5 Reasons People Don’t Reach the Level of Success they Desire
5 Reasons People Don’t Reach the Level of Success they Desire
It’s easy to have high aspirations.
It’s much less easy to make those dreams and goals a reality.
The truth is, many of us struggle the most with the daunting day-in and day-out repetition that yields the biggest results and makes the difference between success and failure.
It’s worth taking some time to dig deep and figure out what’s holding you back from reaching the next level of success because once you’ve named the thing that’s holding you back, you stand a chance at stepping over it and moving on.
In my years of experience mentoring and leading others toward their goals, I’ve seen these same 5 self-destructive habits repeat themselves again and again.
1. Blaming Others
Also known as: making excuses.
Before you can take charge of your life and move forward toward your goals, you have to take ownership of where you are right now.
And though there are dozens of factors involved in every aspect of where you are in life right now, it comes down to this: You have the agency to change things, and no one can stop you from your own personal success.
Now’s the time to stop blaming your boss, your spouse, or the jerk who cut you off in traffic and to start finding ways to work with the tools you have now to move forward.
2. Neglecting Your Health
It might seem unrelated to your career, finance, and personal development goals. But neglecting your health has a profound impact on every area of your life.
If you’re running on empty calories and coffee, you’re not going to make the best decisions for your future; you’re going to make decisions based on an exhausted, less-than-best version of yourself.
Set yourself up for success by taking charge of your health, fueling your days with nutrition, and consistently getting adequate sleep.
Start small by building consistent, healthy habits now.
3. Staying in Your Comfort Zone
Your comfort zone is comfortable. Once you settle in and realize there’s nothing forcing you to move, it gets very easy to stay in your comfort zone, decorate it, kick up your feet, and call it a day.
Don’t do it.
Your dreams and goals aren’t going to happen unless you stand up and walk out into the unknown, where you might look foolish, encounter awkward situations, or find unexpectedly challenging circumstances waiting.
Learn how to find the courage to get out of your comfort zone here.
4. Never Learning
The people who are constantly curious and constantly learning are the ones who are the most fulfilled and accomplished.
When you read widely and dig deeper into your field or any subject that interests you and connects to your goals and plans, you’ll expand your perspective to one that might actually be able to get you where you want to go.
The second you start feeling like you’ve learned enough is the second you start digging your own grave. Be a lifelong student. Make learning an integral part of your life. Your brain will thank you for it.
5. Not Setting Goals
It’s one thing to have a vague mental roadmap of where you’d like to be in five or ten years. It’s another thing entirely to write down specific, measurable, actionable goals you can start working toward right now.
So take pen to paper, don’t be afraid to be a little audacious, and write out SMART goals.
Are any of these hangups keeping you from meeting your next benchmark? What habits can you change today, that will transform your tomorrow?
