The #1 Reason We Fail

To fail at something sucks.  Sure, failures are a certainty along the path to success, and in the midst of a global economy that celebrates the plight of the entrepreneur, failures are often celebrated in recent years.  But, it still sucks.  It’s awful.  No one can dispute this. There is famous quote by Thomas Edison when he failed over 1,000 times to succeed at developing the light bulb.  He said, “I learned that many ways, how not to make a lightbulb.”  Wow, such optimism!  But, don’t lose sight, each time he failed likely resulted in hundreds, if not thousands of invested hours, and the hope that this might be the last time he fails.  The unspoken reason failing is so “cool” is because it can eventually take you to success.  That, in itself, is the reason we should pride ourselves on our failures.

Yes, there are any number of reasons we might fail at any particular task.  And, yes, the reasons we fail vary individual to individual.  However, if you were to spend time analyzing those that have overcome failure and reached success in their given craft or trade, you would find the commonality that they didn’t quit.  They persevered.  They stuck with it.  Ol’ Thomas could have quit at any number of those failed tries, and you know what – we’d never know who he was if he did that.  He’d be an inventor who made some gadgets but without the lightbulb, his revolutionary status may not be the case.

I promise you, the #1 reason we fail, by and large is because we give up.  Find me 3 individuals who struck gold on their first hand at something.  I doubt it exists.  Becoming successful at something is a grind.  It takes work.  Lots of it.  Author Malcom Gladwell suggests that there is a 10,000 hour investment in practicing any given line of work before you achieve success.  10,000 hours!  Assuming you work a 40-hour a week, full-time job, at that given path of choosing (which is unlikely), that rounds out to 5 years.

How many of us stick with something for 5 years without seeing success?  Forget the 10,000 hour rule for a minute.  How many of you would stick with your pursuit for 3 years?  1 year?  One year of straight, solid, focused work, without seeing success.  That last part is the key – without seeing the success, that you had envisioned.  Anybody can hang in there when they are getting the results they want.  Heck, we’d have brilliant artists and world-class musicians all over the place.  The world would be a better place – right?  Instead, we’re all a bunch of quitters – only kidding.

Seriously though, THIS is the #1 reason we fail.  Because we give up.  People pursue their goals and dreams every single day.  But, when the tough times set in, watch out.  Maybe you don’t turn a profit in your new business in the first year.  Or your partnership deal falls through.  No one reads your blog, or watches your channel.  Customers aren’t buying your art, or streaming your music.  Users don’t download your app.  And then, the worst thing may happen, your friends and family start abandoning their support of you.  You take their advice and quit.  You put your tail between your legs, and hurry back to whatever job is comfortable to you.  Just like that.  And that’s the problem – we throw in the towel too early – period.  Nothing comes easy, everything is work.

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