Why people fail 5

Only a fool describes success as material acquisition. There’s never a goal without a goal post, therefore, success is the accomplishment of set goals.

If you meet your monthly sales target for instance, then you’ve succeeded for that period. If you set a goal of shedding 10kg over a period of time or you overcome a bad habit like philandering or dishonesty or you break an addiction like smoking- you’ve succeeded. Success is reality meeting vision.

Success has rewards, which may differ in form- fulfillment, money, cars, real estate, treasures, friends, promotion, merriment, power or happiness. Never confuse the reward for success with the definition of success. Success is creating a path where none ever existed. It is leveraging on one’s faith, courage and action to create a better experience. It’s the fight for control.

People fail doing the wrong things- Which is better: to dig a borehole in a desert or on fertile ground? Don’t be an expert in damage control. The sun dominates the day as the moon controls the night. Redirect your energy towards your strengths, not your weaknesses. What do you do so well like a hobby that you won’t mind not being paid to do? What do people hail you for? What are your talents, skills or passion?

Leverage on these strengths, your ingenuity will manifest and you’ll flourish.

Can you picture David Beckham doing your refuse bin or Tu Face as a university lecturer or Mike Adenuga as a soccer star? Dagrin struck fame rapping his hilarious lyrics in his mother tongue, having identified English language as his deficiency.

Relocate to your natural habitat and make an eternal difference. Pitch your tent where you’ll be appreciated and not tolerated. Fishes survive in water only; they have no destiny in the jungle.

Stress, frustration, disappointment, regrets, unhappiness and of course, failure- are usually the indicators that one is operating in a wrong environment, doing the wrong things to make ends meet. Are you experiencing any of these? Frankly re-assess yourself or seek honest counsel from achievers who have been able to break free from this web of confusion and oblivion. There is more to you than meets the eye.

Sound fulfillment and joy are benefited from doing the things that you love to do- regardless of the value of the reward derivable from them. Many people are wasting away in banks, telecom & oil firms merely pushing the buttons and waiting for the next pay cheque because they are unready to assert their individuality, develop their potentials & stretch their faith.

Set a terminal date for a job that will take you nowhere into your dreams, plot your tracks into your utopia and become the king/queen that you really are.

Why people fail 4

Success has many children. If you succeed, you succeed for all; if you fail, you fail for yourself. No one wants to associate with a stigma like failure for failure is no man’s business.

Time has a way of stratifying ex-classmates depending on how they’ve utilized their talents, potentials, energy, environment and time itself. Have you never been puzzled seeing failures who boast that certain famous people were once their classmates or childhood friends? If life were to bestow success on everyone, no one would ever have bothered to work or to have dreams.

Life does not give desire, but it rewards smart work. Beneath the edifice of success is always work. If you tag it hard work, smart work, or action, you won’t be wrong. This suggests that the actions that you invest in every 24hours will determine if you’ll be regarded as a success or a failure. Is TIME a friend or an enemy? Is time a productive resource for you? Are you getting sufficient mileage and leverage with time? If you’ll ever become the success that you are, you’ll always wish each day were 30hours.

People fail for their disrespect of TIME. Interestingly it is the ONLY capital God has given everyone equally: young or old, rich or poor, man or woman, Negroid or Caucasian. With this resource, you can choose to write, rewrite or obliterate your history. Each tick of the clock is a step into an opportunity to make a decision, chart a new course, sign a cheque, apply for a job, make a proposal, say no, say yes, start a business, help someone, push a button, trigger the domino effect or sit aloof in inertia. Whether or not you ride on the wings of time, time passes by- like a river.

We must push back the misuse of time by reducing man-hours wasted in mindless traffic, useless gossips, baseless cyber perambulations and in wasteful parties. Educate yourself in your spare time- read a book/newspaper, acquire/develop a skill, travel to a new place, develop relationships, know God, study nature or learn something new. Time is cash, time is who you’ll become.

People also fail for wishful thinking. Manna has only fallen from heaven for a season, don’t expect that your life’s desires will manifest without a kick-start. Don’t wish that Mr. Right will knock on your door on a bright Saturday morning. Quit dreaming that $1m will drop into your account without any effort. Perish fairy tale imaginations.

