Seven Success Secrets to Take Control of Your Life and Financial Situation

By Al Auger

In today’s economy people everywhere are searching for ways to improve their financial situation and their life. But coming from a place of fear and desperation, it’s easy to be sucked in by the schemes that promise you will reach all your dreams. You commit resources, both time and money, but you still don’t have what you want. Frustrated and in more emotional pain, you fall back to your safe zone. And the cycle is ready to run itself again.

Your success is a matter of getting your emotions in control enough to respond positively, logically and systematically. You need objectivity in your life. By applying the following steps you will be pulled out of mediocrity.

1. There is nothing without a beginning: Everything in life must start somewhere. According to the Bible, it took 6 days for the Earth to be created. Bill Gates was not always a billionaire. He started in his garage. So whatever it is you desire, you can’t start out in the middle.

If you want to lose weight, quit smoking, be a millionaire, or whatever it is you desire, there is a beginning point. Just like gaining weight started one pound at a time; there is a starting point that leads to the building process. So stop looking for the instant fix. Understanding the process, becoming aware that you are in it, and starting down its road will accelerate your goal achievement.

2. Stop Spinning Your Wheels: We have all heard the term ‘cold feet.’  Letting your feet freeze solid into the ice will only yield you helpless. The world is never static -- everything is in constant change. You may choose to embrace it and work with it or you may choose to resist it. The latter choice being much like standing in front of a moving glacier, you will be crushed. However, riding the glacier will propel you effortlessly to your goal. Success is always a personal matter. Your determination to succeed is yours alone. Learning all you can from those before you will eliminate your wheel spinning. Learning the nuances and “tricks of the trade” will all help, but ultimately it’s all up to you to get your wheels out of the mud.

3. Find the will and you have the keys: In order to find the will, you must find your true passion. This is easier said then done. It is a more complicated process than can be shared here. It can require the assistance of a catalyst. Most importantly it is a process that cannot be shortcut at all. Despite that warning, many people do not prioritize this step. If you are serious about finding your true passion, then be willing to prioritize this step. If you find that your desire wanes then you probably have shortcut this process.

For example, Brian was a college senior digging for a job upon graduation. He wrote numerous letters to potential employers. He was having trouble formulating this one letter to this one employer with whom he had interviewed. Brian became frustrated and couldn’t get the letter formulated so he asked for help. Brian didn’t need the help, he had written numerous well-formulated letters before. So he was asked why he thought he was having so much trouble writing a letter to this particular company. After Brian was forced to reassess his lack of will to write this letter, he finally concluded that he didn’t really want to work for that company anyway.

So if you think you want something, but just can’t quite get to it, remember find your will. Contemplate it, feel it and understand what having that something will do for you. Remember, it may not be a better house you are seeking. Instead, it might be the ideal family living in the current house that you desire. Many people have listened to themselves sometimes for months or years before really believing that they have hit the target. Once you know you’ve got something that just won’t go away, you are ready to further test your passion.

4. Assess your resources: It’s time to take inventory of the resources available to you in accomplishing your objective. Make a list of the items you need. Identify the items that you have and those that you do not. For most people money is in the “needs” column and in the “don’t have” column. Because of this double listing, money is the single most destructive “bomb” capable of blasting away all dreams. If you are in this situation, revisit step 3 immediately and change the way you view money. Using other people’s money and knowing how to get it is a common practice that has built many companies. The stock exchanges of the world all use other people’s money to raise funds for existing companies to grow. If that thought is too big for you, then keep it simple. There are numerous wealthy individuals out there who are very willing to invest their money in the right venture. It’s up to you to garner the resolve, structure the right opportunity, identify your objectives and then go and find it.

If you find at this point your resolve wanes a bit, or your passion dips, do not give up, this is hard for anyone. Take a breather first. You might just need a break and a rest, or you may just need to revisit step 3. Whatever the case, stay objective as much as you can. If you quit before you begin, your end result will be certain failure.

5. Plan your attack: Once you have made your list, you will know what resources you will need to acquire. This is the first step to any great plan. If, for example, you require more knowledge or education, you will then need to go and get it. Any goal will fit into this process, including losing weight for example. How? Your “items needed” list will most likely call for nutritional information and exercise information. As you complete the steps honestly and thoroughly, you will see your plan unfold. You will feel pulled closer and closer to your definitive aspiration.

6. Re-evaluate: It’s now time to take serious notice of your progress. Ask yourself if you are getting closer to your goal or stuck in place. Stopping, pausing, and thinking are effective and can free you if you are trapped. Learn to question; curiosity may have killed the cat, but there is no evidence that humans have ever met with the same fate. Dig deep. Ask yourself if there is a fresh new approach or something you can do differently to propel you more rapidly towards your purpose. Know that as you proceed in this search, your past experiences become a great resource for assisting you in your future achievement.

7. Adapt, encourage, continue: Adapt your plan to the ever-changing information you are constantly receiving. Maybe you have found a different path that will accelerate your search. Take a moment to encourage yourself. Be careful here -- it must be realistic and not distorted encouragement. Look objectively at how far you’ve come from your beginning. Continue on your quest with passion and desire, and the belief that these steps hold your keys.

Always re-evaluate the information you are getting as you travel along your search. Remember there is no right way to achieve what it is you are after. It is a search, a never-ending journey. There is no ultimate destination. The search is the destination. For every successful actor, executive, doctor, politician, teacher, lawyer, or professor there is a different story and path that each one has followed to get where he or she is today. But their search should continue as they learn more about their particular profession. It’s the courage to start the process. It’s the courage to start your own search for a profitable life. Because without a beginning, there is no ending, or at least not the ending you desire.

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