In order to gain any measure of success in life it is first required that you take some sort of action. Success comes in many shapes and forms and can vary from person to person. The achievements we refer to here can be athletic, scholastic, financial, personal or professional. With that said not everybody's measure of success will be the same and is usually based upon their own personal contentment.

Regardless of varying standards people use for measuring success there are certain obstacles that keep many from achieving success. Some may be physical in nature while others more psychological but the effects are the same nonetheless. By recognizing these obstacles we can learn to better understand and overcome them in an effort to make for a richer and more meaningful life.

Here are the 5 common obstacles that hinder the efforts of many from achieving success in whatever may be the focus of their pursuits.

Fear of Failure

Many people have a great fear of failing for what it may do to their own self esteem or the way they are perceived within a peer group. As a result it is all too common for people to NOT even attempt to accomplish certain tasks or goals. For many their fear of failure is stronger than the anticipation or reward of their success.

Fear of Success

Huh? Who could possibly fear success since it normally results in a gain or improvement in some form or fashion? Well the fact of the matter is with success comes a possible 'change' that many may not be comfortable with. Even though the change is for the better it still 'disrupts' a pattern or environment to which they have grown familiar. With familiarity comes comfort therefore this change is disrupting the previous 'comfort' zone.

Another fear of success stems from the higher level of expectations many associate with achieving success. The better you are or the higher you rank the more that is expected from you and with that comes PRESSURE.

Lack of Skills

Although this is normally something commonly identified as an obstacle to achieving success many people overlook that skills can be acquired. Too quickly they may judge that they lack the skills and then give up immediately or do not even try. What this really shows is that their motivation is not strong enough to acquire the necessary skills and therefore the goal probably was not a good goal for them to set.

Lack of Resources

Along the same lines as skills if you lack the resources to reach a goal or achieve success there are 'usually' ways to find the resources. If your drive is strong enough and you want it badly enough you will find a way. Again this indicates a lack of motivation. And speaking of…………

Lack of Motivation

There are many reasons for the lack of motivation in people and they stem from upbringing, continual reinforcement or perhaps a particular life experience. A lack of motivation can be overcome depending upon the person and/or circumstances. In most cases this can be address by changing certain habits or patterns of thought but the person must FIRST really want this change.

To gain any measure of success in life there first needs to be some type of action taken. As we have mentioned everybody has different ways of measuring success but that is not our focus here. There exist obstacles that are common to many which serve to block them from achieving success in whatever pursuit they may undertake. These obstacles are both physical and psychological in nature and are very real. By identifying these barriers that keep us from achieving success in certain areas we can learn how to best overcome them. To do this successfully will result in a life of contentment as opposed to one of continual frustration.