any five-year-old will tell you it’s not polite to hurt a person’s feelings. Instead, society sells us a lie because, apparently, it’s better to tell someone she’s great than tell the truth when she isn’t. We think we’ll stunt growth if we tell the cold truth; in reality, we’re stunting growth by handing everyone a participation trophy instead of rewarding real talent and achievement.

Beyond that, it’s much more traumatic when, after 20-something years, someone finally tells you that you’re not as amazing as you thought. Here’s an example: I teach college, and after completing their first college-level course, many students tell me, “This is the first ‘C’ I’ve ever gotten.” My response? “Welcome to college.” Why? An “A” isn’t something that you’re entitled to; it’s something you earn.

2. You have to be perfect

Failure is a great teacher. You don’t learn anything if you go through life being told you’re perfect. Writer and director Kevin Smith put it best when he said, “The truth is…failure is success training.”

So you don’t have a 4.0? That’s okay. Don’t have a job lined up right after graduation? That’s okay, too. You don’t need a perfect track record, grade point average or plan to make a good career and life for yourself. You just need the perseverance, bravery and grit to forge a path for yourself.

3. You have to be married before you’re 30

College isn’t for everyone. Neither is marriage. Need proof? Just look at the divorce rate. There’s a lot of societal pressure to find the perfect person to spend your life with by a certain age. It’s completely arbitrary—and for a lot of people, it’s completely wrong.

Don’t force it. Don’t stress. And don’t buy into the myth; not everyone is ready for marriage by age 25.

4. You can only succeed if you go to the right college

Success comes from all walks of life. Today, there’s unbelievable pressure on students to get admitted to their first-choice college. Give yourself a little more credit. It might require some work, but you can succeed in all different kinds of environments.

5. You can get a great job by just having a degree

Some of the most valuable lessons are learned outside the classroom. Before you graduate, get involved, intern, study abroad and network. Employers are looking for students who did more than just sit through four years of classes.

6. Your first job defines your career

College graduates often buy into the “perfect first job” myth. They think they need to be in the right place at the right time right after graduation. That isn’t true.

My first job was pushing carts at Walmart. Skills and lessons are transferable, especially the ones you learn during your first job out of college. Those lessons will get you all kinds of places—including your dream job.

7. You’ll be in a better financial place than your parents, immediately

Many Millennials are incredibly sheltered. Some don’t even know what their parents do; they think the money just shows up. When you begin your career, you’ll have to work hard. You’ll have to put in time and pay your dues.

Don’t expect to live the same lifestyle that took your parents 20 years to achieve. Make peace now with the fact that the Baby Boomers have gobbled everything up from the table and you are now on your own to thrive.

Find your own truth

Society, peer groups and the media may have good intentions, but they often reinforce these seven lies.

To find your own truth, test everything. Ask hard questions. Demand—and give—honest answers. And don’t be afraid to fail. The best life lessons are learned through mistakes and imperfections, getting you closer to success than any participation trophy ever will.

Charles W. Keene is an award-winning assistant teaching professor at the University of Missouri’s Trulaske College of Business. He is a proud member of Generation X who took 11 years to earn his undergraduate degree, was married at 28 and has never received a participation trophy in his life.

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From a little white lie about why we were late for work to a story about how our new smartphone was on sale, we all tell lies every day. While some lies aren’t particularly hurtful, there are others we tell ourselves that can be much more damaging: the lies we tell ourselves when it comes to our careers.

Career lies are extremely sneaky and can be pretty hard to spot. In fact, most of the time, they’re not easily identifiable as lies at all. Why? Because when it comes to our careers, we don’t like to admit things aren’t working and we’re possibly making a major mistake, so we unconsciously lie to ourselves that everything’s going according to plan.

But lies can’t last forever, and sooner or later, we’re going to have to be honest with ourselves about how content we actually are with our careers and lives. Here are five of the most common career lies we tell ourselves:

1. “I’m happy where I am”

Are you really happy with your current job and career? It’s okay if the answer is “no.” Despite the endless late nights, impossible deadlines, horrible boss and soulless chores you face every day, it’s easy to tell yourself you’re happy where you are. Why? Because change is scary!

We crave routine and familiarity, so no matter how terrible the job is, we’re inclined to tell ourselves that it could be worse. This might be true, but guess what? It could also be better!

2. “There are no jobs out there”

With headlines trumpeting employment doom and gloom, it’s easy to tell yourself to stay put. After all, you have a job, so you should be thankful, right? In reality, things aren’t as bad as you might think.

Slowly but surely, many industries are recovering, businesses are expanding and more jobs are becoming available—it’s just a case of knowing where to look and taking a leap of faith. It’s also a great time to create your own job to take advantage of new opportunities.

3. “I’m not good enough to get another job”

Feeling a lack of confidence? It’s not easy to tell yourself that you’re great, talented and ambitious, but guess what? You are! That’s why you have a job in the first place!

If you’re talented enough to have a job now, why wouldn’t you be talented enough to get another job? It really is that simple.

