Do you think there is a secret to success? How would you describe success?

Most people describe success as making a lot of money, but I disagree.  Success is getting to the places you want to be in life, whether that means having a career, starting a family, or even just finishing a personal project or being a good parent.  Even if two people have the same goals, the steps they take and their definition of success when they accomplish those goals will most likely be different.

There is no real “secret” to achieving success either.  In other words, you can’t just do something specific, or take a shortcut that will result in success.

The real path to success has three steps.

The first step is knowing your goals.  You can’t be successful unless you know what constitutes success.

Second, you have to do your homework.  Find out what you know and what you still need to learn, or what organizations and people can help you accomplish those goals.

Finally, in order to be successful, you have to have the discipline to keep working toward your goals, learn the skills and knowledge you need, make the contacts you have to make, and—most importantly—do the work that has to be done in order to get where you want to be.