Why People Fail: The 16 Obstacles to Success and How You Can Overcome Them [Hardcover]

Siimon Reynolds (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2011

Silver Medal Winner, Success and Motivation, 2012 Axiom Business Book Awards

An essential guide for mastering failure in order to achieve your goals

Success is often just a moment—a goal fulfilled, soon to be replaced with new goals. But failure is the ambitious person's constant companion, often dogging us for months, years or even decades before we finally reach our aim. In the groundbreaking book Why People Fail, Siimon Reynolds, one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs, explores the main causes of failure, in any field, and reveals solutions for overcoming them and creating a successful personal and professional life.

Why People Fail offers strategies and ideas for defeating the sixteen most common failure habits such as destructive thinking, low productivity, stress, fixed mindset, lack of daily rituals, and more.

• Outlines the common habits that lead to failure and shows how to overcome them
• Features dozens of tips and exercises to help increase business and personal success
• Written by Siimon Reynolds, an internationally recognized expert on high performance and business excellence

Many people have changed their lives by mastering just one of the timeless principles in this book. Master five or ten and your life will rocket to a totally new level.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is a book on success disguised as a book on failure. A little like real life. Straightforward, clear, and actionable.”
—Seth Godin, author, Poke the Box

“Why People Fail is a wonderful gem of a book. Reynolds hasdone all of us an extraordinary service by reading and listeningto everything there is on self-improvement, testing it in his life, discovering what works, and then pulling it all together for us to use. It is a stunning collection of practical tips, proven techniques, and useful advice on how to make your life more meaningful and fulfilling. Buy this book and put it to use today, and tomorrow you'll be on your way to turning your failures into successes.”
—Jim Kouzes, bestselling author, The Leadership Challenge and Credibility, and The Dean's Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business, Santa Clara University

“Reynolds has done it again! In Why People Fail, the successful entrepreneur and internationally-recognized expert on achievement shows business leaders, educators, coaches, and anyone who's struggled to succeed, how to incorporate a handful of simple ideas into a powerful plan for triumph.”
—Marshall Goldsmith, bestselling author, MOJO and What Got You Here Won't Get You There

From the Inside Flap

Success is often just a moment—a goal fulfilled, soon to be replaced with new goals. But failure is the ambitious person's constant companion, often dogging us for months, years or even decades before we finally reach our aim.

Siimon Reynolds transformed himself from a directionless twenty-something (in his own words, "one of the most disorganized people I've ever known") into the founder of one of the largest marketing services firms in the world by identifying the habits that lead people down the wrong path and then by consciously avoiding them. In Why People Fail, he draws on that experience to explore the main causes of failure and presents proven strategies and tips for defeating the sixteen most common behaviors that lead to failure such as destructive thinking, low productivity, not asking the right questions, holding on to a fixed mindset, not following daily rituals, and more. Surprising, entertaining, and inspiring, Why People Fail will you help you drop the behaviors that hold you back and reach your full potential for success in your professional and personal life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1118106172
• ISBN-13: 978-1118106174
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #333,909 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Are you positioning yourself and your family for failure or success? November 10, 2011

By Booklover

Format:Hardcover

Highly recommend for business-minded achievers and even family-minded readers. For example, did you know that drinking less coffee, or thinking about an octopus can help you succeed? Or, that your client roster can double from an outrageous and ridiculous idea like being rude? Parents, did you know that you can increase your child's potential for success each and every night by ensuring they don't sleep in a room with a night-light?

Reynolds offers research-based studies and makes a case on failure and success being highly predictable inside Why People Fail. Reynolds, a high achiever and business coach for companies including, Apple, BP, Citibank, IBM, IKEA, Sony, and Volvo, has been studying the science of failure and success as related to human behavior for more than 20 years. During this time, he isolated 16 barriers to success and presents them alongside research-based facts, along with rules, exercises, and techniques for surmounting failure, such as:

* Devote 30 minutes each day toward mastering your industry. "Within just one year, I guarantee your coworkers will consider you an absolute expert in your field," states Reynolds.

* Pause for a minute and appreciate the momentous impact of the following con- cept: You may not be the person you think you are. Research has proven that the average person has around 60,000-70,000 thoughts a day, but the extraordinary fact is that around 70 percent of those thoughts are recycled from yesterday. We believe that we are thinking new thoughts, but in reality our think based processes are mechanical and highly conditioned to our environments and beliefs. The key is to retrain your brain.

* Enhance your relationships, and subsequently yourself, by identifying Inner and Outer Circles of Influence.... Use social media applications like Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn to expand and strengthen personal and professional relationships.

* Fail and persist. It's not a secret that society is more accustomed to titles like How People Succeed. In fact, there are very few books on failure. By titling this book Why People Fail, Reynolds hopes to retrain readers to not fear failure, but to embrace it as a natural occurrence on the road to success. As Reynolds states, "A common reason people don't persist is that they believe there is something wrong with failure. I believe differently. Failure is a normal and customary part of high achievement. If society adopted this view, people would be more likely to persist. We would be a world of supermen and superwomen. Currently, to our own detriment, this is not the case. More often than not, failure is viewed as a dark shadow on success. I am here to challenge and change this fear-based thinking."

