Are you struggling to get what you want in life?

This article will discuss 7 reasons why you aren’t getting the results you want in life. But WAIT! I need you to answer one thing before you start reading: are you really going to take action after reading this article? If the answer is yes, go ahead.

Reason #1 – You aren’t investing in yourself

“Learn to work harder on yourself than you do on your job. If you work hard on your job you can make a living, if you work hard on yourself you can make a fortune!” – Jim Rohn

The above quote is one of my favorite quotes of all time. You should constantly be investing in yourself and learning new skills. Communication skills, both oral and written, are a great place to get started. Your ability to communicate effectively, express ideas clearly, and speak persuasively will play a huge role in your ability to be successful, regardless of the career you decide to pursue.

When it comes to improving verbal communication, I recommend checking out Toastmasters. This is a public speaking organization that has locations in many countries around the world. You can visit as many clubs as you need to select the one that’s right for you.

You don’t want to be the guy who gets laid off at age fifty and can’t find another job. It’s your responsibility to educate yourself. Never rely on the government, your current company, or anyone else to support you financially. Think of yourself as a freelancer rather than an employee. What service and value can you deliver to your current company? What other services could you offer to your company or other companies?

Learning and growing on a continual basis is absolutely necessary (and it’s a lot of fun, too). You can’t go wrong investing in programs or courses that will increase your value on the job market and help you become better as a person.

Educating yourself is extremely important. And let’s be honest: If you have access to the internet, there’s no excuse not to.

Reason #2 – You don’t have the right mindset

“So you’re telling me: I failed because I didn’t have the resources. And I’m here to tell you what you already know: resources are never the problem. It’s a lack of resourcefulness is why you failed.” – Tony Robbins

You’re sick. The disease you have is called “Excusitis”. Beware, it’s an extremely dangerous disease that will prevent you from getting the results you want in life. I don’t have enough time. I don’t have enough money. I’m too old. I’m not smart enough. I don’t know the right people. Do any of these sound familiar?

Yes, your poor mindset is one of the main reasons you don’t get the results you want in life. Your attitude and frame of mind are everything in life. They determine whether or not you’ll be successful. I can’t stress this enough.

I see people imposing artificial limits on themselves all the time. They’re so convinced that they can’t do such and such thing that it drives me crazy. Why would you tell yourself that you’re too old to learn a foreign language or change careers because you’re forty? I was recently talking to a woman who said she didn’t think she would ever earn more than her current wage, which was below average to begin with. Where do you think she’ll be 10 years from now with that belief? More or less the same place! And she was only 27.

Personally, I don’t believe there’s a limit to the amount of money I can earn if I keep improving myself. What do you believe about your earning potential?
Check out here the great one-minute Tony Robbins video on resource vs. resourcefulness.

Reason #3 – You don’t have specific role models

It’s challenging to get the results you want if you don’t have anyone around you who has already achieved what you’re aiming for. Make sure you have a role model that resonates with you (whether it’s someone online or offline). Once you find your role model, follow their example and take their advice.

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel; when someone already has the blueprint that will get you where you want to be, just stick to it! Do you know how Arnold Schwarzenegger became Mr. Universe? He came across a magazine featuring Reg Park, who was the current Mr. Universe at the time. He used this magazine as a blueprint.

Sounds too easy? In a way it is, but here’s the trick: you must stick to one role model for each major goal you have. Many people make the mistake of looking to multiple role models and trying to learn everything possible for all of them. It sounds like a great idea on paper, but it doesn’t work. How do I know? Well, it’s what I have been trying to do for several years.

It doesn’t work because it leads to an overflow of information. It’s just not possible to come up with a workable plan from it. You’ll end up feeling overwhelmed and give up or will get mediocre results.

Finding a role model that you can trust and sticking with them is very powerful. It will get you significantly better results than the alternative.

The bottom-line is this:

• Stick to one role model who really resonates with you.
• Have total trust in their examples or teachings and take consistent action.

Reason #4 – You’re doing too many things at the same time

Doing too many things at once is one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to make changes in their life. You shouldn’t focus on more than one or two major goals at the same time. You should spend most of your time either thinking about your main goals or taking actions that move you closer to them. You want to make sure that you do something everyday to move closer to your goals to keep building momentum.

