3 main reasons for failure in life

Typically, in the pursuit of success, we try to learn from those who have already achieved it. But it is equally useful and instructive to become acquainted with the reverse side of success. What is the cause of failure? Why did they chase some people and do not catch up with the others? Can we learn to avoid failure? Let's try to understand.

If we try to identify and classify the main reasons for the defeat, in the most general form, they will look as follows:

1. Tactics. This is a mistake, "How do?", That is a bad way of doing.
2. Strategy. This is a mistake, "What should I do?", That is the wrong choice of ways to achieve the goal.
3. Goal setting. This is a mistake, "Why did I do?", That is a false statement, you unnecessary problems.

Let's look at each of these factors in more detail.

Error in tactics

Sam Carpenter (Sam Carpenter) started its business in 1984. He invested his money in a company Centratel, which provides telephone dispatcher for doctors, veterinarians, electricians, and people of other professions, which often cause the phone. However, not everything went as planned.

Over the next 15 years (!), Sam worked 80 to 100 hours a week, almost without any advance forward.

Imagine the most mentally and physically depleted human, and then multiply it by 10. That's the way I was. It was a terrible time. I was about to declare bankruptcy.

Sam Carpenter, entrepreneur, author

However, at this critical moment, he decided to try to change everything. Sam is literally under the microscope reviewed all business processes of the company and issued detailed rules for each of them.

How to make presentation the new service? How to recharge the subscriber count? How to apply and give it to the Executive? step by step guide has been compiled for each procedure to be followed all employees.

More amazing happened. Workweek Carpenter rapidly decreased from 100 hours to less than 10 hours per week. He was no longer needed, to extinguish every emergency situation, because employees were detailed instructions for any occasion. Quality and speed of their work increased, and Centratel the company's revenues grew by 40%.

How to avoid tactical mistakes

1. Capture your actions.
2. Measure results.
3. Adjust your tactics and return to the first item.

Error in strategy

In March 1999, Jeff Bezos (Jeff Bezos), the founder of Amazon, decided to try the new direction of the company. First it was Amazon Auctions - service that enables anyone to sell anything. Resounding failure. Then we decided to open a service Amazon zShops, enabling companies of any size to create your trading platform on Amazon. It suffered the same deplorable fate.

I've invested billions of dollars in bad projects within Amazon.com. Literally billions.

Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon

However, diehard Jeff decided to create another platform for third-party sellers. In November 2000, it was launched on Amazon Marketplace, which provides the ability to sell new and second-hand goods on Amazon's site. The strategy worked. Currently, the share of Marketplace is nearly 50% of total sales on Amazon.com.

How to avoid policy mistakes

1. Starts quickly.
2. Do not invest all your money.
3. Analyze achievements. In their absence, looking for a new strategy and a return to the first item.

Error in the definition of objectives

Raymond Kroc (Raymond Albert Kroc) to 50 years did not have any outstanding achievements. All his designs are regularly failed because in the end he became a traveling salesman offering a variety of cafes and restaurants to buy paper cups. Everything changed at that moment, when he stepped into the diner McDonald brothers. It is here that came to him the idea of ​​organizing a network of fast food outlets McDonald's, which has made the author of one of the 100 most important people of the century according to the magazine Time.

The two most important requirements for a great success: first, to be in the right place at the right time, and secondly, to do something for it.

Raymond Kroc, founder of McDonald's Corporation

Incorrect definition of the objectives - the most destructive to the success of the type of error. It occurs when your internal needs and desires do not coincide with those that you impose on society, relatives or circumstances. In this case, what would you strategy or tactics or used, big success in sight.

How to avoid decoys

1. Sometimes take a break and listen to their inner feelings. Learn to appreciate them.
2. Look his passion. It is this: not the desire, not a dream and not a pleasure, and passion.
3. Ignore the critics. Critique - a very useful thing when you need to fix the strategic or tactical errors. But at this level, it only hurts.

Of course, this article presents a too superficial scheme of origin of failures. Yes, there are complex relationships and interactions between each level that can change this pattern recognition. And yet it is not necessary to dismiss the individual characteristics of each person and the environment in which it is located.

If you've read this far, I hope, an article appeared useful to you. Maybe it will help explain the causes of past mistakes, or will encounter unexpected solutions of accumulated problems. Share your thoughts about it in the comments?