7 Painfully Honest Reasons You're Unsuccessful
It isn't because you're lazy.
Dean Drobot | Canva For most of my life, my friends, family, colleagues, teachers, etc. have told me I’m lazy. Am I? Maybe. But what if everyone is wrong? What if everyone is quick to judge and conclude?
When I looked up the definition of lazy, this is what was thrown at me:
- Unwilling to do work or make an effort; disinclined to exertion.
- Causing idleness; relaxed or leisurely.
- Sluggish; slow-moving.
Throughout my life, I’ve been able to achieve things I’ve set my sights on. Maybe not to the degree or the standards I set myself but that’s life.
- I’ve learned a new language from scratch.
- I’ve published an article consecutively for 250+ days.
- I’ve been practicing yoga consistently for the last 4 years.
A lazy person doesn’t do this. Thankfully, I never agreed to the label “You’re Lazy” and it has served me well. If you too are labeled lazy, here are seven reasons that might be ailing you in your journey.
Here are 7 reasons you're unsuccessful:
1. You’re indecisive
Like me, you dwell on your decisions. Even after you’ve decided, you let it sit and marinate. This lack of action creates a different kind of inertia. It stops you from gaining momentum on the decisions you make. You start second-guessing and stop midway in your tracks.
2. You lack clarity
I’ve been working on an e-book for almost 6 months. I’ve made some decent progress but I keep alternating between clear and unclear thoughts. This makes it hard to move and to progress. This stops me from making the kind of progress I enjoy. This means I lack a clear picture. Lack of clarity is one of the biggest obstacles most of us experience. Don’t let it come in the way.
3. You lack systems
Because you lack clarity, you end up taking on a lot more than you are used to. Without an existing system, you get discouraged quickly. Since you haven’t done this in the past, your intensity is higher than your consistency. It’s the fastest way to a burnout. You never continue what you begin for a long time.
4. You’re in a hurry
That patience is a virtue has lost its significance thanks to immediate gratification across various aspects of our lives. Due to immediate gratification, our expectations of ourselves and the world around us are skewed. In your attempt to do many things quickly, you end up not doing anything. This creates a loop of sorts and you keep going back and forth doing the same thing.
5. You think small
It is good to be present. But most time, most people end up focusing too much on “what is” rather than “what can be.” Instead of thinking how big you can be, you are entangled in how small you are. Thus, limiting your opportunities.
6. You are in comparison mode
You are in constant comparison mode. Ask yourself, when was the last time you didn’t compare yourself with someone else? These comparisons usually aren’t apple-to-apple. Besides everyone’s journey is unique. What might work well for you, might not work well for me and vice versa. So why compare?
7. You do what everyone else does
If you pay attention, you’ll notice that the majority of the world around you is mediocre. You love to imitate them and compete with them. When you do this, the baseline of your ambition is low. Besides, since you do what everyone else does, how can you expect the results to be different? There are many reasons that you aren’t successful but laziness isn’t one. It all comes down to how you perceive yourself. What’s your perception about yourself?
Nimish Jalan is a writer, slow traveler, and an explorer. He loves to challenge himself in new situations.