NOTE TO READERS: The following article will not cover legal or investment topics but don't dismiss its message. This is the most important aspect of your investing methodology. I can say without hesitation that failure to master and apply these five steps will result in almost certain failure in almost any endeavor.

  Did you know that virtually everything in your physical world started in your internal world? The car you drive, the house you live in, the job you have, and the people you love all began as ideas, thoughts, or emotions. All of us are the end result of our thoughts put into action. The reason I believe this area to be the 'most important' is because your success or failure will depend almost entirely on your mental attitude. There will be defeats, challenges, and failures, but your mindset will take you from failure to success in an instant. Most of us have heard of these concepts before but we may not be sure how to apply them in real life. Let me share with you my five step plan for success in any area of life:

1. Step 1 - Define what you want with absolute clarity - You must know what you want before you can go after it. More than just wanting a goal or ideal you must want and accept the feelings, emotions, thoughts, freedom and/or obligations that will certainly accompany your goals. Begin to think about why you want this thing, what it will mean to you and your loved ones.
   • What will meeting this goal look like, feel like, and how will it change your life?
   • Do you know what it will take to meet this objective?
   • What are the costs? Many times people want something but only think about the good things that will come from its attainment. You must be very honest about the sacrifice and hard work that will be required to attain this goal. Without question everything worthwhile will require sacrifice.
   
   
2. Step 2 - Commit to it with a 'burning desire' - Once you decide what you want you must absolutely commit to it with intense passion. You cannot just wish or merely hope for success. There are people everywhere that have hopes, idle curiosity, or wishes. You will never be able to make it through the difficult times of doubt, frustration, and failure if you are fueled only with hopes or wishes. You must want the attainment of your objective with a very strong desire and be unstoppable in your pursuit.
   
     What is a burning desire? A burning desire is one that keeps you up at night and its thoughts will make you jump out of bed in the morning. It is a desire that drives the majority of your conscious thoughts and actions during the day. That is 'burning desire'. If you want to strengthen your desire and the likelihood of your success then write your goal down and speak it to yourself aloud at night before you retire and in the morning upon awakening. When you speak of your goal you should speak as though it has already occurred. Your mind does not know the difference between what you think and reality. Soon your mind will find new and creative ways to make your external world align with your internal world. When you reach this point success is very near.
   
   
3. Step 3 - Always put action behind your desires - You must always be thinking of one thing: ACTION, ACTION, ACTION! Napoleon Hill once said that, "Faith without deeds is dead". You must act because only action will take the desire from your mind and transform it into reality. Think of all the things you must do to attain your goal and start doing them. Do not worry if they are small things or large things just start doing something right now!
   • Shouldn't I call ABC title company to get more information?
   • Do you have to re-read that section of that course collecting dust on your bookshelf?
   • Shouldn't you email the author of that product you purchased to resolve your questions?
   If you can get in the habit of doing five action items a day which relate to your goal you will be on your way. Your commitment to these items must be rock solid. The momentum of performing small tasks and continually accomplishing them will build your confidence and your certainty of success.
   
   
4. Step 4 - Measure the results of your actions - We have all heard of people with a lot motivation, desire, and action but strangely they never seem to get beyond their current position in life. The reason is that they are not reading the 'writing on the wall.' You must be able to step back from your actions and view the results with an unbiased eye. You must be honest and critical in order to determine if your actions are producing the desired result. Many times people become so focused on actions that they forget that it is not the act of doing something that is the prize, rather the result of the action is important. Use this checklist if you have been struggling with a problem or issue and no resolution seems likely:
   • Am I acting as effectively as I possibly can? - Ask yourself these questions: Are there other ways to accomplish what you want? Have I tried these other ways? What could I change about my approach to this issue? What is the weakest link my plan or methodology? What is really holding me back? When you find the true barrier to your success then simply brainstorm in your mind or the mind of others to search for an additional method to reach your objective. This method may seem very simplistic but don't dismiss it. Remember that once we rid ourselves of the pain and worry of failure the path our goals becomes a very precise methodology. This success methodology has been proven to work throughout time.
   • Have I tried to help others resolve their problems? - This may seem like the last thing in the world to some people especially when they are just trying to handle a complex, energy draining problem of their own. Regardless of what you may think it has been proven to me that helping others with their challenges has led me to my own answers. The reason, I believe is that most of the time we have the answers in our subconscious mind. When you take the time to help others you remove yourself (hopefully) from the clatter of your own mind. That 'clatter' is what keeps you from hearing the answer. Have you ever gone to bed with a question or problem in your mind and then awoke the next morning to find the answer awaits you? This is another example of your subconscious mind having or formulating the answer when your conscious mind stepped out of the way.
   • Have you spoken with people who have done what you are trying to do? Have you sought counsel from others who have been successful in this area? Many people forget that knowledge is perhaps the most available commodity in the world today. If we all live in the Information Age then why is it that we don't take advantage of the great volumes of information and the tremendous minds of the successful businesspeople, coaches, investors, financial analysts, lawyers, and others? I believe that information is not the hardest part of the equation to success. The hardest part is consistently applying this five step process and perhaps Step 5 (detailed below).
   • Do you honestly believe you can attain your goals? - You must believe that you can attain your desires and goals. Are you doubtful of your ability to succeed? What do you say to yourself about your desires? Do you speak positive messages of success to yourself or do you engage in negative self talk? Remember your mind will not know the difference between your internal and external realities. If you create the internal reality you desire then your external reality will change. You must learn to speak what you want to create everyday without fail. If you follow this step soon your imaginary world will become your reality.
   
