Welcome to 2023!  To start off the new year, I thought I’d share some words of wisdom from our good friend, Mack Newton.

I met Mack about 16 years ago, and in one of my first classes he shared the following list.  This list is an impactful one – and it is something that I’ve had in front of me (on my desk, in my notebooks, and on my computer) since the day it was first shared with me.  It serves to remind me of the things I must overcome, be aware of, and/or not do if I am on the path to SUCCESS.

Mack Newton’s 10 Most Common Stumbling Blocks that Lead to Failure

  1. Blaming others – What you need to know is what, not who, created the circumstances that could lead to eventual failure
  2. Blaming yourself – Replace your negative self-talk with positive assertions
  3. Lack of goals – Lack of purpose impacts focus, energy, passion, and perseverance 
  4. The wrong goals – Your life’s work should be something that you would do even if you weren’t getting paid for it
  5. Taking short cuts – Short cuts to a worthy goal rarely exist
  6. Taking the long road – Taking too long to achieve your goals is another way of self-sabotage. You can take so long to accomplish a goal that you never get there or even forget where you’re going
  7. Neglecting the little things – Don’t get so lost in the big picture that you fail to notice the little details that lead to success
  8. Quitting too soon – Don’t quit before the magic happens
  9. Burdens of the past – Memories of past losses and failures burden you; instead retain memories of past accomplishments to infuse you with courage, confidence, and creativity
  10. Illusion of success – Sometimes you may think you are already there…the best way to fail is to stop moving forward, to stop doing what you need to do to be successful.