Pick one or two areas of your life where you really want to make major changes. Focus on them for as long as you need to, be it for the next 6 months or the next 10 years. Focus! You’ll be tempted to pursue other goals but don’t. That’s why it’s crucial to select the goals that matter the most to you. That will make it much easier to stay the course.

Major areas of your life include relationships, career, finances, health, spirituality, and personal development. These are just a few of the many things in your life that you might be interested in improving. Which area(s) are you going to put all your effort into until you get results?

Reason #5 – You’re not taking enough action

Are you the type of person who is obsessed with learning everything they can, but never gets concrete results? I’ve been there, too. True learning can only come from doing. You can learn all you want about how to build a business, seduce a men or woman, or get fit, but you don’t really know what you’re talking about until you actually start doing it.

Believing that we need more knowledge is one of the most common mistakes we can make. Usually, that’s not the case. More often than not, what we need is more action! How often do you hear people say, “So and so is taking too much action”? The average person generally spends half their time learning and the other half taking some action. And that’s being generous! I recommend spending 80% or 90% of your time taking action.

Be honest with yourself, what percentage of your time do you spend taking action towards your goals?

I want you to take more action today. Just start building some momentum. Send that email you’ve been thinking of sending for a while, go to that dance class, buy the online course you’ve been wanting for weeks. TAKE ACTION. Action! Action! Action!

Reason #6 – You lack patience

Do you give up too easily? Getting results takes time. Usually, there is a tipping point where you suddenly get massive results, but it can take months or years. If you’re quick to throw in the towel, it’s probably because you don’t have a clear and compelling long-term vision to help you persevere.

I tend to forget the big picture and the long-term vision. When I’m totally focused on something, it becomes so important to me that I often make a big deal out of insignificant setbacks and lose all perspective. When we’re extremely focused on something, time can become somewhat distorted. One day suddenly seems like one year and we start feeling that we’re running out of time. Does this happen to you, too?

When that happens, it really helps to step back a little bit and remind yourself that you still have plenty of time, and that it doesn’t matter if it takes 2, 3 or 5 years to get where you want to be. I’ve found that talking to a friend is also a good way to help me put things in perspective and relax a little bit!

Remember: you have time! There will be lots of ups and downs, but as long as you keep moving forward and take consistent actions, you’ll get there.

Reason #7 – You don’t know what you want

“I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacation with better care than they do their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change.” – Jim Rohn

Do you have a clear vision of what your ideal life looks like? Not being specific enough about what we want in life is a serious issue.

For instance, do you know what your ideal career looks like? Do you know how many hours you want to work per week? How much money do you want to earn? When do you want to retire?

If you don’t know what you want and how you’re going to get there, you’re probably not going to go far. Don’t be the guy who says “I’m going to open a restaurant one day”. Everybody knows he won’t. Don’t have wishes or dreams, have goals!

If you haven’t set clear long-term and short-term goals yet, I highly encourage you do so as soon as possible. If you need help, you can check out my book on goal setting here.

What about you? What is the main reason why you don’t get the results you want?

Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think keeps you from getting the results you desire, and what actions you’ll take to combat it.

See also:

• The Recipe for Success – Are You Using The Right Ingredients For Success?
• 10 Tips to Know Yourself Better and Get What You Want From Life
• Everything Starts with Your Mindset
• How To Identify Your Limiting Beliefs And Overcome Your Limitations

Additional resources:

My books on goal setting

Goal Setting: The Ultimate Guide to Achieving Goals That Truly Excite You – highly recommended if you haven’t set any clear goals yet

The One Goal: Master the Art of Goal Setting, Win Your Inner Battles, and Achieve Exceptional Results – more advanced goal setting recommended to anyone who wants to achieve challenging goals

On mindset

• The Magic of Thinking Big, David J. Schwartz– Great to cure your excusitis
• The Art of Exceptional Living, Jim Rohn – Great to change your mindset. (I’ve listened to it 50+ times)
• Lead The Field, Earl Nightingale– Same as above, but different style

On patience

Be Fucking Patient! – How to Deal with Lack of Results (44 min video), Actualized.org

On taking action

Taking Action In Your Life (8 min video), Project Life Mastery

On knowing what you want

You owe you, Youtube video by Erick Thomas (highly motivational!)

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