Is it not true that everyone wants to succeed in their career pursuit? But that is not the case because many people fail in their quest. It is often said that the successful are always in the minority, but the wishers are in the majority.
Indeed, many people fail in life and career, and if you are bothered by why, there is a chance that you will get to know more than one reason as I will share six common reasons why people fail in their quest for career success. Quite frankly, let me start by telling you why you will fail to have a great career. I hope this wakes you up!
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Why You Will Fail To Have A Great Career
Over a decade ago, Larry Smith, a career coach and professor of economics at the University of Waterloo in Canada, granted an interview with TED Talk on why you will fail to have a great career. In that interview, Professor Smith linked the reason most people fail to have a great career or job with refusing to follow their passion.
It is clear that there are good jobs and bad ones, in the same way, there are good careers and bad ones. The reality is that what works for one may not work for another. So, it all boils down to what works for you.
One outstanding problem Smith raised was that of excuses. Take, for instance, the usual admonishment that to have a great career and succeed in life, one has to follow a passion and pursue dreams. Smith argued that rather than doing that, people give excuses and fall back on other things. As a result, they fail because their excuses hinder them from their success.
Here is the thing, people fail not because they do not want to succeed, but because they choose the path to failure. Hard talk, right? Yeah, self is the problem. We limit ourselves and hold back our potentials due to situations or circumstances, and end up doing things that do not make us as happy as we should be.
More so, there are six common reasons why people fail in their quest for career success that I want to discuss with you in the next section. So, if career success is a struggle for you, I would ask that you give them thoughtful consideration.
Six Common Reasons Why People Fail In Their Quest For Career Success
People fail to succeed in a career either because they have something they should not, or lack something they should have, and do something they should not and vice versa. I must say that there are several reasons why people fail and there are centered on choices.
The six common reasons people fail in their quest to career success include the fear of failing, a lack of clear sense of purpose, lack of mentorship, lack of self-discipline, lack of resources, and unhealthy habits. I selected these to cover the broader view of possible reasons for failure in career pursuit and will brief you on each of them.
1. The fear of failing.
Some people are interested in a particular career, yet they never attempt to dive in because they feel they would not make it through. The fear of failing is a common reason why people fail in their quest to career success.
Take, for instance, you want to pursue a career in trading and investment but fear that you would lose your money if you ever invest a dime. There you have doubts, and that mindset will not help you succeed. Therefore, you would fail in that career before giving it a try. And many times, if you try that career, you could get the very result of your fears. What should you do? It would help if you dealt with your fears or try something else.
2. Lack of clear sense of purpose.
When it comes to career success, we recommend setting clear goals and objectives that you want to achieve. Sadly, that can be problematic for some people if not many. The reason is because they are not clear on why they should. I can relate to this because I had that challenge as well.
Purpose is what keeps you on course and if you do not have a clear purpose for a career you want to pursue, you will most likely fail in the process. Ask yourself why you want to focus on a particular job and be sure the reason is worth the fight. It can be hard, but being purposeful and determined is a good starting point.
3. Lack of mentorship.
People want to work freely and do whatever they want without any restrictions from anyone else. Therefore, some prefer to embark on their career journey without considering having a mentor or counselor who should guide them through.
Lack of mentorship is a common reason people fail in their quest to career success. Interestingly, you could have a good start, but end up giving up because you did not have enough knowledge and expertise to keep up.
Let me tell you something: we do not only need somebody to lean on, we need someone to guide us right. You can learn from experienced individuals and professionals in your field of interest. It becomes more intense when you have someone watching over what you do and guiding you with the motivation, correction, and expertise you need to succeed in your career. Most especially, having a mentor can make you more serious about your career.
4. Lack of self-discipline.
Career success is not something you dream and wake up to, It is something you work for. There are rules and regulations to guide you on your quest to success and if you do not discipline yourself to do the needful, you will fail.
Lack of self-discipline is a common reason for career failure and many people fail for this reason. You see, growth is something that one has to be deliberate about and committed to, if not, it would not work. All these and more can only be realized by a self-disciplined person. So, I urge you to avoid procrastination and get things done!
5. Lack of resources.
Another common reason for career failure is a lack of resources. This includes financial resources and materials needed to empower a person to pursue their dream career.
Many people complain about not having enough resources to support their desired career and end up not doing anything about it. Some start and stop at some point, and a few try to keep up with the situation.
Take, for instance, education at the very base of it. Some want to become doctors, lawyers, pilots, teachers, and all have you. But if they do not have money for school fees and other necessities, would they be able to succeed? Most likely not, unless they receive some form of support or scholarship.
While in school, I learned a terminology that stuck in my mind. It is called improvisation. Friend, if you have a dream career and lack resources, plan and improvise. You can make something and sell it to get money for what you need or create a community and share something to get people to support you. The worst you can do is nothing.
6. Bad health habits.
If you have never been a victim of unhealthy habits, you deserve applause. I call it a victim because people sometimes resort to these habits due to things that seem to be beyond their control. Habits like sleeplessness, emotional eating, restlessness, and the like, can hinder you from having a successful career.
I was there. I was restless and sleepless, and sometimes I ate emotionally. Do you know what happened? I got burnout and depressed because I could not keep up with everything and my health condition was deteriorating. What is the point in giving all of you to achieve success in something you would not live to enjoy? If you are in this category, you need to strike a balance between work and life. Ensure you get enough rest, and eat healthy food.
The Way Forward
Have you read or watched Frankenstein? If yes, you will be familiar with the name Robert Walton, a character taken by an actor and producer called Aidan Quinn in the movie. You may ask why I am bringing this up, so let me get straight to the point. Walton is known as a polar explorer and ship captain, but did you know that was not his dream career? If not, what happened? He failed.
I guess you would be asking, In what career did Walton fail? He failed in his dream career of becoming a poem writer or you can call it a poet. But that was not popular knowledge or a point of emphasis because he went on to pursue another career that he was greatly known for.
Failure is not the end. It could be part of the process, a turning point, or a means to an end, but it is not the end, neither is success. You may fail in a career, but that does not mean you cannot try again. It could be a signal to try something else that would be best for you. But this time, you do it with the experience you have gathered, including the elements you missed in previous trials. The way forward is forward, and I wish you well.
