Success Attitude = (Core Desires + Direction) x Proper Action + Persistence

By Jack M. Zufelt

A Success Attitude is a frame of mind that allows you to accomplish whatever you want, because you know that you can create the opportunity and then make it happen.

You may not necessarily know how you will create the opportunity, you just know is that you have the ability to learn whatever it takes to acquire the attributes, skills, and characteristics needed. With this foundation, you need only identify what you really want to learn about, and then find a mentor to shorten your learning curve.

If you are smart enough to learn whatever someone is willing to teach you, then with the skill and attitude you learn from a mentor you can create the opportunity and make it happen. You may even surprise yourself with the things you can do. You will acquire the talent and attitudes needed, thanks to your Core Desires and your Conquering Force.

When you have faith and confidence in yourself, you will do more and attempt to do more. The ancient Greeks defined faith as “action out of confidence.” The more confidence you have, the more action you will take.

Where can you get more faith and confidence? You can borrow it from someone who has plenty of it—from those who are already successful at whatever you want to learn—whether it is skiing, swimming, marriage, or business.

When you apply what they have taught you, you will achieve the results as promised, greatly increasing your faith. When you exercise your faith, you will become a more confident, faithful person.

CORE DESIRES are those strong, powerful, and heartfelt desires that measure 100 on a scale of 1 to 100. You MUST discover that overwhelming, overarching desire that is so strong it causes you to tap into your Conquering Force. The only thing that will cause you to do what is unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or even scary is when you know it is worth it.

How large would you like your comfort zone to be? It can be as big as you’d like. You can choose to place no limits on yourself. If you can learn, you can do, have, or become whatever you want.

A woman once approached me, timidly, and told me that she really wanted to take a certain job but was concerned she just wasn’t “cut out for that kind of work.” “When you were cut out, what were you cut out for?” I asked. Of course the answer is simple. We are all cut out for whatever we want.

DIRECTION. Still, a Core Desire by itself won’t get you where you want to go. If you live in California and want to drive to Washington, D.C., you may have great desire but you still need direction.

We already know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Wouldn’t it make sense to go straight, or as straight as possible, toward our desired objective?

Identifying Core Desires has a way of making you want to fulfill them as quickly as possible. Yet, many folks, after they’ve pinpointed Core Desires, get bogged down because they can’t find direction. So, secure an accurate map, trace the best route, check with the travel club, and find out about any detours. Minimize your delays and annoyances.

It may not be simple to map out exactly how you’ll increase your income, increase your free time, overcome habits that hold you back, or create close relationships. It’s always much harder to find a map for those things—but they do exist.

Once you know what your Core Desires are, you can make use of tools that are available to you. But remember these tools alone—without Core Desires—will get you nowhere fast. They will be a waste of money and time.

MENTORS. Throughout history, world leaders have had their mentors. Franklin Roosevelt had George Marshall, the King of England had Winston Churchill, Julius Caesar had Mark Anthony. If people at the very top are smart enough to seek out and utilize mentors, don’t you think we’d be smart to do the same thing?

BOOKS. For every Core Desire you have, you can find a book. When you read books that address your Core Desire, reading can be a joy and pleasure. You’ll devour the words and eagerly apply all that you’ve learned.

That’s your Conquering Force in action. Interestingly, the Conquering Force eliminates boredom, because you’re always doing what you want. So only buy books that pertain to your identified Core Desires.

AUDIO AND VIDEO PROGRAMS. There are so many audio and videotapes out there...from taxes to relationships. If they apply to your Core Desires, these tapes can help you apply your Conquering Force effectively. Many programs provide specific how to’s. If the content pertains to your Core Desires, the message can be life changing.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES AND SEMINARS. Again, as long as the content pertains to one or more of your Core Desires, seminar presentations can help you achieve your desires. Many seminars are free or very inexpensive because a local university or other organizations sponsor them. Many concepts can be obtained only from hearing the seminar leader in person, on the Internet, or on tape.

Check your local colleges and universities to see what seminars they offer. Seminars and courses are among the most powerful and helpful experiences you can have. Some last an hour or two, some five days.

Often they are very intense and are generally designed to help you overcome personal obstacles hindering your growth and limiting your happiness. In seminars and courses, you participate on a emotional level.

PROPER ACTION. Without proper action, you can’t obtain your Core Desires. An old Latin proverb says, “If there is no wind, row.” I add row with both oars, but first untie the boat from the dock. The Conquering Force is the power that causes you to take the proper steps, no matter what the risk or how many obstacles you encounter.

Wanting to go to Washington, DC, and simply selecting the route won’t get you there. You’ve taken some action by reading about all the things to see there, you’ve bought a map and done some calculations, but it isn’t yet enough. You still must get in the car, fill it with gas, and take off.

This is where Proper Action combined with Direction is important. Without the map, you could have a difficult time getting there. Maybe you’d still get lost or get a flat tire. There are always risks associated with any journey. But the potential for problems doesn’t stop you from trying, because it’s a Core Desire to go on vacation and see the nation’s capital.

This attitude of not letting risks and possible problems stop you applies to every area of your life. When you are working toward a genuine Core Desire, fear is not a limiting factor. If you are afraid to do something, but do it anyway, does it mean that you are afraid or brave? The answer is both, but the Core Desires are what make the fear manageable.

Be careful not to confuse hard work with Proper Action. There are millions of hard working people who have never enjoyed the pleasures of focusing on, and living with, the success of genuine Core Desires. Some people say, “The harder you work the luckier you get.” But, when you are doing the right work, you will get even luckier.

Many people spin their wheels, producing a lot of action and effort...but no real results. They keep working and staying busy but never seem to get ahead. Instead, they keep doing what they have always done, and their lives stay the same.

PERSISTENCE. In your journey from your home in California to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., you already have the Directions you need, and are taking Proper Action as you start the drive. Still, without Persistence, you won’t make it. After all, it’s a long drive and very real and valid obstacles can keep you from getting there.

But if you really want to get there, if it is a Core Desire, you will do what is necessary. If going to the Smithsonian is a 100 on your Core Desire Scale, you will find a way to get there—even if you are out of money and your car has broken down, you will find a way.

In the pursuit of Core Desires, you may not hit the bulls eye on the first shot. You may have to take several shots and then make adjustments. I failed at four different businesses before I achieved the level of success and income I now enjoy.

Why did I keep starting over? Because I wanted to be free—and not just financially—I wanted to be my own boss and be in control of my time and money. Had I quit, as so many well-meaning people advised me to do, I wouldn’t be free to come and go as I wish. Nor would I be speaking to, and helping, people all around the world.

Heber J. Grant tells the story about when he was a boy and joined a baseball club. He lacked the physical strength to throw the ball from one base to another, or hit the ball, or run well. He was teased and called “sissy.”

This painful teasing caused him to make a solemn vow to play on the best team that would win the state championship. He bought a baseball and spent hours and hours throwing it against a barn. His arm would ache so badly he could hardly sleep at night. But he kept on practicing and eventually played on the team that won the state championship.

This level of Persistence exists in all of us if we want something with all our heart.

After seeing the Success Attitude Formula in action over the years, I’m convinced that this formula works every time. It will produce tremendous results and never fails. By following these simple steps, you can enjoy life at high levels of harmony, satisfaction, and joy. By following the Success Attitude Formula, you will greatly benefit.