   
5. Step 5 - Never Give Up on Your Goals No Matter the Obstacles - This is without a doubt the most important aspect of this list. If you know your objective is right for you and you believe in it then don't ever give up trying. They are very few people who have risen to the dizzying heights of success without constant persistence in the face of adversity and failure. The most interesting thing about this last step is that sometimes your persistence will lead to another goal and perhaps the real purpose for your life or the real desire in your heart. When you stay committed to a goal you will develop personal strength. Soon that strength will begin to show in how you conduct yourself: the certainty with which you speak, the quickness of your step, and the confidence in your decisions. As other people recognize these traits you will find even greater successes and opportunities as you go through life
   
     Sadly, many people don't think about continued persistence in the face of failure or adversity. Quitting early becomes a habit and part of our comfort zone. Even worse is that sometimes we fail to realize that the greatest lesson come from each failure that we undergo. Likewise the greatest exercise of our determination will come when we continue to persevere in our goals after failure has occurred. This is where successful people and unsuccessful people usually differ the most: Successful people will still fail as much or more than anyone else but they have learned to transform their failures into triumphs, learn from defeat and try again.

  What will you do with this information? Will you apply it in your life and reap the rewards? I sincerely hope that you do. Although I stated earlier that this is my formula for success it has been adapted from universal laws of achievement. In some form or another this process has been used by every successful person in every endeavor or pursuit imaginable. It does not matter if they realized it or not the actions which brought them lifelong sustained success followed this outline to some degree.

  Remember that continued persistence in the face of failure is the most important lesson from this article. To illustrate the importance of persistence consider that Thomas Edison, the inventor of the incandescent light bulb failed more than 10,000 times in his attempt to create the what would become the modern day light bulb. When speaking of his numerous failed attempts he said, "I had to succeed because I ran out of things that did not work." It sounds simple doesn't it? Edison had the formula and he applied it for the benefit of billions of people: Know what you want, want it with all the desire you can muster, measure your actions, and keep on trying until success finds you.

  I want to wish you the best of luck in your endeavors and email me if you ever need help!

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Information contained within this article was not intended to be, nor should it be taken by the reader as legal, financial or tax advice. The above article was written for educational purposes only. If the services of a Texas attorney, or real estate mentor or coach are desired please contact Mr. Barazandeh or seek the services of another professional.

The author, Darius M. Barazandeh, Esq. is a licensed attorney in the state of Texas. In addition to his legal knowledge he has a Masters Degree (M.B.A.) in Business Finance and brings experience from numerous fields including tax sale investing, real estate construction, corporate finance, and business consulting. Frustrated by the lack of realistic information regarding tax foreclosure sales and other investments, he is "unlocking the secrets" to many of these creative investment methods with his unique 'clear cut' writing style, attention to detail, and legal knowledge. His product Texas Houses for Pennies is the highest rated tax foreclosure guide in the United States! [1]

• Real Estate, Probate, and Trust Law Division of the Texas Bar Association
• Business Law Division of the Texas Bar Association
• Taxation Division of the Texas Bar Association
• Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the Texas Bar Association
• Alternative Dispute Resolution Division of the Texas Bar Association
• Consumer Law Division of the Texas Bar Association

[1] According to the Real Estate Investment Depot, Texas Houses for Pennies has received a customer rating of 9 out of a possible 10 points.