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Why do I always fail even when I try my hardest?

243 Answers
Last Updated: 05/27/2022 at 2:42pm
Why do I always fail even when I try my hardest?
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Alex DS Ellis, MA, LMFT

Marriage & Family Therapist

Feeling depressed or anxious can be so overwhelming. I want to help you feel better and be able to enjoy life. You are not alone and you deserve emotional support.

Top Rated Answers
serpentsxspell
August 2nd, 2018 11:44am
We all view ourselves through judging eyes, for we are our on worst critics. If you could steal a snapshot of yourself through someone else's eyes, you might be surprised by how successful you really are.
LunarBreeze
August 25th, 2018 3:23am
You may not always fail even if it seems like it, if you aren’t getting to your goal, don’t put yourself down, just keep practicing and one day it’ll show and then you’ll see that all your work was worth it in the end. Everyone struggles with things more than others, but that doesn’t make us failures, that makes up people who have a longer and more interesting path ahead of us. Keep your mind clear, and your hopes up. I know you can do it! All you have to do is believe in yourself and things will eventually start to turn around for you.
CaringKat
September 3rd, 2018 7:39am
I’m glad you asked me this question. Personally, i have experienced this type of situation so many times, especially in school. Failing can be a hard setting to go through, but it shouldn’t negatively affect us, especially if we tried our hardest. Trying your hardest is always important, but if you fail just remember, failing opens a door to a new lesson on how to do better. Trying your hardest is effective if you know how to do it in a healthy way. Stressing to succeed usually increases your chance of failing. If you spend more time relaxing, planning and pacing your plans, it will surely increase your chance of succeeding. Don’t let this bring you down. You will have a long road of accomplishments later on!
amiablePeace77
September 21st, 2018 5:30pm
Success depends to a great extend on how comfortable we feel in our own skin, how much self-esteem we have and consequently with what thought we approach a task, whether with the thought I can or I will fai. The strong desire to accomplish something successfully can increase the rate of failure. It also causes pressure and thus anxiety. The harder we try the more anxious we become. Accepting failure as part of the learning process is crucial also lower expectations or if necessary try something where the success rate is higher. The drive for perfection can lead to fail. We are human and human are not perfect.
HarshF
September 28th, 2018 1:43pm
Not everyone succeeds and those who don't, they don't fail they only learn. I personally didn't make it through many things but it doesn't mean I didn't learn, in fact I learnt better and I am sure you can too. Just have some faith and you will reach your goals! I wished to get the best grades and had high hopes too and so did my parents but unfortunately I got just average but its fine I learnt and so yeah.
yourenotalone99
September 28th, 2018 7:23pm
It is not true, you do not always fail, you just do not pay attention at when you succeed. Failing is not always a bad thing, it means learning and growing everyday, having more experience. Try to focus on the good side of it. Trying your hardest is challenging and if you do not always reach your goal that does not mean that you sre not smart or worth it. Taking it as a challenge would be the right choice and you will get your results. You do many successful things everyday, you do not notice them because you are used to them :)
plushLily14
October 7th, 2018 1:53pm
I find that, to make yourself comfortable and when listening to your breath, let it be natural rather than controlling it, as you start enjoying relaxing and listening to the in and out breath your body will automatically relax and make you feel still and in the moment, the present moment. In this moment there might be thoughts that are from your day, let them pass by and don't feel tense about them. Yourself is maybe just letting you be aware of what is happening. Maybe in that moment you can nurture yourself if you choose and let yourself know that you are loved and very much cared.
