I firmly believe that its possible to have everything we want. When I've questioned people that seem to have everything they desire as to how they got it all, invariably the reply is something like this: Do you have any idea how hard I've worked to get this? What appears to be an effortless accumulation of wealth and possession is the result of massive and continual action toward specific goals.
People who take action, even small steps on a daily basis, accomplish much more that people who don't. An example of this is fitness expert, Covert Bailey. By committing to a goal of writing just one page per day, he was able to complete his first book in under one year. He states that if he had tried to write the entire book within a shorter timeframe, it would have been much harder to complete.
People who fail to act are instead acted upon by circumstances, by laziness, and if their inactivity becomes habitual, eventually by disease. There is truth in the saying, A rolling stone gathers no moss.

REASONS PEOPLE OFTEN FAIL TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN LIFE
One of the reasons people often fail to get what they want out of life is that they lack a systematic plan for success. We've often heard those who fail to plan, plan to fail. On the other hand, those who take the time to design their ultimate goals usually end accomplishing those and often, much more. Similar to an unplanned vacation, unless we consult a map that outlines our journey we have no idea where were going and likewise wont know when or if we've arrived. Getting what you want in life, whether its success, more money, a satisfying relationship, or a better job, requires a systematic plan.

Some people who do make set goals still don't get what they want because they set goals that are too difficult to attain, or too easy to reach which results in the absence of any sense of positive accomplishment. Setting goals that are realistic for the individual is paramount in outlining a plan of action for achieving them.

Another reason for failing to get what you want is never writing out a goal on paper. Most people think about writing down their goals but see little profit to seeing them on paper. When properly written, a goal statement can be a motivating factor and spur you on to greater accomplishment. Some students of mine place three by five cards that contain a motivating goal-statement in places of high visibility, such as the bathroom mirror, their office desk, or the refrigerator, as a visual reminder of their goals. By repeatedly seeing their goals they are reminded of daily actions necessary for goal achievement.

The fourth reason people often fail to fulfill their dreams is that circumstances get in their way. They find numerous excuses not to take action. The car isn't running well so a job interview across town is out of the question. The weather is damp, so why go out for that jog like they promised themselves. When excuses become paramount, they occupy a position that is much closer to our dream than we are. Excuses are usually convenient ways to avoid responsibility and accountability.

Finally, not getting what you want out of life can be attributed to clinging to false or limiting beliefs about your ability to accomplish a goal and fulfill your dreams. I'm convinced that people fear success more than failure. This, at first seems paradoxical. But I believe that success, for some individuals, represents such a departure from all that's safe and secure, that they actually sabotage their efforts to succeed. Such is the case of the person who desires a career change, but is unwilling to learn a new trade or skill in order to achieve the goal of getting out of their boring job. Not surprising, they find themselves in the same job day after day complaining to anyone who might listen. Instead of taking action and making a commitment to pursue new knowledge, they wallow in self-inflicted victimization. Dr. Bobbie Sommer in her book Psychocybernetics 2000, stated quote- There aren't a lot of victims in life, but there sure a good many volunteers. unquote. Embracing the victim mentality only further debilitates us and reduces our self-confidence, which result in diminished effort and action toward goals.
Before we go any further, complete this exercise. Take a few minutes and jot down a few excuses, reasons, or obstacles that may have impeded your progress in reaching goals in the past. Save this list for review later in the tape. Go ahead and turn off the tape and complete this list.

HOW TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS
Obstacles are a fact of life. No one is immune from their presence. Success in life, is largely determined by how well we overcome the obstacles in our way. We can choose to go around them, climb over them, or in other ways conquer them or we can choose to allow them to hinder our progress. Those who choose the role of victim, allow obstacles to prevent any progress or forward movement. They say that they have no choice, but in reality they are making a choice to empower the obstacle rather than their ability to overcome it.
I use a simple process for dis-empowering obstacles. The process can be reduced to the word: craft. C.R.A.F.T. This is an acronym where each letter stands for a word or phrase that helps deal with obstacles. Lets look at these right now.

When confronted by an obstacle that threatens to prevent your success or the achievement of a goal, stop and verbally say the word Cancel! By using this word, you are in effect saying that the obstacle, whether its a negative thought pattern or an old psychological script, has no real power over you. Tony Robbins, one my personal heroes in the area of personal growth, says that he links massive amounts of pain and suffering to these negative thoughts. Whenever he is confronted by a negative thought that might impede his progress, he thinks about the ultimate consequences of not achieving his goal. For instance, lets say your goal is to lose 20 pounds by bikini season. Every time you find yourself standing at the refrigerator, or saying things like Ill never lose any weight, cancel those negative behavior patterns immediately. Visualize yourself at three-hundred pounds in the new bikini. Imagine how you would feel in that situation. Then, ask your self if standing in front of the refrigerator is the best action to take. Chances are, if done correctly, this might be the last time you stand in front of the refrigerator sightseeing!

The second component of dis-empowering obstacles begins the letter R. It stands for Replace. Replace the negative thought patterns- that little voice inside telling you to forget about losing weight because you've failed so many times in the past- replace that thought pattern with a positive verbal statement that reinforces your desired direction. Instead of lusting after the apple pie ala mode, say out loud, I'm losing 20 pounds before summer. I will look awesome and Ill be the envy of all. Replacing the negative patterns with positive ones will redirect your focus.
Tony Robbins links massive pleasure with positive thought patterns. Following this advice, we could now visualize ourselves in that new bikini, tan, muscles defined, walking gracefully across the surf at sunset. Imagine how good and pleasurable it would feel to be in that position. Once again, if done correctly, chances are excellent that you will walk in the surf at sunset sporting your new bikini.

Next is the letter A. Affirm your image of success. In the case mentioned earlier, after slamming the door on the refrigerator, after visualizing your success, tell yourself that your goal of losing 20 pounds before bikini season is achievable and that your are able to do it. Then go ahead and take the apple instead of the apple pie!

Focusing on achieving your goal is the next step toward disempowering obstacles. Positive affirmation and visualization of goal directed behavior is a momentum building experience. We focus our visualization of the feelings and pleasure we will experience when we reach our destination. NASA astronauts rehearse thousands of times each and every step of an entire mission before going into space. They mentally and physically rehearse their ultimate success. After this many trial runs, the actual achievement of the goal become second nature.

This brings us to the fifth component, Training. The T stands for training ourselves in the achievement of the goal. We now act as if we've already accomplished the goal. We act as if we've lost the 20 pounds. We go window shopping for the new bikini. We stick to our plan of exercise and good nutrition in order to maintain our weight. We act as is we've achieved the goal. This reinforces in our sub-conscious mind the reality of achieving our goals. The sub-conscious mind inherently believes everything the conscious mind tells it. It we continually say to ourselves that we are losing the twenty pounds and act as if we have done so, the sub-conscious mind is convinced of the validity of the goal and silently approves of our behavior. The negative thought patterns decrease in both frequency and intensity and are gradually replaced with positive behaviors that lead us to goal achievement.
By using these five simple steps; Canceling negative thoughts and habits, Replacing those with positive thoughts, Affirming your new image of success, Focusing on our abilities to excel, and Training ourselves to act for lasting change, we can eliminate any negative influences that might hinder our success.