6 things preventing you from success

Have you ever looked at someone more successful than you and thought, “I’m smarter and more capable than that person. Why aren’t I as successful?”

This is actually a pretty common sentiment for plenty of people with a huge amount of potential that’s remained untapped. What you don’t realize is that you may actually be ripping yourself off by not giving yourself the best chance to utilize your potential.

If this describes you, it may be time to focus not on what the other person did to get successful, but on what’s holding you back.

Here are the 6 things preventing you from success…

1) Fear

Something that I’ve personally struggled with in my life is a fear of failure. This is something that I think can become more and more potent for people with more and more potential.

Potential means you’re capable, but it also often means that you’ll put unnecessary pressure on yourself to succeed right away. Fear of failure or rejection or losing can be crippling, but only if you look at it the wrong way.

Accept your fear, and instead think of failure as a stepping-stone rather than a brick wall. You’re probably going to fail in some capacity along the path to success. The key is to realize it isn’t the end of the world.

2) Adaptation

As I’m sure you’re 100% aware, the world is constantly changing. Successful people change with the world, or at least adapt to it somewhat. But failure to adapt almost certainly means that you’ll fail to keep up.

It’s OK to be “old school” and do what you’ve always done best. But you can’t become ignorant to how society is changing. Continuously learn and be willing to change when necessary – and embrace it!

3) Self-Belief

Think about that successful person that I was talking about in the beginning. Here’s how a lack of self-belief could be keeping you from success…

• I bet that guy is only successful because he was born into money.
• I bet that guy is only successful because he had an expensive education.
• I bet that guy is only successful because he has connections that I don’t.

I could go on for hours about all the excuses I’ve heard before. But really it’s just a way for unsuccessful people to rationalize their own lack of success.

Success isn’t all about education, having rich parents, or any of those factors. It’s about having a goal, planning the path to get there, and keeping yourself on track. But most importantly, it’s about taking that first step…

4) Procrastinating

I think the single most common thing keeping people from success is procrastination. “I can do that later” is the most dangerous phrase any aspirational person can ever mutter.

Do it now. Start now. Begin planning now.

Once you allow yourself to put something off, you’ve opened the door for it to become a habit, and for you to continually put other things in front of it. Give yourself deadlines to help, but remember that now is the best time to take a step toward success.