Failure – it’s the one word that has the vast majority of people quaking at the knees preventing them from achieving even a fraction of their true potential. A lot of great dreams and ambitions die a slow and painful death in the face of repeated failure. Here are 5 big reasons why you fail and the things you can do to overcome them:

1.  You Don’t Have a Purpose
Purposeful living requires that you have a goal for your life – a reason why. If you find contentment in drifting slowly across the open water like a ship without a rudder, it is unlikely you will get anywhere important or do anything significant with your life. Purposeful living asks that you set goals for your life, show up and take concrete steps to fulfill your ambitions. Ask yourself what your reason why is. Live with purpose.

2.  You’re Afraid to Be Different
The most memorable achievements in life have been accomplished from a space of daring to be different. It’s all too easy to be one of the many sheep in the flock, blending into the background and finding safety in the comfort of being “like everybody else”. But nothing great comes out of conformity.

Always be willing to challenge, question, and think outside the box. You may lose a few popularity votes, friends, and opportunities along the way but you’ll be happier and more fulfilled if you embrace your own uniqueness, follow your own true worth and be who you really want to be.

3.  You Give Up Way Too Easily
It’s so easy to throw in the towel when things get tough and then you obsess over why you fail at everything. Thomas Edison, the prolific innovator could have done just that. Instead, in his own words, he “found 10,000 ways that didn’t work” on his path to creating the world’s first commercially viable light bulb. Hopefully, you won’t have to work through 10,000 different prototype bulbs to succeed. Keep at it and don’t give up. Persevere. Success may just be that one light bulb away.

4.  You Don’t Want it Badly Enough
Passion is the one essential precursor to achieving anything of real value. If you don’t want something badly enough, don’t be surprised if you don’t get it. Think, dream, breathe and live your desires. Spend time learning everything about what you want to create. Ideate and brainstorm the many facets of how to reach your goals. Engage with like-minded souls. Do everything you can to stay passionate. Opportunities have a way of magically finding you when your intentions are clear and set firmly in your mind.

5.  You Won’t Take Charge
Playing the victim card can lull you into a false sense of inability. There can be any number of reasons for failure in your life ranging from family background to debilitating life circumstances. Realize that no one else can save you but you. If you keep making excuses for not trying because of how unfairly life treats you, it’s time to start asking yourself whether you want to continue to live a life on other people’s terms. Take charge of your life and be responsible for the life you create every single moment, every single day.

There’s really only two ways you can look at failure. It can be the reason you stop living your life fully or it can be just a temporary stumbling block onto what could potentially be your most exceptional achievement yet. The choice, as always, is yours.

With the guidance of a coach, you can overcome challenges more easily so that you stay on track and achieve your goals.