Think of something in your life that you've wanted to accomplish but haven't. It might be something trivial like, to reduce the amount of TV watching, or time spent browsing the Internet, or to become an early riser, or to quit alcohol, or to start your own business. Whatever it is, what is keeping you where you are instead of reaching your desired destination? Why did it not work?
Is it because you haven't gotten around to it, or are you too timid to go for it, or you took a shot and failed spectacularly.
Let's look at the most common reasons why it didn't work and you failed. We'll start at the shallow end and work our way to the deep end.
9. We don't plan
Improvised living will give us unexpected results. You will always have a better chance to succeed in any venture if you have a plan. By forming a simple plan, former non-planners will increase their rate of success.
When you make a plan, be sure it's specific. Don't say, I am going to exercise tomorrow." Say, "I'm taking the blue van to the YMCA at 6 AM tomorrow to complete a 35 minute leg workout, starting with squats."
Lesson: Having a complete vision of your intentions prepares you to execute them and you'll be more likely to flatten obstacles in your way.
8. We try to climb a mountain before we even leave the house
When you aim high, intimidation is common and that puts your goal at risk. Dream big, but break that dream down into small, daily actions that inch you closer to it every day.
Lesson: One tiny step forward beats one giant leap sideways.
7. A single battle distracts us from the war
It is disappointing to lose any battle. Sometimes it’s devastating. If your business fails, if your book or script is rejected, it’s tough to be positive.
But the war is not over, is it? If your business fails, won’t you know several key things NOT to do next time? Objectively, it’s a highly useful learning experience.
Lesson: If you're not currently in battle or have just finished (an event), zoom out your focus to determine the current best strategy, then zoom back in and prepare for your next battle.
6. We're pessimists
If you go in expecting to fail, you’ve got a great chance to do it. Pessimism leads to failure because it decreases the amount of effort a person will put forth. Success requires effort, which is fueled by the perspective that your efforts are not in vain.
Lesson: You instinctively hesitate to invest in a sinking ship, even if you’re the one sinking it.
5. We're scared
Fear must be cold, because it freezes people. Deer are famous for freezing right before a car hits them. Like that situation, freezing in place isn't a smart strategy in life.
Lesson: Fear is failure's not-so-secret weapon. Fear itself is afraid of the spotlight. Get into the habit of confronting it and soon enough, it will be afraid of YOU.
4. Excuses - we blame anyone and everything but ourselves
"If she didn't...If I wasn't living here...If the economy...If that hadn't happened..."
Blaming others, while a lousy thing to do, isn't even a problem - it's the poisoned perspective it reveals. Do you know what it really means?
Excuses and throwing blame are the same way of saying, "I'm not in control." Now that's scary.
Lesson: You are the only variable you can control in this world.
3. We're in the wrong place
Sometimes failure is simply a matter of location - the wrong country, the wrong state, the wrong job, the worry hobby. This is the tricky aspect of failure – knowing when to move on to something else. Not all people are capable of success in all things.
Lesson: If a fish and a human switch places, they will both die of suffocation. Location matters.
2. We don't care
If you don't care about doing it well, you won't. Apathy can infect any area of our lives, and when it strikes, it produces bucketfuls of failure. The scariest part of apathy is how contagious it is. You’ll have it in one area of life, feel the resulting failure, and let it spread to another area.
This is one more reason to experiment and try different things – to ward off apathy. The more excited about your life and the possibilities to explore, the better! Apathy can often lead to the worst-case scenario of human life. That worst-case scenario is next on the list as the number one reason for failure, and it’s the saddest thing you’ll ever see in a human being.
Lesson: The more you care, the more you’ll succeed.
1. We give up
It crushes me to see it – a human being full of potential…giving up. Giving up is the number one reason people fail because it is the only permanent failure. As long as you are actively trying, you have not failed yet. But once you give up, success will not arrive unexpectedly.
You can have the worst strategy and focus on all of the wrong things, but as long as you keep trying, you will learn and have hope. That is an important truth.
Failure happens; none of us escape unblemished. But for every single person who has ever lived, the secret of life is an unflinching, inspiring little phrase that has shaped nations, bought freedom, saved lives, and fulfilled so many dreams.
