Success can be measured in many different ways, and we all have our different notions of what it means. Most of us would agree, however, that success is generally synonymous with happiness: To be happy, we must be successful (but not necessarily the other way around).
The problem is, many of us just can’t seem to achieve that success we’ve been yearning for. Try as we may, everything we do just seems to end in failure. Here are six reasons why this could be happening — and what you can do about it.
1. You’re too caught up in the idea of perfection
It’s highly possible that success continues to elude you because your notion of what that success embodies is completely unrealistic. Nothing is ever perfect and you’re never going to achieve perfection, so put it out of your mind. Success is overcoming odds, facing your fears and winning small battles every day — it doesn’t have to be something grand and unattainable. If you stop chasing perfection, your likelihood of failure will dissipate.
2. You don’t believe in your own abilities
Many people have a serious case of self-doubt, lacking the necessary belief in their own abilities to follow through with a job or task. When you doubt yourself, you inhibit your ability to achieve to your highest potential, and this sets you up for failure every time. Realize your potential, believe in your own talents, and you’ll be one major step closer to success.
3. You blame other people or things for your failures
It’s becoming increasingly easy to blame other people or systems for your failures these days, and this can seriously impede your push for success. Look back through your memory and think about times in the recent past where you’ve failed to achieve something and automatically blamed someone or something else for the lack of success. Then determine whether it really was the fault of others. Most of the time, our success or failure comes down to our own abilities and level of commitment, not that of others. Recognizing that you and only you are responsible for your failures will help you to realize what went wrong and determine what you can do to make it right the next time.
4. You’re risk-averse
The big successes in life always involve at least a little bit of risk, therefore if you’re scared of putting your neck out and taking a risk, you’re dooming your chances before you even start. There’s one thing that all successful entrepreneurs have in common: They’re risk takers. They recognize that to achieve success in their ventures they have to overcome their fear of failure, otherwise it runs the risk of paralyzing them and clouding their decisions. Conquer your fears and take what’s rightfully yours!
5. You worry about what others think about you
It’s human nature to want others around us to think well of us — we’re social animals, so how we think others view us matters. But when this need for the approval of others starts holding you back and stopping you from achieving your dreams, it’s time to give these people the cold shoulder and focus on yourself and your grand plans. What people think about you is their problem, not yours, and it shouldn’t any of their business unless it directly affects them. Besides, your perception of how people are judging you is probably far more harsh than in reality, as we tend to be our own worst enemy in these instances.
6. You lack commitment
Having an active imagination and bold plans for a new venture or idea is all very well, but without the willpower and commitment to see it through, it’s doomed to fail. If you ever want to achieve your goals, you need to consistently work at them with a structured, ordered, relentless approach. This means saying goodbye to social media distractions such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter; putting your favorite TV shows on hold; and perhaps even passing on the odd party invite. Your social life my hurt a little, but if you’re serious about this, then you need to be strict with your time and how you handle the process of achieving your dreams. Treat your goal with the respect it deserves, and you’ll be one step closer to success.
Want to take your chances of success to the next level? You might want to read about these things that highly successful people do every day.
—Liivi Hess