Why 99% of People Fail in Life: Lessons from Successful People
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Take a moment to look at the image above—a cozy home nestled among vibrant flowers and palm trees, complete with a waterfall and a tranquil pond. This isn’t just a beautiful scene; it’s a symbol of success—brought to life through vision, action, choice, and purpose (and with a little help from AI). It’s not perfect—and that’s perfectly okay(see below to find out why).
Some people build lives like this—intentional, abundant, and aligned with their dreams. Others struggle, never reaching their potential. Why?
Every day, you make decisions that either move you toward success or keep you stuck with the 99% who never reach their goals.
Success isn’t about luck, genetics, or even raw intelligence. It’s about choices, habits, vision, and mindset. Yet, despite this truth, 99% of people fail to create the life they want.
The world's most accomplished people—from Ben Franklin to Warren Buffett—all agree: failure isn't accidental, it's predictable. And more importantly - avoidable.
Here are the key reasons most people fail, and how you can rewrite your story to join the 1% who succeed.
1. They Have No Clarity on Who They Are or Who They Want to Be
1. They Have No Clarity on Who They Are or Who They Want to Be
Most people drift through life without a clear vision of their identity, purpose, or goals. They imitate others instead of defining their own path.
"The first step to success is self-awareness. If you don’t know who you are, how can you decide who you want to become?"
– Ben Franklin
Successful people define their values, study those they admire, and consciously shape their character.
2. They Look for Quick Fixes Instead of Long-Term Solutions
2. They Look for Quick Fixes Instead of Long-Term Solutions
Most people want overnight success—a lottery win, a quick fix, or a shortcut to wealth. But true success is built through consistent effort over time.
"All overnight success takes about 10 years."
–Jeff Bezos
"If everything you do needs to work on a three-year time horizon, then you’re competing against a lot of people. But if you’re willing to invest on a seven-year time horizon, you’re now competing against a fraction of those people."
–Jeff Bezos
The 1% think in decades, not days.
3. They Want to Take Instead of Give
3. They Want to Take Instead of Give
Failure often comes from a scarcity mindset—believing success is a zero-sum game where you must take from others. The most successful people give first.
"Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process."
–Jim Rohn
"The secret to living is giving."
–Tony Robbins
"Generosity is the best investment."
–Diane von Furstenberg
I love this one: "The more you give, the more comes back to you, because God is the greatest giver in the universe, and He won't let you outgive Him. Go ahead and try. See what happens."
–Randy Alcorn
The phrase "God is the greatest giver in the universe, and He won't let you outgive Him" means that no matter how generous you are—no matter how much you give to others in terms of time, money, love, or kindness—God will always give you back even more. It reflects a belief that God is infinitely generous, and when you act with a giving spirit, you will be rewarded, often in unexpected and abundant ways.
However, this doesn’t mean that simply giving a lot of something—especially if it lacks real value—will bring great reward. True giving isn’t about convenience or excess. It’s not about offering what’s leftover or easy to spare. Real generosity begins when you give something meaningful, something valuable—something that costs you.
The most powerful gifts are those that are in demand, needed by others, and even significant to you. True generosity costs something. It might be uncomfortable. It might stretch you. But that’s the very reason it becomes transformational. So, when you give—give something so good, so valuable, that the world feels it.
Success, in this context, is a byproduct of sacrificial and intentional giving—not quantity, but quality.
The universe rewards value creators, not value extractors!
4. They Want Success Now Instead of Later
4. They Want Success Now Instead of Later
Most people sacrifice the future for instant gratification—spending instead of investing, partying instead of learning, chasing hype instead of mastery.
"Successful people plant trees they’ll never sit under."
–Greek Proverb
"The big money is not in the buying or the selling, but in the waiting."
–Charlie Munger
Example: Look at the home prices: in 1940, the average home price in Canada was $4,000. Fast forward 84 years to 2024, and that price has skyrocketed to $602,224—a staggering 14,950% increase.
Delayed gratification is the superpower of the 1%.
5. They Want to Be Helped Instead of Helping Others
5. They Want to Be Helped Instead of Helping Others
The average person asks, "What can the world do for me?"
The successful ask, "What can I do for the world?"
"You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want."
–Zig Ziglar
"It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed."
–Napoleon Hill
You must add value before you ask for anything.
This principle also echoes a common mistake discussed above: many people want to take instead of give. They show up with open hands instead of open hearts — expecting referrals, help, or favors without first earning trust or demonstrating value. But real influence and opportunities flow to those who give first.
When you focus on genuinely helping others you lay the foundation for lasting, meaningful connections.
In a world where everyone is trying to get ahead, the people who truly stand out are those who ask, “How can I help?” before, “What’s in it for me?”
It’s a subtle but powerful mindset shift—a complete 180 from the norm. Instead of thinking, “What can I get from this person?” the question becomes, “What can I offer them?” It transforms networking from a self-serving tactic into a value-driven philosophy.
So, if you want to grow your network—and your net worth—start by flipping the script: Give first. Give often. And give without keeping score.
Help enough people, and success becomes inevitable.
6. They Want Money But Don’t Understand How It’s Earned
6. They Want Money But Don’t Understand How It’s Earned
Most people chase money without understanding the principles behind wealth creation.
They focus on getting rich instead of becoming valuable.
