How Bad Do You Really Want It?

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
– Robert Frost

Take two similar people and give them each the same opportunity. One takes it and achieves remarkable success, while the other accomplishes little or nothing. Why? During my three decades in business, I have worked with thousands of people in diverse industries. Most have had similar opportunities. A dozen or so have become overwhelmingly prosperous; many have earned a good living. But the majority of people, when faced with the same chances for success, have little to show for their efforts. Why?

Success is not a matter of luck or fate. Nor is it entirely a matter of intelligence or talent. Winners share one common characteristic: they know how to harness the power of desire and the power of persistence to build the momentum they need to get from where they are to where they want to be.

The reason that self-help books or courses don’t work for most people is the same reason that diets and exercise programs don’t work. Even when people have a great system to follow, most don’t experience great results. It isn’t that there is something wrong with the program or that their actions are wrong. It’s simply that people don’t keep doing them. Why not? Because, they don’t really understand how to transform desire into success!

People who are abundantly successful have learned to transform desire into success by utilizing the power of compound interest, which Einstein referred to as “the eighth wonder of the world.” Those who succeed financially have learned to set aside a certain percentage of their income, investing it, and continuing to reinvest the profits until they produce a passive income that is large enough to provide all of their needs without having to work. At that point their money works for them instead of them working for their money. These people grasp the concept that a small amount of money compounded over a period of time can be worth a fortune. This remarkably creative power is at work in every aspect of your life, every day, every moment, whether you are aware of it or not. It not only works with money, but also with health, personal growth, building relationships, or whatever else you want to achieve.

To tap into the power of compound interest means doing the little things, over and over. It’s easy to do the little things–by the inch it’s a cinch. It’s easy to become financially independent. It’s easy to become healthy and fit. It’s easy to build rich, meaningful relationships. It’s easy to have a fulfilling vocation. All it takes is simple, little actions performed consistently over time, which eventually adds up to huge accomplishments.

Save a few of bucks a day. Get a little exercise daily. Eat healthy food (at least eighty percent of the time!). Read ten pages of a life-enhancing book every day. Tell your loved ones daily how much you love and appreciate them. All simple things to do that will lead to phenomenal results.

You are probably thinking at this point: “Okay if these things are so darned simple and easy, why are so few people successful?” Because they also are easy not to do! Everyone can do them, but most won’t. My question for you is: Would you rather do what successful people do, or what unsuccessful people do not?

No matter how many self-help courses you take, or CDs you listen to, or books you read, if you don’t harness the principle of compound interest in your life by making small daily deposits into your success bank account, you won’t create the results you want.

“Diamonds are nothing more
than chunks of coal that stuck to their jobs.”
– Malcolm Forbes

Success and high level living don’t come from one magnificent breakthrough. They are crafted and honed in the quiet, indistinct moments of each day. They are the products of many little, boring, and seemingly insignificant things performed one at a time in the “nooks and crannies” of daily life.

Think for a moment about someone who would like to lose twenty pounds and get into great physical condition. Imagine that they are contemplating two strategies. The first strategy would allow them to eat anything they please and not have to exercise. But every seventh day, they would abstain from all food, lift weights for a couple of hours, and run five miles. In the second strategy they eat moderately and exercise for a half hour each day. Which strategy would you recommend? Or, imagine a person wanting to become an accomplished musician. Would you recommend that they practice each day for twenty minutes or practice one day a week for two hours?

The answer to these questions should be fairly obvious. The principle of consistent effort is not a difficult concept to comprehend. The difficulty lies in the implementation. If you really want to accomplish great things, focus on doing the little things over and over and over again. It may not happen overnight, but it will happen. Be patient. Keep practicing. And don’t quit. These success principles are universal–they have worked for others and they’ll work for you!

This article is an excerpt from Tom Massey's latest book titled "How Bad Do You REALLY Want It?"