4. “I won’t get another job that pays this well”

So you’ve realized that there are jobs out there, but will you be able to get another job that pays as well as your current one? While you might have been at your current organization for a while and worked your way up to a higher pay grade, that doesn’t mean your company is the only one willing to pay you the going rate.

Thanks to your skills and experience, you have a certain value within your industry, and you really do earn your salary. You’re clearly important to your current organization, and your value will translate to another.

5. “I don’t want to progress”

Whether it’s taking on more responsibility, managing more people or moving to a different area of the business, climbing the career ladder can be a terrifying prospect—after all, there’s a chance you could fail.

While failure is a very real prospect, so is succeeding! Millions of people around the world successfully climb the career ladder every year. If they can grow in their roles, so can you.

If you’re saying you don’t want more money, authority and respect, are you truly happy in your role, or are you lying to yourself?

Amy Edwards (@amy_edwards88) is a Broadcast Journalism graduate who shunned radio and TV in favor of the dark world of online content and SEO. She’s currently working as an SEO Manager for the digital jobs board Bubble Jobs and regularly blogs about everything from careers and jobs to ecommerce, online marketing and SEO.

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Most recruiters are honest and upfront with job seekers. Largely caring and committed, recruiters often genuinely care about every candidate, even if they don’t necessarily always show it.

But many of the most common put-offs, while usually well-intentioned and largely innocuous, are as integrated into the recruiting process as applicant tracking systems and reference checks.

The good news? Avoiding these worst practices instantly translates into an improved candidate experience and an easy win for your employment brand.

Here are the five biggest job search lies recruiters tell candidates and what you should say instead:

1. “I’ll keep you in mind for future opportunities.”

What it might really mean: Your resume will sit in our database untouched until you apply for something else. If you’re not right for any of my open reqs, any memory of you ends the moment I hang up this phone.

Best practice: Tell candidates up front whether you feel there will be other possibilities for them down the line. Offer an explanation of your rationale. Provide suggestions for relevant training or experience to increase their chances of landing a future role.

2. “Salary depends on experience; there’s no real set amount.”

What it might really mean: I already have a figure with almost no margin for negotiation. So your expectations are really the sole determinant as to whether this conversation continues or if I’ll keep you in mind for future opportunities.

Best practice: An important element of every basic phone screen involves learning about a candidate’s motivations in seeking a new opportunity. Often, salary issues top this list.

While it’s not appropriate to require a candidate to disclose their current compensation or targeted salary during an exploratory screen, it’s crucial to address this directly if the candidate discloses an increase in pay as a primary driver or a non-negotiable.

If you’re screening for a specific position and know the range, tell the candidate whether the numbers match. Disclose even a slight variance; the candidate, not the recruiter, should determine whether or not there’s a willingness to negotiate for this job. Having this conversation up front can avoid complications later.

3. “You’ll hear from us either way.”

What it might really mean: We’ll send you a template rejection letter from a blind email address, if you’re lucky—which might leave you to wonder whether you’re still in contention.

Best practice: Most applicant tracking systems send an automatic confirmation via email to applicants; many of these same systems will also send an email to let candidates know when a requisition closes and they are no longer in contention. But adding your name or a personalized message can help make a little effort go a long way.

For candidates contacted for a phone screen, it’s best practice to let them know directly if they’re not selected. If they took the time to follow up and answer questions, common courtesy suggests you should do the same.

It’s okay to turn a job seeker down professionally; simply not bothering to inform a candidate is not.

4. “We’re interested, but we’re still looking at other candidates.”

What it might really mean: An offer’s been extended to someone else, and we’re really hoping they’ll accept so we don’t have to go to Plan B (you).

Best practice: Be upfront about where the search stands. If there are outstanding questions or concerns surrounding a candidate, let them know; there’s a good chance they’ll be able to provide information to inform a pending decision.

If the hiring manager is delaying making an offer for reasons that have nothing to do with the candidate, make sure they know exactly what those are and the timeframe.

If you don’t know this information, let the candidate know the next time you’ll speak with the hiring manager and follow up with both. Status quo is almost always better than no status at all.

5. “I was given your name by a mutual contact who asked to remain confidential…”

What it might really mean: I found your information online.

Best practice: This line remains incredibly common when engaging candidates for the first time.

While candidates show increased willingness to speak with someone based off a referral, it’s important to let a candidate know how you developed the information to contact them.

This ensures that active job seekers know what’s effective while passive candidates stay informed about the visibility of information. It also leads to more effective source-of-hire reports, which are generally misaligned due to candidate self-identification.

Of course, at the end of the day, it’s all about candidate experience—one thing that recruiters, and the people they hire, definitely agree on, even in the most divergent communication. Here’s hoping that we bridge the divide, get away from buzzwords and start talking straight to our candidates—and ourselves.

Matt Charney (@MattCharney) is the Director of Marketing for Talemetry, a leading provider of enterprise talent generation solutions. Matt began his career as a corporate recruiter for companies such as Warner Bros. and the Walt Disney Company and is also the producer of TalentNet Radio, the original Twitter chat for recruiters.

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