When we decide we want to grow, whether it is financially, emotionally, or spiritually, the most important thing we can do is to look at dramas and distractions in our lives and systematically eliminate them. This takes time, patience, and dedication. Many times, a coach or mentor is necessary as well, depending on how complex the moving parts to our lives are. Very few people can put together a truly successful business or career without some coaching or guidance. The best of us tend to have the best coaches!

When we eliminate the distractions in life, we have more time and energy to focus on what we truly want. If we want financial success, then we must focus on it. The better our focus in general, the better the results. However, we must find a vehicle that works as well. If you are a pre-school teacher, unless you write a bestseller or work your way up to principal, money will not be part of your journey. Therefore, a vehicle for financial success is a prerequisite. Without it you are swimming upstream like a Salmon. And we all know what happens to Salmon on their journey upstream. The bears eat them, the fisherman catch them, or they die of fatigue. And for those who succeed on their long journey upstream, they lay their eggs and then die.

Perseverance is also fundamental to financial success. Very few people truly succeed without some serious trials and tribulations. Those who have it relatively easy are often set up for a fall later in life. We must learn to persevere no matter what. This does not mean that you don’t take in feedback or alter course along the way. It means that you keep trying in the face of obstacles. As Randy Pausch, the well known Carnegie Mellon professor who died of cancer said: “brick walls are there for a reason - to see how bad you truly want it.”