Lesson: You're already in pain, you're already hurt. Get a reward from it.
Is it because you haven't gotten around to it, or are you too timid to go for it, or you took a shot and failed spectacularly.
Let's look at the most common reasons why it didn't work and you failed. We'll start at the shallow end and work our way to the deep end.
9. We don't plan
Improvised living will give us unexpected results. You will always have a better chance to succeed in any venture if you have a plan. By forming a simple plan, former non-planners will increase their rate of success.
When you make a plan, be sure it's specific. Don't say, I am going to exercise tomorrow." Say, "I'm taking the blue van to the YMCA at 6 AM tomorrow to complete a 35 minute leg workout, starting with squats."
Lesson: Having a complete vision of your intentions prepares you to execute them and you'll be more likely to flatten obstacles in your way.
8. We try to climb a mountain before we even leave the house
When you aim high, intimidation is common and that puts your goal at risk. Dream big, but break that dream down into small, daily actions that inch you closer to it every day.
Lesson: One tiny step forward beats one giant leap sideways.
7. A single battle distracts us from the war
It is disappointing to lose any battle. Sometimes it’s devastating. If your business fails, if your book or script is rejected, it’s tough to be positive.
But the war is not over, is it? If your business fails, won’t you know several key things NOT to do next time? Objectively, it’s a highly useful learning experience.
Lesson: If you're not currently in battle or have just finished (an event), zoom out your focus to determine the current best strategy, then zoom back in and prepare for your next battle.
6. We're pessimists
If you go in expecting to fail, you’ve got a great chance to do it. Pessimism leads to failure because it decreases the amount of effort a person will put forth. Success requires effort, which is fueled by the perspective that your efforts are not in vain.
Lesson: You instinctively hesitate to invest in a sinking ship, even if you’re the one sinking it.
5. We're scared
Fear must be cold, because it freezes people. Deer are famous for freezing right before a car hits them. Like that situation, freezing in place isn't a smart strategy in life.
Lesson: Fear is failure's not-so-secret weapon. Fear itself is afraid of the spotlight. Get into the habit of confronting it and soon enough, it will be afraid of YOU.
4. Excuses - we blame anyone and everything but ourselves
"If she didn't...If I wasn't living here...If the economy...If that hadn't happened..."
Blaming others, while a lousy thing to do, isn't even a problem - it's the poisoned perspective it reveals. Do you know what it really means?
Excuses and throwing blame are the same way of saying, "I'm not in control." Now that's scary.
Lesson: You are the only variable you can control in this world.
3. We're in the wrong place
Sometimes failure is simply a matter of location - the wrong country, the wrong state, the wrong job, the worry hobby. This is the tricky aspect of failure – knowing when to move on to something else. Not all people are capable of success in all things.
Lesson: If a fish and a human switch places, they will both die of suffocation. Location matters.
2. We don't care
If you don't care about doing it well, you won't. Apathy can infect any area of our lives, and when it strikes, it produces bucketfuls of failure. The scariest part of apathy is how contagious it is. You’ll have it in one area of life, feel the resulting failure, and let it spread to another area.
This is one more reason to experiment and try different things – to ward off apathy. The more excited about your life and the possibilities to explore, the better! Apathy can often lead to the worst-case scenario of human life. That worst-case scenario is next on the list as the number one reason for failure, and it’s the saddest thing you’ll ever see in a human being.
Lesson: The more you care, the more you’ll succeed.
1. We give up
It crushes me to see it – a human being full of potential…giving up. Giving up is the number one reason people fail because it is the only permanent failure. As long as you are actively trying, you have not failed yet. But once you give up, success will not arrive unexpectedly.
You can have the worst strategy and focus on all of the wrong things, but as long as you keep trying, you will learn and have hope. That is an important truth.
Failure happens; none of us escape unblemished. But for every single person who has ever lived, the secret of life is an unflinching, inspiring little phrase that has shaped nations, bought freedom, saved lives, and fulfilled so many dreams.
Lesson: You're already in pain, you're already hurt. Get a reward from it.
Just be happy without a reason, keep a smile all the season,
Life is too short to be stressed, so stay happy, stay blessed!!
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