Great read--especially in these economically-tough times. Would make the perfect graduation present as well. Read more ›

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring book November 20, 2011

By Jacob

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I recently bought Why People Fail.

Highly highly recommend it! It's the type of book that inspires you, and then shows you the way to make your goals happen!

I literally sat there with a highlighter and a bunch of post-it notes.

Right now I am feeling like my life has taken on a new direction and I can't wait to put all that I have read into action.

Highly recommend it for anyone that feels that they've lost their focus or just need a bit of help reaching their goals (or even setting their goals!!!).

Why People Fail will get you back on track!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A book about Success December 17, 2011

By Jim Estill

Format:Hardcover

I rarely give 5 stars but for this one I did.

I normally like reading about success although I do always say Fail Often, Fail Fast, Fail Cheap.

I loved the book. It starts with a chapter "Unclear Purpose". It is so obvious - the main cause of failure is not lack of clarity. "Vagueness leads to failure". The chapter goes on with concrete examples of how you can set your purpose. It even suggests setting a purpose for the week. For me, purpose comes before goals. The book tends to lump them together.

There is a good chapter on low productivity and what to do about it (perhaps a trick like planning ahead might work).

And one of my favourites - Daily Rituals (or habits). We are the product of what we repeatedly do. And having habit makes things take no willpower.

I guess if I have any beef with the book, it is the negativity of the title. It really is a success book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes. Why People Fail. EXcellent!!! June 30, 2012

By zzzzzz

Format:Hardcover

I have read lots of self-help books and this is the best book out there. Reynolds has also read 1000's of self help books and that is what attracted me to this book to begin with.
For the first time in my life, I have actually begun to get out of a 'hole' I thought I couldn't get out of. I can. I will. He has given sure tested ways of moving out of yourself into yourself and knowing you can do, what you want to do.

I was stuck on 'not knowing what I want out of life'. Depressed most of the time, and wandering from project to project (I'm a Fine Artist).
Reynolds guides you step by step into a wonderful world!!! I 100% recommend this book. Thank you Siimon Reynolds!!

He mentions the 16 areas to look at. You are asked to then pick out 1 to 3 areas you would like to work on right now. I did that, and as I did I found my answers at the same time. BANG there they were coming out as I wrote down my goals. I now know, at 58, why I do art, why I am inspired! I really didn't understand myself because I was not focused on the right things. Siimon teaches you how to focus...no one to date has been able to teach me. After hundreds of self help books, lots and lots of counselling, I have now found all the answers right in Why People Fail, by Siimon Reynolds.

This will be the best buy of your life.
See you 'in the world of happy, successful'.
Nonie Ava Ault

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A compleat self help book that will definitely improve your chance of success November 14, 2012

By ServantofGod

Format:Hardcover

I have always been attracted to books of titles with words like "failure" and "fail". So far, most of them satisfied my intelligence and knowledge needs well. This book is no excception. Despite its misleading title that there were actually very few case studies and was in the standard "dos and donts" format (please check the table of content here on Amazon), the good organisation and fluent writing did charm me to read it through. In short, recommended!

p.s. Below please find some of my favorite passages for your reference.
Here's the truth about success: You don't have to be smarter than everyone else, or better looking, or more connected, or luckier to make it big in life. You just have to focus - really focus on what you want and how you can get it. Pg1
Here's the truth: success is a struggle. Pg55
Energy really is important to success. You need energy to work long hours, to think clearly, to remain positive. Yet very few people work on keeping their energy levels strong and powerful....Low energy is a very big reason that people don't succeed. So many people would like to work harder and aim higher in life, but they've become weary from life's setbacks. Soon they forget their dreams and instead start focusing on just getting through the day, merely surviving rather than thriving....Some of these proven energy enhancers: Good quality sleep is crucial (Darkness, Low electrical fields, Remove dust, Get at least seven hours' sleep); Examine your diet; Improve your environment; Exercise; Stretch; Get daily sunlight; Regulate your lifestyle; Increase music; Reduce coffee; Positive self-talk; Drink green plants Pg55-66
Under Chapter 6 Weak energy, the author had challenged readers of whether we had asked ourselves ther right questions, including: What are my values?... What would l do if I knew I couldn't fail? What could go wrong? How could I make 10 times more money? What would X do? Should I even be involved with this? How could my competition defeat me? What's the best use of my time right now? When I die, what kind of life would I like to have lived? How could I improve that performance? Pg67-79
Your self image is like your mental operating software; everything you do stems from it. It's like your mental blueprint....telling what you can and cant achieve, should and shouldn't do. It's like the thermostat in an air conditioner. Your self image is set at a certain level and you perform according to that level. Pg108-9
In Chapter 10 Not enough thinking, the author had introduced several ideas creation techniques, including: The Dictionary Method; The ridiculous Idea Method; The Different Industry Method; The Star Emulation Method; The Famous Method; pg 121-132
The typical person's view of failure is that it shouldn't happen. They believe that if they fail at something then that is terrible. So it's no surprise that after they fail three or four times their emotions get low and they're ready to give up....When champions go for a goal, before they even start out they know they are going to fail numerous times....They expect bad things to happen - lots of bad things - and know they must create solutions to these roadblocks, not just give up and stop. Pg176 Read more ›