When the word SUCCESS pops up in conversation, what comes to mind? Is it a life of luxury and wealth? Earning a Ph.D. in your chosen field? Running a marathon or perhaps conquering your first mile? Certainly, as you can see, success means different things to different people. A rich person and a poor person may find equal contentment in life. A single person may get the same enjoyment out of life as does a married one. It is impossible to come up with just one single method of being successful. There are many ways to find success and fulfillment in life.

I have come up with a formula which I believe anyone can use to be successful, no matter what your goals and dreams may be. Using the 7 letters in word S-U-C-C-E-S-S, I have developed a road map that you can use to guide yourself throughout life in any endeavor.

The first step is to Strive toward your goals. For many of us, the joy of living lies in striving toward something, whether it be a personal or professional goal; a new way of thinking, behaving, or living. I would go as far as to say that we spend the majority of our lives reaching and stretching in the direction of our various pursuits. Certainly, this is one important element of being successful.

It is important to choose goals that are challenging, exciting, and worthwhile – goals that will benefit you in some way. Realizing the eventual fruits of your labor can be a great source of motivation en route to your dreams!

The second step is to Understand what it will take to get you moving in the direction of your goals. What might be holding you back from living the life that you deserve? Is guilt standing in the way of your moving forward? Fear of failure? Or of success? How about anger or resentment toward yourself or others? Perhaps frustration about your past mistakes is eating you up! Or anxiety about any number of things.

These “demons”: GUILT, ANGER, FEAR, FRUSTRATION, and ANXIETY can hold you back, eat you alive, and even kill you. Before you can achieve greatness, you must get rid of these lingering demons, and resolve to create a new future for yourself.

The third step is to Create the conditions which will ultimately lead to your success by taking action. To achieve greatness, you must throw yourself into the arena of life. This is the point where you put your plans into action, and take small, consistent steps toward transforming your dreams into reality. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your dreams will take time to be nurtured and developed. By resolving to take action, you commit yourself to living a life that is fulfilling and rewarding both emotionally and spiritually.

Another important step in activating your life is to eliminate excuses commonly used to keep yourself at the status quo. Examples are: “I’ve never done that before” and “I don’t have enough time.” Some effective antidotes for these malingering excuses could be “I love new challenges.” And “I will make this a priority in my life.” As William Jennings Bryant said, “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice.” Choose to be happy! Choose to live your dreams!

The fourth step is to Condition your mind, body, and emotions for greatness. You might ask yourself, “How can I run that 10K race next spring if I can’t even finish a mile?” or “I’d like to be a self-made millionaire, but I’m living paycheck to paycheck,” or “I’d like to become more compassionate towards others, but I can’t get rid of my nasty temper.” The answer to problems, or rather challenges, lie these is…conditioning. The best way to condition your mind is through mental preparation. Mental preparation gives you the edge you need in a competitive marketplace as well as a boost in confidence knowing you are thoroughly prepared. It ensures that you are at your best.

As many fitness experts will tell you, physical conditioning is critical to living a long, healthy life. By developing a consistent, realistic and challenging training plan, you can achieve great strides in the area of personal fitness, whether your goal is to compete in a triathlon or just improve overall cardiovascular fitness.

We also possess the ability to condition ourselves emotionally, that is, to modify our behaviors and reactions to situations. If you make a conscious effort to spend less time worrying and more time enjoying life, your attitude will change over time. As with physical conditioning, this requires persistence and a willingness to change.

The fifth step is to Envision where you want to be in the future. When you form a crystal clear picture in your mind of the greatness you want to achieve, and you hold fast to your vision, opportunity will come knocking, and eventually, beating down your door. I created an affirmation I love to repeat to myself: “Life will always make room for those whose vision is crystal clear.” Repeat those words to yourself. Say them over and over. Picture in your mind Life handing you the golden keys, opening the door to your wildest dreams and desires! When you resolve to become your own fortune teller, and shape a uniquely crafted vision of the future, you will find the sort of contentment and peace of mind that come with following your own path and blazing your own trail in life.

The sixth step is to Savor your victories and accomplishments. How many of us actually stop to soak up every ounce of life – to bask in our glory and pat ourselves on the back for a job well done? I’d wager to say not enough of us. Just as important as celebrating your well-earned accomplishments is learning to truly enjoy every moment along the way. Why wait until you get that promotion to be happy? Why wait until you’re out of debt to take that trip around the world? Don’t put off happiness until you pay all your bills, raise your children, earn your degree, or find that special someone. Make happiness a number-one priority in your life. See life as the grand adventure that it truly is. Enjoy your one-way ticket through life!

The seventh step is to Soar. Once you’ve achieved your long-awaited goals, you must not stop there. I believe there is an innate desire within everyone of us to better ourselves, to stretch our limits, to strive for even greater levels of achievement. As Helen Keller said so profoundly, “One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.”