5 Challenges You’ll Face When Achieving Personal Success

Defining one’s goals is an essential ingredient to achieving personal success.

People who have a clear vision of what their dreams are more likely to succeed. In fact, those who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them.

But, this is only the first step. What separates successful people from those who aren’t? How they react to challenges that are thrown at them.

Everyone has their own unique journey and hardships to face. However, there are some issues that everyone will experience at one time or another.

The path towards success is never easy. Here are five common challenges and the ways successful people deal with them.

1. Self-Doubt and Fear

There aren’t many people in the world who can say they’ve never felt fear or self-doubt. It’s natural to experience these emotions, especially when tackling a new goal.

Avoiding fear and doubt isn’t possible, but overcoming it is.

Fear on its own isn’t negative. When people feel fear or self-doubt, it can mean they’re pushing themselves in a positive direction. Being challenged is the only way to get to the next level of success.

These feelings are detrimental to success when they become limiting. That might mean deciding not to take a chance because of a fear of failure.

It can also mean subconsciously sabotaging opportunities that seem daunting.

Overcoming These Feelings

To overcome fear and doubt, a person should look into why and how it is affecting them. Some people are afraid of failure. Surprisingly, other people can be afraid of success and not even realize it.

Doing some soul-searching in this area can be helpful. Asking questions like,

“If I took this leap into the unknown, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“What happens if all my dreams come true? Would I feel like a fraud?”

Anytime feelings of doubt or fear creep in, it’s important to recognize them. Not push them away.

Then decide whether those fears are real. More often than not, fear is completely imagined. Sometimes, fear is just misunderstood excitement.

When feelings of self-doubt creep in, often using a mantra can be helpful. Something simple will do, like, “I am smart, capable, and good at my job.”

Facing these feelings head-on is the best way to overcome them. As it’s been said, “the only way out, is through.”

2. Negative People

Negative people are annoying, but they can also be detrimental to personal success.

Sharing personal and professional goals with friends can feel exciting. It can also help with accountability. It’s embarrassing to abandon a goal when everyone knows about it.

However, it’s important to be aware of who is worthy of being told these dreams. These kinds of toxic people might be pessimistic or prone to jealousy.

Friends who have constructive criticisms aren’t necessarily negative people. Sometimes it’s important to hear those difficult opinions. If friends have genuine concerns or critiques, it doesn’t hurt to listen.

But, like fear, when those comments start to hinder personal success it’s time to address it.

Establishing Boundaries

Friends who contribute to feelings of self-doubt need to be held at arm’s length. It might also mean ending it completely.

Sometimes, cutting eliminating toxic people isn’t possible. When a family member or boss is creating negativity, boundaries must be set.

One step towards creating boundaries is saying them out loud. Let those people know that some subjects won’t be discussed with them because of their negativity.

3. Personal Accountability

It’s easy to lose sight of goals simply because of a lack of personal accountability. There’s so much going on in day-to-day life.

Being a parent gets in the way. Keeping up with other responsibilities takes up time and energy. Working on a new goal in between going to work can seem impossible.

It’s normal to start to lose motivation. The important thing is to keep powering through. Sometimes it’s a matter of faking it until you make it.

Keeping Accountable

One way to keep personal accountability is to outsource it. Find a group of supportive, like-minded people who also have goals to achieve.

Sharing dreams and plans to achieve them with other positive people keeps you honest.

Another way to keep accountable is to make prioritized to-do lists. Put a reward system in place. Knowing that when something is accomplished a small prize awaits will boost motivation.

4. Finding Time for Self-Care

While keeping up with personal accountability is important, knowing when to relax is too. Going too hard for too long will eventually lead to burnout.

Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s something that everyone should prioritize as much as they prioritize work.

A happy, emotionally stable person is more resilient. It becomes easier to deal with life’s little setbacks when in a relaxed and positive state of mind.

How to Find the Time

Schedule self-care time way in advance if that’s necessary. If the only way to carve out some personal time is by scheduling a babysitter a month in advance, do it.

Self-care also doesn’t have to be that time-consuming. Taking a few minutes to read a magazine or taking a walk in nature during a lunch break are great forms of self-care.

5. Letting Go of What Can’t Be Changed

This is tough, but necessary for success. What happened in the past and what will happen in the future is up in the air.

That’s why it’s important not to obsess over the things that could have been done differently. It’s not productive to wallow over the injustices you’ve suffered or bad hands you’ve been dealt.

It might not have been fair, but obsessing over it will only slow down the journey to personal success.

How to Let Go

Remember to stay in the moment. Getting into meditation can be helpful.

Work on letting go of anger and resentments from the past. Try not to focus on what could happen in the future. It’s difficult and it takes practice, but working on it is worthwhile for personal and professional development.

Personal Success Is a Journey

As with any journey, there will always be new roadblocks popping up. No one can avoid life’s hiccups, both big and small. Successful people just know how to deal with these challenges constructively.

Maintaining a sense of humor is also helpful when trying to achieve personal success. Check out these funny gifs for a dose of laughter.