8 Reasons Why You Keep Failing Over and Over Again

You’re not alone.

You’re not alone in feeling left out of accomplishments.

This person is getting promoted. That person is buying a whole house. Why does it always seem that other people are getting things done left and right, while I’m stuck where I am?

There is no easy answer. I can read self-improvement books all day long and try to improve my mentality. I can brush up on my skills to increase the chances of me succeeding in what I do.

But at the end of the day, there’s no formula.

Perhaps one of these explanations can shed some light on your delayed successes:

I. You compare yourself to others.

Comparison is the thief of joy. — Theodore Roosevelt

Do you ever find yourself dissatisfied with where you are in life, because you feel that you haven’t done enough?

You might be comparing your success to others’, and this is a dangerous habit to get into. When you see others’ success, you don’t see the story behind it. What sacrifices have they made in the process? How long have they worked for their success?

As humans we tend to compare our worst to other people’s best.

Social media doesn’t make this any easier. Every other post on LinkedIn is a celebration of someone else’s achievement. But if you step back and look at the big picture, you’re just witnessing a small percentage of successes out of a vast ocean of failures.

II. You plan more than you do.

If you’re more of a Type A personality, then you may fall victim to planning your success over actually doing the things that lead to success.

You may feel compelled to always be prepared or to reach a level of certainty before taking any risks. But sometimes, you just need to get out there without fearing where you’re going to land.

While there’s nothing wrong with planning, most of your time should be attributed to the act of success.

In other words, start doing what you need to do to achieve your goals. Don’t wait for the stars to align.

III. You lack consistency.

It can take days, weeks, or even months to form a habit. If you’re unwilling to achieve consistency for your goals, then it’s unlikely that you’ll start seeing success any time soon.

Consistency is hard work. As someone who despises repetitive tasks and following schedules, I have to find other ways to encourage daily productivity. It’s impractical to pull motivation out of thin air, but when I stop seeing my tasks to success as “chores,” I find it easier to achieve consistency.

IV. You lack patience.

I’ll admit — I’m a rather impatient person who likes to see results immediately.

One of my first attempts at starting a business failed, because I was too impatient to wait for sales to come in after months of advertising. While there were other reasons for its decline, patience was a huge factor.

Here’s the funny part: months after I paused my Facebook ads, my page garnered hundreds of new likes and followers from virtually zero traffic. By that point, I had already called it quits. Whoops.

Imagine if I had kept going. If I had learned from my mistakes and worked toward improving my business, who knows what would’ve become of it?

Save yourself a whoopsie and don’t be afraid to wait.

V. You wait for opportunities to come to you.

I know — I just said that patience is virtue. But there is a limit when waiting around for opportunities to drop out of the sky is no longer viable.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when pursuing success is not actively seeking opportunities. Money doesn’t grow on trees, but I’d argue that you can make you own money tree. You would need to take the time, energy, and effort to plant the seed and nurture it to grow.

In other words, take matters in your own hands when it comes to finding success. Actively seek for or even create your own opportunities when they don’t come to you.

VI. You’re not celebrating the minor victories.

The most hardworking people can be the hardest on themselves: they always think that there is more to be done.

The truth is, you have already achieved some successes. In fact, you can find new successes everyday. Every time you wake up and get to work, finish a chapter of your book, or break a new sales record, these are minor successes that most people overlook.

If you want to become successful, then start having the mindset as if you were already successful. Encourage yourself by achieving smaller victories first, then go after the bigger ones.

VII. You lack confidence.

You may already have what it takes to be successful, but you just don’t have the confidence to act on it.

Perfection is overrated. Let’s take writing as an example. Every time I write an article, I revise it and edit it until it’s ready to be published. If I wait until the article is perfect, I would have nothing published.

Don’t be afraid to run before you can walk. If you fall, you get up and try again.

VIII. The time isn’t ripe.

There are some things in life you just can’t control, and that’s okay.

Maybe your success isn’t ready for you yet. Perhaps you need to gain more knowledge and skills. Maybe you have yet to meet the right people as co-partners of your next venture. Whatever the case may be, don’t get too hungover over the fact that you can’t control the universe.

Instead, focus on improving yourself and learning as much as possible. That way, when the time is ready, you will be ready for it.

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