The only way to gain mastery of anything imaginable is to work hard at it. If you really want to develop skill in your field, hard work is not an option. There is no traffic jam on that extra mile, but unfortunately, only a few attempts it. There are some levels or things you cannot accomplish except you work hard. The cut-corner mentality that is rampant these days is rather nothing but mental illness. This is contacted by people who are looking for fats, easy ways out of everything. They look for short cuts to acquire key skills that actually take many months and years of hard work to master. They search for quick ways to solve problems that may have taken them many months or years to develop

Jan Paderewski, the renowned pianist and the prime minister of Poland in 1919 was once asked if he could perform a recital on short notice. He said in reply “I am always ready, I have practiced eight hours daily for 40 years”. the man who asked him, also a pianist said “I wish I had been born with such determination” paderewski answered; “ we are all born with it, I just use mine”. Tony Dawcett said; ‘the reason a guy like myself has achieved some success in life is that I have worked very, very hard to do so’. Michelangelo, a renowned sculptor and painter said; “if people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery-it would not seem so wonderful after all”. Marie Curie, the co-discoverer of radium was one of the world’s great scientists. Twice winner of the Nobel prize in 1903 for physics and 1911 for chemistry, knew both the power of personal confidence and hard work it takes to succeed.

She once said; “life is not easy for any of us. We must believe that we are gifted for something and the thing at whatever cost, must be attained”. Above all your potentials can only feed and announce you globally on the condition that you work hard to become skillful.

Mastery is being skilful and competent enough in your business or career you have chosen.

As you know, we are in the information technology age. And till the end of the world, ideas will be the major source of wealth. Someone rightly said; “never pray for money; rather pray for creative and productive ideas”. Almost everything that is visible on earth started as an idea in the mind of someone. So, one good idea is all you need to start a fortune. But ideas, just as I said earlier are never patient. They evaporate; whenever the mind cannot retain them. Hence, the need to write them down even to the minutest detail for recapturing, proper execution and for reference purpose. For instance, God knew there was possibility that most of what will be revealed to John on the Island of  Patmos, which will be communicated later to various churches, could escape his memory and fizzle out. Hence, he instructed him to document all.

Similarly, ideas that eventually led to the discoveries made by legendary inventors like Archimedes, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Galileo Galilee and so on were quickly documented in books, magazines, journals for reference purpose. Hence, it was easy to replicate and build upon their work after their deaths. Whenever an idea comes to your mind as it will always do, write it down one after the other including the date and time of the day.
When you have ideas written, rewritten, visualized, you trigger your conscious, subconscious and super conscious minds into generating a conscious flow of ideas for goal attainment. Always maintain a quiet mind and spirit because God will always communicate His idea through a still, small voice. Finally, keep that diary where you can have prompt access to it. So go get a diary now for your ideas. Ideas are volatile!

In soccer game at times, the team leading with two or three goals in first half might end up being the loser in the second half, so never write anyone off and do not allow anyone to write you off. Another important truth is this; never be discouraged no matter what your preassent situation looks like. That you have not made it today does not mean you will not make it forever. You only need to assess yourself correctly for correction, because progress may be impossible without an honest self-appraisal.

Certain fundamental factors are responsible for your predicament.if you can take time to think well and find out why the initial effort did not succeed, you will discover where you went wrong and learn to be careful in your next attempt. Know that there can be scoring chances unless goal posts are erected. In the same vein, there can be no achievement until goals are properly set. Set achievable goals, pursue it relentlessly. Avoid all forms of distraction, pitfalls and ‘go slow’ on your way to stardom. Stand firm for nothing is impossible for the courageous.

The basic tool of time management is a list, organised priority and used as a constant tool for personal management. The fact is that if you cannot manage time, you cannot manage yourself. That is why time management requires self-displine, self-control and self-mastery. Those who cannot manage themselves cannot really manage time. The ultimate aim of planning ahead is to have the control of time at our disposal. Hence, time management requires that you make the best choices and decisions necessary to enhance the quality of your life and work, and then you follow through on your decisions. To plan ahead is to save time and prevent being stranded in destiny.

Planning ahead leads to preparing before hand and this prevents last minute rush. Those who never plan in advance miss opportunities when it comes. They experience failure, and they do what they are supposed to do at wrong times. You should plan your life with lists of long-term, medium-term and short-term goals and projects. You must plan every month in advance with a list of the things you want to accomplish during that month. Make a list of every step in each multitask job that you want to complete and then organise that list by priority and sequence. Begin today to plan every week in advance, preferably the Sunday before the working week begins. Plan every day in advance. I suggest you do it the night before.

When you make a list of everything you have to do the following day, your subconscious mind works on that list all night long. When you wake up in the morning, you will often have ideas and insights to help you accomplish the items on your list. Finally, separate urgent tasks from the important ones then you will enjoy unimaginable accomplishment daily. You will not fail!