Every moving object is empowered by a force. Translate your vision to action by moving mountains. “Success” comes before “work” only in dictionaries. Only a well is built from the top. Get your hands dirty and build from the ground up. Get started, keep your focus, endure the heat, endure till your light dawns, celebrate and repeat the success.

N1m is N1 in one million units. N1m minus N1 is less than a million naira. Every effort or trial counts. Never give up at the 1^st trial, not even the 2^nd or 3^rd. Failing at the 1^st trial is an indication that you’re getting it wrong, learn your lessons. Each effort gives you an idea about what makes for failure and invariably, success. You increase your success rate by your failure rate. The joy of one success story kills two failure stories. Why are you afraid to fall? Get back on your feet when you fall. The man who has fallen while trying is far more experienced than the fellow who has folded his hands to fate. Get past the crippling emotion that comes with failure. You have the capacity to succeed as big as you desire because God designed you to be the success that you are. Succeed!

Pix credit: Microsoft images

Why people fail 3

Failure happens when people fail to do what successful people do, do them for the wrong reasons, use a wrong method, or at the wrong time. They may not necessarily fail because of their inaction but wrong action. All your decisions are products of your thoughts, which are conditioned by your beliefs. Your beliefs stem from your environment, personality, interests, knowledge and culture. Why are beliefs so important? Because they control all your actions and positive belief is the root of success. You’re the product of your thoughts.

Why do people fail?

• The Plan to Fail- This must be an error! Do people actually plan to fail? Certainly, when they fail to plan. Failure progresses when you have a bright dream but you fail to create an action plan- steps to execute that will create the dream. The success of any project is as good as the plan. If you must make N50, 000 a month as a fashion designer, how many clothes will you make & sell that will deliver that turnover? How do you intend to sell? That’s a plan in the making. If you desire to become a famous musician, how often do you need to pen lyrics, rehearse and watch your competitors’ performances? What daily discipline regime do you need to subject yourself to? What are you willing to give up to get up?

Success is a mirage where there’s no plan. Don’t create vague goals; they must be achievable, believable and concrete. Your dream is not flying because you’ve not given it wings. Set exciting, time-bound goals and strictly adhere to them. Give them a shot and steadily but surely, you’ll fly with eagles.

• Lack of initiative- People who lack initiative wait for the perfect moment before they act. They over-magnify fear, obstacles, disappointments and lack. If life were to be taken as it is, no one will lift a finger, no development will happen; the 33 trapped Chile miners will all be dead. Our planet is advancing because some people are taking the initiative to fill in the gaps. Success doesn’t just happen, it is initiated. Work at what you believe in, damn the consequences. New creations were all initially despised and condemned by people who were myopic. Take steps into your long-range vision. Take steps to right the wrongs that make your heart bleed. Take steps in spite of your fear. The fear and the problems will take care of themselves as you take steps and cripple inertia. If you’re waiting for someone’s prodding, you lack initiative. Step to the top.

• Indiscipline- This is the reason successful people fail. Tu Face is a victim of sex scandals. Cecilia Ibru is jailed for financial recklessness. Idris Abdulkareem is reputed for public brawls. Majek Fashek does drugs. Need I say more? You know their stories. Private victory precedes public victory and the greatest victory you will win is victory over yourself. Lack of self control will, in a day; destroy the success it cost you hardworking years to build. Power is a sugar-coated poison. Be careful not to get bloated, pride always comes before a fall. He that is down needs fear no fall. The higher you climb the ladder of success, the more precaution is necessary because the more devastating your fall will be; if you fall. Childish people do everything their minds suggest, mature people exercise restraint. Are you a child in adult’s clothing? British novelist, Iris Murdoch says, “Freedom...is not an inconsequential chucking of one's weight about, it is the disciplined overcoming of self.”

The race for success is lifelong. There is no permanent success; you must keep replicating the event to stay on top. If you fail, learn your lessons, get back up, refuel and refire. It takes a little more insight, strategy and passion (guts) to do much work.

To be continued…