CuppaComfort
October 17th, 2018 12:50am
First of all let's define "failure". Does failing mean achieving lower than your expectations? If so, your anxiety is completly valid. Preforming below your expectations can be extremely hard to accept. When you study for a test and fail, it feels pretty finite. It feels like that test defines you. Especially if you're used to doing well. But the reality of life is this- success is not a tidy line slowly increasing in height horizontally. Our successes and failures are part of a larger picture. Just because you "failed" today- doesn't mean you are a failure. Step back and look at your growth as a whole. Take a moment to realize how hard you worked! And understand that an A+ Doesn't mean you are perfect. And a F doesn't mean you are a failure. Grades and trophies do not define you. It is the effort and grind behind your actions that make you who you are! I know that sounds like bull**** but honestly it is 100% true. I have a hard time looking at the bigger picture too. But remember. Your experiences and achievement do not define you. All of that is just context. You are extraordinary and beautiful and worthy of the chance to accomplish everything you dream of. ❤️
Hereforyou516
October 17th, 2018 12:53am
Everyone has failed or will fail at some point in their life. It just happens but its how u react to failure that's important. If every time u fail it takes u 3 days to get going again well then that's 3 opportunities that u just threw away. This can be a depressing thought but it can also be a huge help. There's this quote and it says I'm thankful for my struggles for without them I wouldn't have stumbled across my strength. And if u think about it that so true. We find out how strong we are when we are tried. If everything was easy we would have no idea what we were capable of and u feel like that's a big deal. And that quote has helped me so much bc like how true. Whothout everything I went through how would I ever know that I could and it boosted my confidence and it helps me the next time something doesnt go right or I fail I remember that it's making me better.
TDHarley9
October 21st, 2018 12:58pm
Because we are human, and humans make mistakes. That is where we get stronger: getting up, learning from it and trying again! The trick is to never give up on yourself and believing that you can do annything. I used to fail at things all the time. I believed I was worthless and that I was a huge dissapointment to my parents. Untill I learned how to talk about it. Now I am living in the country of my dreams, speaking 7 languages and my house is full of Anime figurines. Truth is, I was never a failure, I just had to figure out what I was good at and focus on that instead! Like they say: you can’t judge a fish for it’s inabillity to climb a tree.
someonlikeeveryoneelse
November 1st, 2018 4:29pm
Two weeks ago it was my first time on the pottery wheel at my ceramics class. For the first day, I couldn’t get the clay centered while someone had already saved a pot. The next day a few more classmates could save their pieces. I couldn’t even center the clay let alone save a piece. It was failure over failure. It was my 13th ball of clay when I saved my first piece. I was on the edge of crying every time I messed up with a ball of clay, but I always talk to myself that I was strong, I filled my mind with positive thoughts and guess what? A few days ago I just made a perfect piece and I was thrilled. So the answer to the question: we fail even when we try our hardest because we deserve a moment once in a lifetime when we finally achive something that we had always failed. It’s bitter sweet and that’s the moment we have been saving our tears for. I mean the happy tears.
Poisoniveysexi
December 22nd, 2018 8:42pm
Universally, what we send out into the universe, is what comes back. If we allow negative thoughts and doubt to enter our minds, the universe translates it as such and our chances of success become minute. If we apply ourselves and realize our victory, we have a greater chance to succeed. We all fail as a part of our life lessons, but it's when we are hard on ourselves after that affects us. We tend to dwell on the things we can't do instead of praising ourselves for the things we accomplish, no matter how small or insignificant. Everyone matters and everything we do makes a difference not only in our life but the lives of others.
whoisabree13
December 26th, 2018 8:35am
Failure is a part of life. It seems harsh and heartbreaking but we all go through it. Even the most perfect, flawless, genetically superior human beings fail. They fall down on their knees and bleed and cry, but they get back up and they rise and find themselves back to working harder and harder no matter what. Life isn't about being perfect and being successful. It's a perk, but this world is meant for improvements, for flaws and for hard work and dedication. Failure comes with the territory, and instead of allowing it to become your enemy, allow it to motivate you to try harder, to work better, and to continue to strive to be the best version of yourself.
Anonymous
January 16th, 2019 4:59am
Often times it’s not a matter of how hard one tries but how they try. If your walking in the wrong direction your never going to get any closer to the destination. I think it’s important to step back and evaluate what steps your taking and if they are actually taking you in the direction you want to go; if they are not then it’s time to try something new instead of continuing to struggle the same way. It’s also important to make small achievable goals. Breaking things down into smaller components and celebrating minor achievements is important to keep up motivation. Make a “to do list” and check off each step so you can see the progress your making.
somethingjust
February 6th, 2019 1:02pm
Have you ever heard the sentence "It is not about how hard you get hit, it is about how hard you can get hit", and life is like that. We get punched, we stand up and move forward. Of course it is not always easy but it is worth it because there are also so many beautiful moments in life that let those moments where we get beaten to the ground seem like small unimportant things. If we wouldn't have any hardships we also wouldn't appreciate the beautiful moments. And of course the more you try the more you notice the moments where you fall but at the same time you can also experience even better moments afterwards.
