The Nine Core Values Of Failure And How To Stop Doing Them Now
Knowing what to do is great. We can all use the occasional “do this, do that” habit list. But good habits don’t matter unless you STOP doing the things that overshadow them.
These are the nine CORE VALUES of failure. These are the real reasons you’re not creating the work and the life you want. It’s not because of a lack of talent or a lack of ambition.
Your level of creativity, connection, and accomplishment in life will all be stifled, sucked, and shot if you can’t take control over these impediments to growth.
Sickness
The body follows the mind and the mind follows the body. Unhealthy thoughts will LITERALLY kill you. Stress, worry, and negativity break down your immune system lead to colds and serious illness.
Lack of exercise, lack of nourishment, lack of sleep = lack of creativity, lack of motivation. It really is this simple.
Consistently working on your physical health is a non-negotiable if you want to live your best life.
Over-Thinking
“Should I write about my job? Should I share a personal story? Should I post this photo on Instagram? Should I knit my cat a sweater?”
Ask yourself, “Will this decision move me toward my mountain?”
Or even better, “Will this make me a better person?”
When the answer is “YES,” just get started. Don’t think anymore. Inspiration follows action. Just go.
You can always try again if it doesn’t work. The worst thing to do is waste more time considering.
Sloth
Sloth means Lazy. It’s not just a character from the Goonies.
You can’t think your way into accomplishment. Use your imagination to get your ideas together, but then it’s time to get physical. It’s time to put your body to work. Fingers on the keys, Pedal to the Metal.
Sloth kills time. Kills any chance of momentum.
Success is about riding waves of momentum. Don’t stop paddling.
Carelessness
Whatever you choose to do, do it well. Here’s a quote from a brilliant modern-day philosopher, Ron Swanson:
The habit you want to develop is doing your very best with all your ideas, even when they turn out to be bad ones. This gives you the skill set and prepares you for greatness when the perfect idea comes along.
Bad Relationships
Beware of energy vampires. We all know people who make us feel blood sucked-drained after we hang out with them.
“I was going to write today and then my Mom called. Now I’m not sure what I am even doing with my life. Where’s the ice cream?”
Do your work first, call Mom later. And try to either get rid of, limit, or be aware of the energy vampires in your life.
Eliminating uncreative, uninspired, and negative people from your life is the lowest hanging fruit on this list.
Too-Much-Information
“If more information was the answer, we’d all be billionaires with six-pack abs” -Derek Sivvers
Say TMI (!!!) to all the listicles like this one and others. Everything you need you already know. You can honestly stop reading this right now and be completely fine.
Well, wait, you should highlight this next part and never forget it:
Knowledge only becomes power when it’s good information and you actually use it.
There’s so much information out there today that you can’t possibly try it all, so stop searching.
Take what you know, use your instincts, and start creating more PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. (!!!)
“Oh, well, I’m learning about this. I’m reading about that. Hmmm. How interesting.”
Just stop.
Excess Information is the world’s biggest distraction and a huge problem. Try to be part of the solution.
Inability To Adjust
“If you don’t become the ocean, you’ll be the sea-sick every day.” -Leonard Cohen
The times are always a-changin’. If you want to get the most of life, you have to learn to roll with the punches, change directions, and be EXCITED about the inevitable newness that comes with life.
If you are stubborn and unwilling to adapt, you’ll always be swimming against the current.
Trying To Do Too Much At Once
When we juggle too many things, we up the risk of dropping all the balls. Humans suck at multitasking. Our evolutionary hard-wiring hasn’t caught up with the digital age yet. The more ideas and plans you have bouncing around your brain the longer it will take to get one meaningful goal accomplished.
Tim Ferriss says to look at your goals and ask yourself, “What is the big domino here that, if I can get it to tip, will make the other dominos either fall into place or become unimportant.”
This is what Warren Buffet says to do: Make a list of the top 25 things you want to accomplish in life. Number them in order of importance. Now circle your top 5. Cross off the other 20 items and avoid them at all costs. Those are now your Not-To-Do-Items. They will be the things that prevent you from accomplishing your top five.
Doubt
Don’t fake it till you make. Make it till you make it. (I think I read this on a bumper sticker or fortune cookie).
Anything worth doing is going to stretch your confidence. It’s ok to have doubts, you just can’t let them stop you.
Either prove yourself right or prove yourself wrong, but letting doubt to stop you from trying makes you dead on arrival.
Avoid these impediments to growth and stay connected, creative, and highly accomplished.
