In order to achieve any amount of success in your life, it
is important that you understand four basic characteristics.
 
Let's call these four attributes the four D's of success,
and they are vital no matter what level of success you want.
 
Desire - Decision - Determination - Discipline
 
Desire is the most essential of the D's. Without desire, the
other fundamental things just don't matter. There are many
things we might like to have, and perhaps, we envy someone
who already has something we like. However, we are not very
likely to have these things for ourselves without desire.
Not just a feeling of wanting something or thinking it would
be nice, but a deep-down burning desire, a do-it-or-else
attitude and a willingness to make sacrifices to reach that
goal. By sacrifices, I mean things like giving up the extra
servings to lose weight, watching less TV to have more time
available for a special project, doing without a few things
to be able to save money for a down payment on a new house.
Without a strong desire, the sacrifices may become more of a
dreaded chore than a means to an end, in which case we are
more likely to just give up and abandon the goal.
 
Decisions need to be made once you have a clear-cut desire.
You want to accomplish a specific goal and now you need to
decide how to do it. Decide on a method to reach your goal
and how long it might take to get there. You can usually
find valuable information that is related to your goal in a
bookstore, the library, or on the Internet. Other times, you
might need to talk to someone who has accomplished a similar
goal. Also, decide what sacrifices, if any, may be necessary
for you to make in order to reach your goal. Reaching a goal
is often easier by breaking a major goal into mini-goals,
each one being a milestone in itself.
 
Determination and willpower are the traits you need to reach
your goal when you have a burning desire and you've made the
decision to take action and make something happen. There may
be obstacles on the way to your goal, but strength of mind
and fortitude can help keep you on track. It doesn't matter
how fast you are moving toward your goal as long as you keep
moving in a positive direction. You should be resolved to
turn your desire into a reality no matter what it takes.
 
Discipline can sometimes be the hardest D to handle. We may
have the best of intentions, but a moment of weakness can
throw us off track. It takes self-control and restraint to
make sacrifices and stick to the plan we decided upon. Every
so often, we have to be strict with ourselves and remember
that the goal we seek is worth the effort. If it becomes too
hard to follow the plan, we might need to revise the plan or
the time it takes to get there.
 
Usually, what we desire most, is not the goal itself, but
the benefits that we experience when the goal is reached.
The following are typical goals and some possible benefits:
Goal: lose weight    Benefit: look/feel better, more energy
Goal: plant garden   Benefit: fresh food, exercise, nature
Goal: learn to golf  Benefit: exercise, recreation
Goal: buy motorhome  Benefit: travel, family outings
Goal: work at home   Benefit: freedom, more time with family
Goal: higher income  Benefit: better lifestyle, independence
 
Take a moment to think about your desires. Chances are good
that you have desires that are strong enough for you to make
the decision to take action and make things happen! 

Gordon Bellows is the resource coordinator at InfoDaddy.net
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