You may be thinking, why would you want to know how not to be successful? Don’t we all want to know about how to be successful after all, that is one of the main themes for this website?
Before we delve into the article, let us define the word successful, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary it means “achieving your aims or what was intended”.
From this definition, you can already see why learning how not to be successful can help you achieve your goals.
Sometimes in life, we focus so much on the positives that we forget to learn how to avoid the negatives.
We are so consumed with how to do this and that that we never take time to learn how not to be positive, for example. If you want to be positive, you must know how not to be positive in order to avoid being negative.
Many of us are busy researching success but failing to understand why we aren’t achieving it.
I want to highlight some of the things that have slowed progress or kept it from happening at all.
Maybe if you take a break and learn the opposite of not being prosperous, you will avoid the pitfalls and stay on the right track.
The above definition is straightforward and on point. It is not ambiguous. For me, the definition highlights a few things I am passionate about and have been writing about on this site.
Before you embark on the road to success, a few requisites need to be addressed. If you don’t attend to these basics, you will find it very difficult to thrive.
Being successful is all about achieving. When you achieve, you are successful.
“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful men keep moving; they make mistakes, but they do not quit” – Conrad Hilton.
Not Knowing Your Life’s Intended Purpose
Your life’s intended purpose is key to being victorious. Remember, the definition says “achieving what was intended.”
If you do not know what you were created for; what you were intended for; you will find it hard to be successful.
The first thing you need to do is find out or establish your life’s intended purpose. This will generally lead to decisions and steps that help you achieve that purpose.
In other words, you need to set goals and targets and work toward attaining them. Perhaps one of the surest ways to fail is not having goals or not knowing your purpose in life.
If you do not have a goal, you simply cannot attain it. Yes, you may have all the possessions, but is that your goal? Only you can measure the true level of your success.
“To be successful you must decide exactly what you want to accomplish, and then resolve to pay the price to get it” – Bunker Hunt.
Another way to fail is to be insincere and not true to the situation. Most of us care more about who is right than what is right.
We have so much ego that we let it cloud our judgment. I have been in situations like this before, questioning who gave the solution, and believe me, most of the time I have ended up missing the opportunity.
This is very common, especially if you are so involved and interested in politics. A famous politician once said politics makes you sit on your intelligence.
Most ardent followers of political parties do not form honest, objective opinions about the candidates they support.
They turn a blind eye to the wrongs being committed by the party they support and are quick to point out the wrongs being committed by their competitors.
That is why I have detached myself from politics. I do try as much as possible to make an honest and balanced judgment.
However, on this website, I promise not to take sides with any politician and will always avoid talking politics. I just think politics are more divisive.
Not Having the Right Mental Attitude
Achievement is in your mind and your attitude. If you do not see yourself as successful, you are not ready for it. They say you are what you think about most of the time.
If you look back critically at your thoughts over the last few years and compare them with your current life, nine out of ten times you are living your thoughts.
Not having the right mental attitude is a sure way to fail to achieve your goals. The two major mental obstacles for success are fear and doubt.
Fear is one of the greatest negative emotions. First, it is the fear of failure; the fear of embarrassment; the fear of loss; and the fear of poverty.
I have also learned that fear mostly exposes our inadequacies. We fear doing something maybe because we do not have enough knowledge on a certain topic.
The second emotion, doubt, is just as detrimental as fear. We doubt our abilities mostly because we compare ourselves to others who are more competent and smarter than we are. We feel inadequate to the challenges at hand.
However, the good thing is that both fear and doubt are learned emotions. We acquire them as we grow. This is true because I have never seen a baby be negative.
Children are fearless; that is why they need adult supervision all the time. Whatever has been learned can be unlearned.
Fear and doubt can be replaced with courage and confidence. The higher your courage and confidence, the lower your fear and doubt.
The more knowledgeable you are about a subject matter, the more courageous and confident you are to participate. I can attest to this because the more I write and post articles, the more courageous and confident I become in talking about personal development.
I hope that in the months to come, my writing skills will transform completely.
Conclusion
“If you consistently and persistently do the things that other successful people do, nothing in the world can stop you from being a big success also” – Brian Tracy.
Many factors can challenge you on your journey to achieving your goals, but it’s essential to recognise that these obstacles can also be opportunities for growth. Embrace the challenges that come your way, as they often teach valuable lessons and build resilience.
Shift your perspective and focus on what you can learn from each setback. Remember, every great achievement is often preceded by a series of hurdles.
Stay determined, keep pushing forward, and use every experience to fuel your motivation. The other side of life is filled with possibilities; all you need to do is take that first step.
It is not my intention to see you fail, but to help you change by bringing to light some of the things that may be a roadblock in your life.
I believe knowing what works and what doesn’t in your life is more important for making decisions that will push you closer to the finish line.