There’s still a lot of the list to go (the list being Napoleon Hill’s list of 30 Major Causes of Failure); as always, Hill said it best, so let’s jump right back in where we left off.
30 Major Causes Of Failure (Cont.)
6. Poor health. No person can enjoy outstanding success without good health. Many of the causes of ill health are subject to mastery and control. These are mainly:
• Overeating/poor diet
• Negative thoughts
• Lack of exercise
7. Unfavorable environmental influences during childhood. “As the twig is bent, so shall the tree grow.” Most people with criminal tendencies can trace the roots of their problems to a bad environment and negative influences during childhood.
8. Procrastination. This is one of the most common causes of failure. “Old Man Procrastination” stands within the shadow of every human being, waiting his opportunity to spoil one’s chances of success. Most of us go through life as failures, because we are waiting for the “time to be right” to start doing something worthwhile. Stop waiting. The time will never be “right”. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.
9. Lack of persistence. Most of us are good “starters” but poor “finishers” of everything we begin. Moreover, people are prone to give up at the first signs of defeat. There is no substitute for persistence. The person who makes persistence his watch-word discovers that “Old Man Failure” finally becomes tired, and makes his departure. Failure cannot cope with persistence.
10. Negative personality. There is no hope of success for the person who repels people because of their negative personality. Success comes through the application of power, and power is attained through the cooperative efforts of other people. A negative personality will not induce cooperation.
11. Lack of controlled energies. Energy is the stimulus that moves people to action. But it must be controlled, not wasted on pointless endeavors, and converted into other channels for the transformation of energy into wealth.
12. Uncontrolled desire for “something for nothing”. The gambling instinct drives millions of people to failure. The want to ‘get rich quick’ is strong in some and can spell disaster. Historical evidence of this can be found by studying of the Wall Street crash of 1929, during which millions of people tried to make money by gambling on stock margins.
13. Lack of a well-defined decision-making ability. People who succeed reach decisions quickly, and change them, if at all, very slowly. People who fail reach decisions, if at all, very slowly, and change them frequently, and quickly. Indecision and procrastination are twin brothers. Where one is found, the other can usually also be found also. Kill off this pair before they completely “hog-tie” you to the treadmill of failure.
What Can You Do About It?
Some of these are things that cannot be changed, and others are things that can be changed, but are difficult to correct. Napoleon Hill knew that very well. In any event, whatever the cause, even if you cannot change it you can change your response and attitude towards it, and stop letting the cause(s) negatively impact your life.
Sean Rasmussen
Success Communicator
Aussie Internet Marketer © 2004 – 2009
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
This is very true
Thanks Sean,
This is all very true and I personally find it valuable to be reminded and to remind myself to stay on the right track. We all have our demons from the past that will surface from time to time and this can challenge the most positive mindset. I think what has worked for me is knowing there is a choice in how to react when these challenges arrive and then we can consciously move forward.
Looking forward to reading more of your thoughts, thanks again.
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Yes, yes, yes. Something for nothing. It seems everybody wants this, and is that not the exact reason we had a financial crash last year? Too many people getting something now, and deferring payments until, until, until…until they are no longer on the planet, perhaps?
Hi Sean
When you said that some of these can’t be changed, I sense you were referring to number 7 in particular. I agree that children shouldn’t be made responsible for the environmental influences that shape their life. But there comes a point in adulthood where you have to decide whether you’ll allow those things to continue to affect you negatively. There’s power in that, no matter what your past.
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Hi Sean,
I’m guilty of procrastination. Sometimes I’m so busy trying to get something just right before I release it that the releasing of it seems to take forever.
I’m trying to change this and just get my best effort out there and then I can work on improving it as I go along. It’s better to have something out there that’s a little less than perfect than keeping it under wraps where it never sees the light of day.