How To Identify The Five Beliefs That Guarantee Failure

I have seen people succeed, and I have seen many more fail. The success stories have a few things in common, and the failures have their archetypes as well. And one of the strongest differentiators between success and failure is that mindset. In this article, I go over the five beliefs that guarantee failure. No matter how tempted you are to hold any of these, I strongly recommend against it.

Success takes forever, or success is instant.

If you believe that success is instant, you are trying too hard to find get-rich-quick schemes. Or you are giving up on projects before you have put enough hard work in because you assume they have failed way before putting in the time they need to succeed. Alternatively, if you believe success takes forever, you are okay with procrastinating on your plans without making any real progress. Neither of these extremes serves you. The fact is that while success takes time, progress is noticeable almost immediately. You should chase progress and success chases you.

The rich are corrupt and cheated their way to the top.

If you believe the rich cheated to get to the top, you signal to your subconscious that the only way you can succeed is by breaking the rules. At best, this belief will keep you from trying to be rich, and the worst it can do is land you in prison as you try to scam your way into success. You should believe that there are rich people who have gotten rich without being corrupt. This will allow you to focus on getting rich by providing value. 

My past affects my potential.

If you put too much weight into your past, it drags you down. There are two ways the rich use their past. First is by taking valuable lessons from it and forgetting everything, and the second is by using it as a rocket to propel themselves forward. It is handy to sift through your past to look for the things that make you feel like you have to prove something. You can use these to motivate yourself. If you don’t have such a background, it is better to just forget the past and focus all your energy on moving forward. The life you have lived does not define who you are.

You need money to make money.

This belief is one of the most harmful ones because it is partially true. It takes money to make money in many instances. But when someone takes the quote to mean ‘the only way to make money is by having money,’ they effectively excuse themselves from the pursuit of wealth. You can make money by gaining knowledge and providing expertise. You can use the current income you have to strategically multiply your income. Lending money is only one of among hundreds of ways one can provide value. Until you reach the level where you bring value by investing, you should focus on providing value in other ways.

The economy decides my wealth.

Finally, it is the belief that the economy is responsible for the money you make that hurts you the most. Because with this belief, you give control of your fate to the outside world. Instead, you should believe that the economy decides the opportunities, and it is up to you to make the most of those. With such a belief, you will have a realistic outlook of the reality of external factors but will also have control over your own finances.

I leave you in the love and in the light of the One Infinite Intelligence, which is the Creator. Go forth, then, rejoicing in the power and the peace of your dreams.  

Antonio T Smith Jr

You can plan better, you can dominate.