Again, money is a byproduct of providing value. If you focus on value, money follows.
“Money is usually attracted, not pursued.”
–Jim Rohn
“The secret to wealth is simple: Find a way to do more for others than anyone else does. Become more valuable. Do more. Give more. Be more. Serve more.”
–Tony Robbins
And of course… learn how to earn!
"The more you learn, the more you earn."
–Warren Buffett
It always amazes me:
If someone wants to become an engineer, they study for years.
If someone wants to be a doctor, they might dedicate over a decade of their life to learning and training.
But when it comes to making money, many people think all they need is luck—or some shady shortcut or "secret scheme."
Wealth isn’t magic. It’s the result of learning, growing, serving, and consistently adding value.
Wealth isn’t about luck. It’s about skill, leverage, and solving problems.
7. They Listen to the Wrong People (99% of People Are Wrong)
7. They Listen to the Wrong People (99% of People Are Wrong)
Most advice is bad advice because most people are not successful. If you take advice from the average, expect average results.
The majority is usually wrong. If 99% of people agree on something, question it.
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
–Mark Twain
"You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with."
–Jim Rohn
So, consensus is often a warning sign, not a validation. That truth can sting — even make you angry. But the hardest truths often burn because they force us to confront reality.
"What is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right.”
–Albert Einstein
Choose mentors carefully—success leaves clues.
8. They Wait for the "Perfect" Move
8. They Wait for the "Perfect" Move
Most people spend their lives waiting for the perfect opportunity—the perfect job, the perfect idea, the perfect moment to start. They want guarantees before they begin, perfect conditions before they move. But life doesn't work that way. The Marines understand this better than anyone:
"By the time you figure out the perfect move, you're dead."
The truth? Success doesn’t care if you’re ready.
"You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great."
–Zig Ziglar
Winners don’t wait for clarity—they create it. They start before they’re ready, learn by doing, and adapt as they go.
"Done is better than perfect."
–Sheryl Sandberg
Here's the uncomfortable truth nobody wants to hear: you will never feel truly ready. That book won't write itself while you wait for inspiration. That business won't start while you search for the perfect plan. That fitness journey won't begin while you wait for Monday, or the New Year, or some imaginary future version of yourself who has more time, more money, more confidence.
Look around at those who've achieved what you want to achieve. Did they wait? The answer is always no. They started with what they had, where they were. They understood that clarity comes through action, not before it. They knew that the first attempt would be flawed, the second slightly better, and that mastery only comes through persistent doing.
Example: Jeff Bezos didn’t wait for Amazon to be perfect—he built it from a garage. He didn’t know it would become a giant. He just started.
Every day you spend waiting is a day you'll never get back. While you hesitate, someone else is taking action. While you research endlessly, someone else is learning through experience. While you wait for permission, someone else is claiming their place. Time doesn’t care about your excuses or readiness — it only respects action.
Begin today. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Right now, with whatever you have. Read that first chapter. Make that first call. Write that first draft. Take that first step. The path will reveal itself as you walk it, not while you stand still planning your route.
This isn't about motivation. This is about a simple decision - to remain where you are, or to start moving toward where you want to be. The world doesn't reward those who wait for perfect conditions. It rewards those who have the courage to begin.
So, waiting for the "right time" is a trap. The right time doesn’t exist!
Do not like it?
You already know—you do not have to.
Reality, truth, and wisdom won’t change just because they make you uncomfortable.
9. They Run from Failure Instead of Learning from It
9. They Run from Failure Instead of Facing It
Most people fear failure so much that they never take real risks. They stick to safety, never realizing that failure is the price of greatness—the price you pay to cross into the extraordinary.
Every empire, every legendary success was built on a mountain of wrecked attempts. The Wright brothers crashed. Edison burned through 10,000 failures. Steve Jobs was fired from Apple—the company he created—only to return years later and turn it into the most valuable company in history. Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for "lacking imagination" and went bankrupt multiple times before building his empire. Oprah Winfrey was demoted from her first TV job for being "too emotionally invested" in stories—the very quality that later made her iconic.
Every legend was first a laughingstock. Every genius was once called a fool.
But they didn’t just survive failure—they needed it. Because mastery isn’t born in victory. It’s forged in the fire of relentless, brutal, humiliating defeat.
"Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently."
–Henry Ford
"Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success."
–Robert Kiyosaki
The 1% don’t just bounce back from failure—they weaponize it. They know: "You don’t lose. You either win or you learn."
Failure isn’t the enemy—inaction is.
The real failure? Never trying at all. Stop running from defeat—lean into it, learn, and grow stronger.
"You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take."
–Wayne Gretzky
10. They Lack Integrity
10. They Lack Integrity
Warren Buffett’s hiring rule:
"We look for intelligence, energy, and integrity. If they don’t have the last one, the first two will kill you."
Without integrity, talent is dangerous. The most successful people build trust—with partners, employees, and customers.
Success isn’t about luck or the absence of failure. It isn’t handed to you—it’s built. It’s the result of intentional choices, relentless action, and the resilience to learn from setbacks.
The top 1% thrive because they think long-term, lead with value, and operate with integrity.
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Hi, I'm Eugene
Founder of FloridianHome.ca
Hi, I'm Eugene
Founder of FloridianHome.ca
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