As a rule, the biggest obstacle standing between success and failure is usually ourselves. While most people who are successful in business, in investing or in their careers tend to have something in common, we would also find common ground among those who have not achieved success despite trying.
There are certain psychological traps, or barriers, that we need to learn to master and, in any case, work hard to change:
1. Shyness
Although there are successful business people who are shy by nature (one example is Amancio Ortega), the truth is that shyness goes hand in hand with a lack of self-confidence. The road to success in business starts with a great business idea, but at the same time we need to be confident that we will be able to make that idea work.
It takes confidence and courage, in some cases, to leave our comfort zone and go out after our goals. Only the brave take the risk of starting a business, and the brave, as a rule, are self-confident (they are not shy).
2. Laziness
To borrow an old saying, “The lazy man walks so slowly that poverty soon catches up with him.” The truth is that laziness is the mother of all failures. Even with a great business idea and the courage to carry it out, if we are not willing to take real action, our idea will never get off the ground and our courage will be of no use. To take charge of your own destiny, you need to put laziness aside; it is one of the 7 deadly sins of business.
See also: What highly successful people were doing at 25
3. Complacency and conformism
Conformists always make do with the little they have, until one day they need something more and regret not having been more “ambitious” during their complacent years. Besides, without passion every dream withers. Some people have no dreams and therefore no passion, and living life without passion, as someone once said, is living without feeling alive. Find your passion: everyone has one, and sometimes it’s just a matter of looking for it.
(Read: How to turn your passion into a business)
4. Distraction
Someone who is easily distracted while pursuing their goals tends to lose “focus”. As Donald Trump said about the entrepreneurial mindset, as soon as you lose your focus, you lose your momentum. Stay focused at all times and be disciplined. Living a life of self-discipline is less painful in the long run than regretting what might have been.
5. Doubt
Once we have made a decision, doubt is like a worm that eats away at us and stands in the way of our success. You need to keep faith in your vision and your plan, quickly clearing away any doubt that arises and banishing it from your mind.
Remember that long races are not won by the fastest runner, but by the one who keeps running when others have stopped or slowed down. Try to set off with all your doubts already resolved. And remember: problems will always come up, and when they do we shouldn’t hesitate, but solve them quickly.
6. Dishonesty
Being dishonest with others is a very unattractive trait that will breed distrust and ruin your progress. Being dishonest with yourself is signing your own failure. Once you start to succeed, you will be tempted to lie, exaggerate and even cheat to get ahead.
See also: 12 motivational quotes about success in business
True success comes when you are a person of your word who, over time, can explain how you became successful without being ashamed of anything at all. On the other hand, when we suffer the occasional failure, we need to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge our share of the blame without pointing the finger at anyone else.
7. Ingratitude
One of the most dangerous traps, and a very common one among people who have achieved success. This is where it is very easy to lose yourself as a person. Being unable to remember our humble beginnings, or to acknowledge the contributions of the people who helped us succeed, would leave us with a hollow view of success.
In reality there is no such thing as the “self-made millionaire”. It simply isn’t true: every one of them owes a debt of gratitude to a person or a group of people. Some millionaires owe their success to a mentor, others to their wives and others to their workforce, because without them it would not have been possible.
This brings us to one last quality we should never lose: humility. A humble person starts from the premise that they can still learn from others. Remember: “Two kinds of people fail in life: those who know nothing and those who think they know everything.”
Further reading
Featured image: Rennett Stowe, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
