Success comes in various forms and sizes, and achieving it involves multiple factors. Therefore, success is not an easy matter. This article will discuss one reason why we fail to achieve our goals. It is similar to the reasons for success, as there are many factors and reasons involved. Here, we will focus on one reason that might resonate with you, which leads to failure.

The reason for not achieving something here relates to mindset, thoughts, or attitudes, rather than methods. In other words, it can be said that incorrect thinking leads to incorrect methods, much like the saying, "If you get the first button wrong..."

If you want to wake up early, it shouldn't be about trying to wake up early!?

To get straight to the point, many of us tend to define success or set goals “in ways that do not reflect the essence of those goals”. We focus on the symptoms rather than the root causes. To illustrate, consider the following example:

Wanting to wake up early: We think or know that sleeping in is generally not good. Therefore, we “try to wake up early” by setting alarms and finding motivation to get up. This is the usual approach, but the outcome is often that it’s difficult because we feel sleepy and reluctant to get up. We might manage it for a day or two, but on days when we feel lazy, it becomes increasingly harder to wake up. This is quite normal.

In this example, the real challenge may not be waking up early. In fact, we shouldn’t struggle to wake up early at all. If we look closely, the real challenge (mentally) for those who sleep in is going to bed early. Because if you can go to bed early, waking up early becomes much easier. If you want to sleep more, try going to bed by 6 PM and see how that works for you. I believe that if you genuinely commit to going to bed early, it will be much easier to wake up early than if you stay up late and try to wake up early. Don’t you think?

However, if you say you want to keep your current sleeping habits but still wake up early, that seems a bit selfish, expecting things to change without changing yourself. As mentioned, this is about changing your mindset or the first button. Another example is:

Wanting to lose weight: The problem or factors involved in losing weight are not difficult—how to exercise or what to eat to burn off calories. The real issue is how to avoid overeating or consuming unhealthy foods. The challenging part (mentally) is not eating. It’s better to avoid input than to try to burn off bad output. Sitting still and finding enjoyable activities is fine, just don’t eat! Compared to eating and then dragging yourself to exercise, the first option is actually much easier. Just think about it: sitting still is definitely more comfortable than having to run or exercise. Importantly, you might realize that you can only burn off one donut or one cup of coffee after a grueling run! That’s why losing weight is hard; it’s actually the running and exercising that are difficult, not the weight loss itself.

From these two examples, most people tend to try to do things in ways that are difficult to yield results. Sometimes it’s contradictory, like trying to lose weight by focusing on output without controlling input. This is a clear example of misguided effort. Some may argue that both approaches are equally challenging and require effort. While it’s true that not trying at all and expecting to succeed seems odd, sometimes we are trying the wrong methods, which discourages us from trying other approaches. This is why we often fail to achieve our goals. It’s essential to try changing our approach.

The examples provided are merely illustrative and do not encompass all solutions. I do not mean to imply that these are the only or best ways to solve the issues of waking up early or losing weight.

You might argue that waking up early is easier if you genuinely intend to wake up rather than going to bed early, or that exercising is easier than restricting your food intake. However, if we aim for success, I might be wrong. Ultimately, the choice of approach is up to the individual, and whichever method leads to success is valid. But when we fail, we often “choose based on our desires” and do not engage in what we “merely think” is difficult or unlikely to succeed, without considering other perspectives or approaches. In this case, we are not seeing another angle at all, which leads to misguided efforts.

I believe this is a short, insightful article that serves as a good reminder. So, when you want to achieve something, take a good look at why it seems difficult. Is it truly the right mindset, method, or process? Ideally, be brave enough to change your perspective and try different approaches. If you want to get closer to success, because if choosing to follow your desires could lead to success, everyone would have succeeded by now.

This revised article was first published on Facebook Sirichaiwatt on 21/02/2020.

SOURCE: www.sirichaiwatt.com