Anonymous
February 8th, 2019 9:21am
If you have tried your hardest then you have not failed! Throughout school and college I tried my hardest and sometimes I still 'failed', but the point is if you are giving it everything you have whether you pass or fail should be besides the point. There is little point making yourself ill because you can't do something the way you want. As a perfectionist and someone who feels they get things wrong more times than they get something right I can tell you it's not the grade that tells whether you passed of failed. It's about whether you understood where mistakes were made. For example if you sat a practice maths paper and got an answer wrong, you wouldn't beat yourself up about the fact you didn't get it right, you'd ask why it was wrong and try to understand how that question needs to be answered so you are less likely to make the same mistake the next time. Life is about learning from mistakes so we don't make them again
Joye74
March 20th, 2019 9:44pm
There are too many factors which are unkown to me: expectations, competition, timing, team, just someone/reviewer had a bad day. It is difficult to find out. However, consider taking feedback from trusted people if possible who knows most your situation. I also feel the same way. But, during a hypnosis session my counselor said that my achievement is certainly not 100% of my hard work, however, I do have 75% success rate unlike many who don't. That was an eye opener. You may want re asses, the level of success and your expectations. Sometimes, we quickly expect a lot.
Anonymous
May 8th, 2019 7:48am
maybe it's because you expect failure, trying multiple times only to fail can have that effect, and what we expect to happen does come true most times. why don't you train yourself to expect success, tell yourself you're going to make it this time and believe it. After all by telling yourself you're going to succeed this time around you unconsciously start working toward that. Or if you feel like you can't do it and try anymore, try taking a break and do something for yourself that relaxes you, and you'll find yourself refreshed and ready to tackle whatever challenges that come your way. best of luck.
beautifulsoul247
May 18th, 2019 4:50pm
I have lived for a mere quarter of a century. I have fallen so many times. It hurts each time. Frequently, when I reflect on my life, that's all I see. Surely, there must be times when I succeeded but I just can't see. And I know I'm supposed to get up, dust myself off and keep going but I don't feel like it. People might offer a helping hand to lift me up, which I shrug off oftentimes. Sometimes, I just want to be left alone. Sometimes, deep down, I wish someone would insist on staying. At some point, when I'm ready I do get up. I figure I've got three-quarters of a century to get something right.
Anonymous
June 12th, 2019 5:51pm
Maybe, you aren’t failing. You might be accomplishing the task, just not in the way you expected. When you try your hardest, whatever the task may be, when you think you have failed that task, keep searching for other ways you did accomplish it. When you do something, don’t always assume you’ve failed it, have a good positive outlook on it. Be positive and reassured that you truly did try your hardest. And even if you seem to have “failed” the task at hand, just know that you tried as hard as you could. And when you have a goal your trying to accomplish, don’t make it a giant general quest. Make miniature milestones that will eventually lead to the main goal. When you hit one of the milestones, feel happy and proud of yourself, come up with little rewards for yourself when you hit one of the milestones. That way, during your big goal, you aren’t just bettering yourself in one way. Those little goals will better as well. Hope this helped. :) . STAY POSITIVE! :)
Hanaa00
June 12th, 2019 10:54pm
Honestly, maybe just by constantly asking yourself this question your chance of failing could increase, only due to your increased worries and overthinking, and not due to your actual performance. The fact that you are trying your hardest also implies that there is much pressure involved in the whole situation or project or a challenge, so that pressure is what might cause your uneasiness with the given challenge. Of course, not being comfortable in doing whatever task or project or challenge you have to conquer leads to the decrease in your chance to have your best performance. This doesn’t have anything to do with your ACTUAL knowledge or abilities, but rather, as I already stated, with the pressure factor.
resourcefulFreedom38
June 15th, 2019 4:02pm
Self-esteem and confidences help us to see the best in ourselves. Negative thoughts works again them. Consider changing your thought process to positive when working on things. Also, when something does not go as expected look for the things that went right. Access what went wrong and work on making them better. For example, if you took a test and did not do as well as you wanted look at the preparation before the test. See where changes can be made. Sometimes, making small adjustments can increase positive outcomes. Work on changing how you view yourself and what you do.
