The start of the success journey is always the same – it starts with a dream, often a very big dream. You must Dream-Set before you Goal-Set. Dream-Setting provides you with the destination; Goal-Setting is the transportation to get you to your destination. Goals are not desired outcomes or wishes, as most have been taught. They are the action steps you need to take in order for your dream to come true. These action steps, these goals, need to be daily ones. You must build goals around your dream and everyday pursue those goals. Each completed goal is like a rung on the ladder of success. When you have completed all of the goals behind each individual dream, only then will you reach the top of the ladder. But you can never know what your goals in life should be without dreaming first.

Definition of Lament – To complain or express regret.

• Programs you for failure.
• Produces the feeling of scarcity.
• Creates sadness and depression.
• Causes stress, the root of all illness.
• Fosters hopelessness.

Definition of Gratitude – To give thanks or express appreciation.

• Programs you for success.
• Produces the feeling of abundance.
• Creates satisfaction and happiness.
• Produces the feeling of well being, which is the root of good health.
• Fosters enthusiasm.

This tip will take most of you out of your comfort zone. Why? Because I’m going to ask you to make the call. What’s the call? It’s that phone call you should have made a long time ago to that one person you’ve lost touch with many, many years ago. This person was someone who had a positive influence on your life but for some reason they’ve dropped off your radar. Forging relationships with people who matter, people of substance, who are upbeat, enthusiastic, encouraging and kind is a Rich Habit. You need to make an effort to grow and maintain relationships with those people. Everyone has run into one or more of these people in their lives. Now I’m asking you to get them back into your life by making the call. 

Most people do not pursue one singular dream for very long. When success does not happen overnight, they shift their attention to the next new thing to pursue. They jump from one venture to another when success is not immediate and the money comes hard. You’ve seen them all around you. Each year they are obsessed about something new that will make them a lot of money, such as becoming a published author, developing phone apps, creating you tube videos, becoming a real estate investor, business coach, trainer, financial planner, inventor etc.

I like to call this New Shiny Object Syndrome. New Shiny Object Syndrome prevents individuals from succeeding in life because these individuals have not developed the Rich Habits of focus, patience and persistence; three success habits that are a prerequisite for success. This malady prevents you from developing the necessary skills and knowledge that enable you to grow into the person you need to be in order for success to visit you.

64% of the self-made millionaires in my study pursued one singular goal for many, many years. They single-mindedly focused on the realization of one dream. Unfortunately, this takes time. 28% of those self-made millionaires did not get their big break until age 51. 31% had to wait until age 56. Another 21% didn’t catch their break until age 60. These millionaires were able to succeed because they stuck to one thing for many, many years. They learned what to do and what not to do by focusing on one thing. They did not give up on themselves. They did not allow themselves to give in to the temptation of New Shiny Object Syndrome.

63% of the self-made millionaires in my Rich Habits study took risks in the pursuit of their dream, new business or investment opportunity. 27% of those same millionaires failed at least once in life. These millionaires figured out what to do and what not to do, after the fact.

Pursuing success requires taking risks and overcoming your fear of failure. It requires courage and a strong belief that you will ultimately succeed. Self-made millionaires do not dip their toes in the water. They dive into the water and then figure out how to swim later.

Waiting until the time is right in order to minimize your risk is what most people do. Most people are not self-made millionaires. If you wait until all of your ducks are lined up, you will never take the leap and pursue your dream, new business or investment opportunity. You have to leap first and worry about the parachute later.

Everyone experiences average. Average is that feeling you have when things are not going your way. Average makes you feel like you are stuck. When you’re stuck, you feel vulnerable. You have doubts. Your dreams feel like just that, dreams. But it’s part of the success process.

Pursuing success is mostly about overcoming average. Success requires doing certain little things every day that, in the long run, move you incrementally towards achieving the little goals that, in time, transform dreams into reality.

If you feel you are stuck in average, take heart; self-made millionaires live most of their lives feeling average. But, what separates the successful from everyone else is that those who succeed, keep trying. They plod along, day after day, feeling average. Then one day they hit a double, another day a triple. The home runs are always a surprise.

Life has a way of unexpectedly taking you from average to exceptional when you put in the effort every day. Dealing with adversity, overcoming obstacles, mistakes and failures makes you feel average, sometimes less than average. But it’s only temporary for those who do not give up on their dreams. You need to overcome average in order to achieve success. Overcoming average is what makes success so special because it makes those who persist realize, they’re anything but average.

Pursuing success is not for the timid. It requires an all out, single minded, laser-like focus that will take you many years. You will face overwhelming obstacles, make numerous mistakes and be forced to change course often in order to realize your dream. Most quit, run out of money or fail without getting back up. What separates the strong from the weak is passion. Passion makes persistence possible. Passion allows you to overcome obstacles, learn from your mistakes and zig zag until your dream is realized. You must be all in emotionally and financially. Success requires that you go big or go home. Most go home.