It’s helpful to view life as just a series of tests to be solved. Some of these tests were created by your own choices. Others are the result of randomness.

Either way, the test still has to be taken and passed. It might be a test of your cleverness. Another day, it might be a test of your perseverance. This viewpoint makes life a little more interesting and less threatening.

If you pass the test, great. If you don’t pass the test, that’s fine too. Failing a test highlights what you need to learn to advance further in life.

Just as some people are destined to be physically strong, it’s probably fair to say that some people are naturally mentally strong. However, even if you’re not one of those fortunate people, you can certainly learn to be much mentally stronger than you’ve been demonstrating.

Good mental habits and a positive view of life allow mental strength to develop. You can become much stronger than you think you can.

Finding a competent and compatible coach is only half the battle. It’s also important to develop your own coachability.

If you’re like most professionals, you probably want to succeed, but you may resist coaching for reasons that you’re not even aware of. However, you can develop skills and qualities that will prepare you to accept guidance and act on it.

Learn how to become more coachable. Use this checklist to find the areas you need to work on so you can have a successful relationship with your coach.

If you’re not as successful as you’d like to be, your standards are probably too low.

Most people believe they’re being reasonable, or non-selfish when they set low standards.

Do you feel that you lack discipline and grit?

It’s more likely you’re suffering from a lack of motivation.

When you don’t have a vision for the future that excites and motivates you, it’s very challenging to keep putting in the time and effort necessary to accomplish a big goal. Without a compelling future, each step forward can feel like torture.

You can create a highway to your dreams by having a clear and compelling outcome in mind. Whenever your motivation is lagging, you can return to that picture.

What are you waiting for?

You have plans and aspirations that you've been putting off for years.

We're great at putting things off and convincing ourselves that we'll get them done someday soon.

Eventually, we all run out of somedays and our options become more limited. If you're not enthusiastically pursuing your goals, there's a reason. And it might not be the reason you think. Most excuses are actually a form of fear camouflaged as another challenge.