How many steps to make success?

Let's count how many steps to make anyone a success...

1) You have to believe in the concept that a person can change his own conditions in life.

Several authors cover this:

"We become what we think about." Earl Nightingale, Napoleon Hill
"Thoughts are things." Prentice Mulford

Earl Nightingale's famous "Strangest Secret" recording lists many, many more. Essentially, you have to believe in the concept of Free Will and the ability of a person to change things in his life. All of Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich", as well as his "Law of Success" devote themselves to your learning this one single datum and applying it to your life. All bestselling authors contain this theme - whether fiction or non-fiction. This is the one underlying principle which is common to all people everywhere.

But until you consider that it works for you, it won't. Until you discover it for yourself, you will continue to stumble around in the dark with an unlit lattern in one hand and matches to light it in the other (or the equivalent in charged batteries, etc.)

This is "positive thought" that Dale Carnegie and others harp about.

That's the first point - realizing you can change anything in your life.

2) Have a goal for your life and start working toward it now - don't wait for the plan, write it as you go and constantly upgrade it. The key point is that goal. Figure it out and then put everything behind it. Once a goal is attained, then there is another goal after it.

Above this point are the necessities - below this point are niceties which can help you get going, making real progress in your life:

3) Get an amulet or reminder you can carry with you to remind you of your goals.

This is the reason for the wedding ring. Reminds you of your vows and promises in that area.

But that article could be about anything - a rock or special coin in your pocket. It will probably have no value otherwise. Can't spend it or pawn it. But it means something to you. It will somehow remind you of your goal, whatever it is that you are working to achieve.

4) Make a sizable investment which you have to fulfill.

This is a very controversial step. Financially, people don't want to hear about this one. And more money changes hands trying to get something for "free" than any other method of commerce. Fact.

When you commit to something financially, this is something personal to anyone. Because this raises your necessity level and requires you to actually do something - and continue to do something. This keeps you concentrated on your goals.

5) Take some time daily to review your goals - also called prayer or meditation.

This is where you recharge yourself and revitalize your efforts toward any goal you have. This is where you can put all your questions to the Supreme and ask for answers, trusting that they will show up in usable form. Every really successful person in history did exactly this - by whatever name they called it, there was some time where they stopped doing and simply sat still and thought or vocalized their concerns.

6) Spend some regular time consulting with mentors

These can be books, tapes/recordings - but they are inspirational or teaching persons or their recorded words where you can learn. Often this combines with your daily review/meditation/prayer above in giving you new answers and insight. But this one step will keep you "on the rails" more than any other.

Choose your mentors wisely. Their lessons might not be the ones you feel you need to hear. But listen anyway - and see what you can get out of what they are saying.

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OK, that sums it up. 6 points to success. Their could be more - but really you are only talking about subdividing the above into smaller areas. (Brian Tracy has his 21 points of becoming a Millionaire, but they are really only based on a few principles - the others are technical details - although all are valuable nuggets in and of themselves.)

Here's hoping you can make your own success out of these 6 principles.