Over the last few years two friends, both “high performing” salespeople, who expressed a burning desire to succeed in life and in their careers, quit their jobs.

Things got too tough and they gave up.

Couldn’t hack it anymore!

I’ve seen much the same happen to property investors when the economy or the markets put stumbling blocks in their way.

Yet these investors and my friends expressed a strong “desire” to succeed and if you’d asked them a while ago they were “sure they would succeed”.

So what happened?

Jim Rohn put it well when he explained that there are three parts to desire:

1. Dreaming,
2. The Vision and
3. Focus.

Here’s what he said:

First, is dreaming .

Have you let yourself dream lately?

Just sit down and begin to imagine all of the incredible possibilities your life could become?

Spend some time just dreaming.

Next is the vision.

Once you dream, you begin to cut back on all of the possibilities and narrow it to what possibility it is that you really want.

You begin to create a vision for your life.

You begin to see it as you want it.

Lastly under desire is focus. 

Once you have the vision, you have to really focus in on that dream.

This is where you get really specific about what your life is going to look like.

There are also three parts for dedication:

1. The Plan, 2. Beginning and 3. Perseverance.

First is the plan.

Without a plan you will drift to and fro.

You will certainly not carry out your dream if you do not have a plan.

So write it down.

Set your goals.

Know what you want and how you are going to get there.

Second is the beginning.
This may sound simple and yet it is simply profound.

Many people have a dream and they even have a plan, but they never begin.

So simple: just start.

The first step on the long journey is still just one step.

If you have a dream and a plan, take a step in the right direction.

Lastly is to persevere.

Every road to every dream has a section that is hard to travel.

Every great dream will encounter difficulty.

The question isn’t whether or not you will encounter trouble but how you will respond to trouble.

Will you quit when the going gets tough or will you persevere?

I have found that every successful person I know, myself included, has encountered problems along the way that tempted them to quit.

Yet they persevered and achieved their dream.

As always wise words from America’s foremost business philosopher.

About Michael Yardney
Michael is the founder of Metropole Property Strategists who help their clients grow, protect and pass on their wealth through independent, unbiased property advice and advocacy. He’s once again been voted Australia’s leading property investment adviser and one of Australia’s 50 most influential Thought Leaders. His opinions are regularly featured in the media.