Your destiny is in your hands. You can actually turn it around for your good. Disappointment can be turned to appointment. Are you defeated? Did a door suddenly closed against you? Did you get knocked down? This is not the end pf the word. Sometimes, setback do happen for a purpose best known to God. We have heard of series of misfortunes that befallen people such as business failure, loss of jobs, divorce, families falling apart, examination failure and so on. At the same time we have also seen people come out of adversities stronger than they were before.

The set back that leaves one person lying flat in depression propels another person into action. It is all about attitude. For instance, Galileo Galili’s lecturing appointment at the university of Pisa was unexpectedly terminated as a result of one  challenging article he wrote that circulated among his co-lectures. Galileo left Pisa that day so poor that he had to walk the final hundred miles to Padua to take another appointment in another university. It was in that period of depression that he invented the hydrostatic balance which is the first practical thermometer. Sometimes the best in you may not come out until your comfort is temporarily threatened. Paul the apostle wrote many of his epistles in the prison. You can rise from the ashes of failure and defeat to the pinnacle of success.

Everything depends on attitude. Despite all you have gone through, the good news is that a glorious future lies ahead. Analyse the source of your unhappiness before you plan your next move. Make sure you are progressing, though it may be slow. If changing your situation seems too overwhelming a challenge, think of short-term goals at first. Determine your assets and skills and how you can apply them in other areas. Finally, look ahead, think, plan for what you want to accomplish, not just now, but in the years ahead. With God on your side, you will soon sing a new song. Get up now and do something.

Truly, there is no limit on what you ccan really accomplish, except the ones you accept its limit in your mind. As Henry Ford rightly said; “if you believe you can do a thing, or you believe you cannot, in either case, you are probably right”. Many people think that they are not smart or creative or talented enough to get the things they want. But the fact is that most of these beliefs have no basis in reality. The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible . it never cease to excite me to see how some ordinary people, because they developed a purpose in life, become extra ordinary. You do not have to be fantastic person about how to do certain things. To compete, all you need is to be an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to rreach challenging goals. The development of ambition is so important.

For instance, while explaining the fact that having achieved a particular goal, one should quickly sit down and develop another one, here is an impetuous and challenging question put forward to John Scullery, the 38 year old president of Pepsi-Cola by Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple Computers while recruiting him: “do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?” it is rather unfortunate that some men die by shrapnel, some go down in flames, but most men perish inch by inch playing little games to make life significant, you must develop a sense of mission, purpose, meaning and destiny in life, because if you do not know where you are going, you will probably wind up somewhere else. What is that thing your mind has been longing to accomplish? Does it look scary? Break the entire steps required to accomplish the project or adventure down into several manageable sub-steps, and then go after it step by step. Before you know it, the job is done. Welcome to the world of no limit and outstanding achievement.

I am convinced of the awesome power of God planted within us to succeed. He had deposited the seed of success inside each one of us-including you. You have been given the gifts and talents you need to succeed in life. It is up to you  to walk in the power of the LORD and in his wisdom to discover, develop and maximize your gifts.

The fact  that the very foundation of the world system seems to be crumbling as a result of crisis happening everywhere is not enough reason to stop you from succeeding. Although, your present circumstances may not be palatable, however, you must not allow them stop you from actualising the divine mandat of success that you have. You are not only one or the first person to encounter challenges of life.

There are people both in the past and in the present who have encountered life threatening circumstances and yet succeeded. For instance, Beethoven, an accomplished pianist and composer who lived between 1770 – 1817 never had any moment of childhood happiness. He was born by an irresponsible and alcoholic father. His sense of hearing became impired at age twenty and became totally deaf at forty. Despite these odd, Beethoven,s success and impact in the world of music was felt all over the world. In addition, according to the parable Jesus gave in Matthew 25:24-30 the master who distributed talent to his servants got disappointed in the servant who was trying to rationalize his failure and inability to be productive. You have all it takes to succeed. No reason is good or strong enough to justify failure. You can rise up through challenges and difficulties and make impact. You can move from ashes of defeat to pinnacle of success. Discover your potentials, show case those talents, start anyhow, get determined and trust God. You will succeed!

“Your worth is measured by the number of problems you are able to solve”.

Your real worth is not how fat your bank account is. How God rates you is not in the number of houses you are able to erect. What you are worth to your boss is not how good your certificate is. But your worth is in the value that people, God and even your boss place on you. It is the degree of your impact. This however cannot be bought with money. No one obtain it by fighting, it can only be earned. Do you want to have value in the minds of people? Do you want your boss to increase your wages? This is one of the deepest of all needs. Almost everything you do is to earn the respect of the people, or at least not to lose their respect. The way to command value and respect from people is to move closer to them, make them happy by solving their problems.

Again, the only way to make your boss happy, reward you more than any other person is to solve company’s problems. David weighed so much before God, God referred to him as a man after His own heart. This is the greatest honour that anyone could have. This does not just happen by accident. David understood God’s mind and spent his entire life pleasing him.