StarieDiamond
July 5th, 2019 8:05am
Because trying hard is not enough. You should move smarter. And continuously. And also, people tend to fail because they expect they can do things themselves. But sometimes we also need other people to help. We can also set goals if we want to make our efforts more realistic. You should get a big image of what you want to do, and make it more realistic. Like for example, "I want to live healthily." Then you make another goal. "I have to lose weights." After that, make it countable. "I should lose at least 5 kg." Then set a time limits and your programs. "In five weeks, I'll lose five kilograms by running every morning for at least 2 kilometers."
ingeneousMoment6584
August 16th, 2019 11:43pm
Fail is a strong word and I often wonder whether it belongs in the context of being human; machine parts can fail, but do we really fail? Our nature is to be goal seeking, but sometimes we don't complete the activities that take us all the way there, also sometimes we don't attain the measure, such as an exam, that has been set by others. There are many things that could be at play, it could be that as you near completion you decide that it's not really what you wanted, or that a part of you feels you don't deserve it, or that if you attain it someone else will miss out. Our motivation is usually at its highest when starting out (unless it's something 'we have to do' for someone else) and the motivation drops away the closer we get to the outcome. Part of the goal seeking journey is getting feedback so we can correct our course of action and get closer to the goal, so it's not really failing, it's feedback. Consider that rather having failed, use the word as an acronym like From Action I Learn, or make up one that is meaningful for you.
MissLisa
August 22nd, 2019 8:42pm
We are often our worst critiques and we cannot be good at everything in life. We are human beings and we have a strengths and weaknesses. Be kind to yourself, show yourself the compassion you would show someone else knowing they have failed despite their best efforts. The main thing is that you try your best and for that reason you should be filled with pride. Effort means more than success. Be kind and compliment yourself on your effort just as you would anyone else. And no matter that effort always pays off in the end, so if you want it, don’t give up.
attentivePanda0408
August 24th, 2019 12:04pm
Nothing great comes easily. You will have to gain experience trying your hardest, you will master your skills whether you succeed or not. This process may become a real journey to the better version of yourself, not only to the goal achievement! There are constant features that stay with you till the very end: assertiveness, patience, inner strength to move forward no matter what. All these let you become unbreakable, and whenever you fail look back and perceive the whole way made. Look at the beginning and ask yourself: what would I be like if I didn’t step on the path? Did I ever loose anything during my journey? The only matter is that I expected something to get but I got something else and I can’t appreciate it.
Anonymous
September 27th, 2019 3:54am
The song goes, “When you try your best, but you can’t succeed, try try again.” This sounds cheeky, but as the saying goes, the person who never fails learns nothing, the person who fails a thousand times has found a thousand ways that is the wrong way. This is learning infinitely more than the person who never fails. To fail you have to have tried. The fact that you tried gives you a strength of character to rival any mythological hero. The child who doesn’t stand up after falling never learns to walk. You are strong, and will reign supreme in the end because as I said, you have found so many ways that don’t work.
Anonymous
October 25th, 2019 5:04am
Whether you succeed or not does not matter as much as you being able to keep on working at it and staying motivated. Mindset is what really matters, and if you have a positive mindset and outlook on life, you are destined to succeed. Don't think about past failures, the falls or the mistakes. Think about your future and what you want it to look like. Is what you are doing now helping you get where you want to be in the next 5, 10, 20 years? If not, change! Your past is your history but your future is your destiny.
hopefulPower94
December 15th, 2019 5:25am
I sense that you can be very harsh with yourself. Some of us set unrealistically high expectations for ourselves and beat ourselves up when we don't meet them. That can feel crush or like you said feels like we fall. I do admire your hard work even though it may seem like you miss that mark. John Maxwell coined the phrase "Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn(not fail!)" If we can be kinder to ourselves and see our mistakes, falls, etc as an opportunity to learn something. That may even be we are human and it's okay to make mistakes. I promise you, even if it feels like you're always failing and can never do anything right (I'm right there with you!) it's not true. Let's hang in there together and try to treat ourselves with kindness as we learn what we can.
Anonymous
January 11th, 2020 4:31pm
Sometimes our efforts don't seem to correlate with the results we're getting- but eventually, trying hard to get better will lead to being stronger, and wiser, and a person of a different moral timbre than people who have not wrestled their own demons for a lifetime. Maybe they won't be easy to stave off, maybe it's a very long and exhausting fight to fight, but even though you don't see it, you're growing stronger and more beautiful every day because of this fight. And that in itself is a goal worthy of continuing to push forward and walk the path to feeling different and better.