5 Reasons we fail
In his classic book Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill lists 30 major causes for failure and here are 5 that I find are quite common.
1. Lack of a well defined purpose in life.
If you often feel overwhelmed and in reactive mode – this might be one of the things holding you back. The universe loves clarity. The ability to identify what you want, create an image in your mind and work daily on defining it is how you begin to turn your dream into reality.
Fabienne Frederickson says ‘when you have clarity of intention, the universe conspires with you to make it happen.’
TIP – think about what you really LOVE to do. How do you love to spend your time, what makes you feel happy and confident, what do you love to learn about? This is the key to determining your purpose.
‘When you have clarity of intention, the universe conspires with you to make it happen.’
Fabien Frederickson
2. Lack of ambition to aim above mediocrity.
Why are so many of us willing to settle? Mediocre income, mediocre lifestyle, mediocre relationships…. Are we lazy? Unmotivated? Too busy and overwhelmed to consider doing more? Sometimes we even tell ourselves ‘I’m not smart enough’, ‘I’m not talented enough’, or ‘I’m not deserving’. We even convince ourselves wanting more is greedy and those who do have more are bad people.
The truth is we all have infinite potential within us, so accepting mediocrity is a disservice to ourselves and the world around us. It’s not about having more material things – its about tapping into the unique potential within and being willing to share it with the world. We are in control of our life and every one of us is deserving of a life much greater than mediocrity.
TIP – reframe your perception of ‘abundance’ from material things to greater service and fulfillment of your potential.
3. Insufficient education
This one hits home for me. One of my deepest sources of doubt in myself has been rooted in my failure to complete post-secondary education. Napolean Hill writes “experience has proven that the best educated people are often those who are known as ‘self made’ or self educated. It takes more than a college degree to make one a person of education.”
Consider all the highly schooled people who are not in fact that successful. Conversely many of the greatest discoveries have come from individuals with little formal education – Bob Proctor is a great example. He has less than 2 months of high school education, and is now known as a worldwide leading expert on the topic of human growth and potential. The day you stop learning is the day you stop growing. Successful people not only continue to learn but understand compensation is related to knowing what to do with the knowledge.
4. Ill health
Hill writes “No person may enjoy outstanding success without good health.”
I’m personally guilty of dismissing my health to work on my business. I was too immersed in my business to fit in exercise and time to eat well. I told myself once I get my business going I’ll get myself back into shape.
What I realized was not taking away from my work actually caused my productivity to decrease. My energy waned, my fatigue increased and my creativity diminished. Life will always be there to get in the way of taking time to look after yourself, and it’s up to you to make it a priority not to let it.
TIP – schedule 20-30 minutes per day to unplug and MOVE. Put your phone on airplane mode and do something that energizes you – fresh air, a walk, yoga, strength training or running. I go for a run and put in a great podcast which makes me feel like I’m still working. This is when my creativity truly flows, I feel rejuvenated and clear headed, and I apply great energy to my projects.
5. Lack of a well defined power of decision.
Tony Robbins says “stay committed to your decision but stay flexible in your approach“.
Successful people make decisions quickly. Avoiding making a decision is a form of procrastination – usually out of fear of failure or not being ready. Know that all success requires risk and you should always start before you’re ready.
TIP – I love to spend a few minutes each morning and each evening visualizing what I want and writing my gratitude. I feel like this creates a stronger connection to my intuition which helps me have faith in the decisions I make.
“Stay committed to your decision but stay flexible in your approach” Tony Robbins
How many of these hold you back from your goals?
Do you have any additional tips for managing them?
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