Isaac Newton was so valuable and highly respected by both the people, co-scientists and the government of England and his native land not because he was rich but because he made positive impacts on people, solving human problems through his researches and inventions. He was born on Christmas day, a day known for giving presents and in many ways, his life was a gift to mankind. He designed and built the first reflecting telescope in 1668. Newton was the first scientist ever to be buried in West Minister Abbey as a national hero. You cannot amount to anything in people’s mind by flaunting your wealth, displaying your bank account or declaring your assets. These are just ephemerals that would soon be forgotten. Rather spend your energy, time; resources in the place of research to identify and solve the problems of mankind in the process money will come. Leave this world better than you met it, then you will be valuable before men and God. Start today you can!

A successful life is often expensive. It will cost you something to bbecome a champion. There is always a price to pay to achieve fame, wealth and so on. Some times, you will have to sacrifice your leisure time, energy, money or even take some risks to achieve your desire. This apart, it will require some effort, reaching for relationships, absorption of new information and ideas. It might even require delaying gratification for a while and enduring criticisms. I must let yuo know that whoever is not ready to pay the required price for his/her rise will always remain where he/she has always been. No one is exempted from this.

Galileo Galilee, a famous Italian mathematician who lived between 1564 and 1642 endured fierce criticisms and serious pain before he could effect revolution in the field of science. His unparalleled discoveries, published in a book, that challenged the normal tradition was banned out of sheer jealousy and was consequently placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. Neil Armstrong who was the first man to set feet on the moon on july 20, 1969 took a risk that almost claimed his life while testing a Lunar Landing Research vehicle at an airbase in Houston in 1968. The fame, respect and enviable success that Apostle Paul achieved in his missionary work was not on the platter of gold.

Jesus was able to raise the dead, heal the sick and cast out stubborn demons by the word of his command because He had paid His dues in the area of fasting and prayers.

Do you desire to make a great impact before you die? Do you want your name to be mentioned among great achievers? Do you want to come out in flying colours in your exams? All these are possible. Some people have done it before and you can too. Identify the required price, get ready and make up your mind to give it what it takes. You will rise but you need to pay the price.

1. Only marry once

According to ‘The Millionaire Next Door’ by Thomas J Stanley, PhD and William D Danko, PhD, the average millionaire is married with three children. The wives of these millionaires are good budgeters and most often described as even more frugal than their husbands. Interestingly, according to Stanley and Danko’s survey, half of these wives do no work outside the home and of those who do, they are most likely to be teachers.

One upside of only marrying once is avoiding the costs of divorce and of subsequent weddings. The cost of a divorce depends on many factors including income, legal fees, court fees, and the assets a couple has and how they are divided. The average wedding cost in the UK in 2011, according to Wedding Magazine, is expected to be £18,605.

2. Live off one income

One of the advantages of having a life partner is the potential to pull in two incomes. If you are able, consider structuring your set expenses based on only one income, and save what comes in from the other income. Doing so strengthens your financial position in two ways: In case of an emergency or if one partner loses their job, you will not only have less set expenses to cover, but you will also have built up your net worth as a safety measure.

3. Choose the right career

According to The Millionaire Next Door: “Self-employed people make up less than 20% of the workers in America but account for two-thirds of the millionaires.” The book goes on to list an average of 45 to 55 hours spent working per week, so by no means is this the self-employed fantasy of playing golf while your business grows.

The idea of the “right” career can encompass a myriad of factors. Ideally, this would be a career you enjoy, otherwise you likely won’t be putting in the dedication required to be successful. The right career would also coincide with overall working trends, or at least not work directly against them. For example, starting a career in typewriter manufacturing may be something you are passionate about, but it would likely suffer due to the current technological trends.

4. Put your money in appreciating assets  

According to Stanley and Danko, the millionaires in their survey invested nearly 20% of their realised household income each year. Nearly 20% of the household’s wealth is held in “transaction securities such as publicly traded stocks and mutual funds” and the millionaires tended to rarely sell their equities. Only a very small number of the millionaires surveyed had ever leased a car; few even drove a new model. Half of those surveyed had lived in their homes for more than 20 years, which, as the authors point out, means they have probably enjoyed “significant increases in the value of their homes”.

The end result? These people put a financial priority on assets that will make them money, from their homes to their businesses.

5. Don’t live the millionaire lifestyle

Warren Buffett’s frugal lifestyle (especially relative to his net worth) is the prime example for this point. The average value of the surveyed millionaires’ homes was £193,000. Put simply, those who spend their money on non-appreciating assets cannot put that same money in an asset that will net them a return and increase their wealth. If it is important to you to build your financial worth, stop spending it on new cars, toys and clothes.

The bottom line

Becoming a millionaire is easier than ever. While this is a dream that will take work and discipline to achieve, it isn’t as far out of reach as you might think. Be smart with your money and before you know it, you’ll be able to count yourself among the world’s wealthier citizens.

curled from yahoo finance