What woke you up this morning? Was it an alarm clock or an inspiring and compelling vision of the future you are creating for yourself and/or your organization? Wishing for success won't bring it about. Working harder at strategies that aren't working just leads to frustration. What follows are 7 secrets to achieving the personal and business success you desire. Rate yourself on each one and make improvements where necessary.

Life Mission and Purpose
Knowing what you want your life and career to be about is perhaps the most significant factor in the fulfillment of your dreams and achieving the success that you have envisioned for yourself. Write down what it is you want to accomplish, don't just think about it. The very act of writing it down will help you to clarify what you want. Be able to articulate what you want to accomplish clearly. Vividly imagine what it feels like to have already achieved it. Share your vision with others and celebrate the milestones that you have achieved along the way. As you come close to accomplishing each goal, write out new ones to help pull you forward towards the future you desire.

Belief
Believe in yourself and in your ability to achieve your dreams and to overcome obstacles and adversities that stand in your way. Have the belief in yourself that you have the courage to persevere on your quest. Belief in yourself will help you to bounce back during the hard times and will help propel you forward during the good times. How can you build belief in yourself? Develop the capacity to relive your successes. Keep a Success Journal and be proud of your accomplishments whether they are big or small. Don't be afraid to give yourself credit for what you have already achieved and accomplished in your personal and business life.

Resilience
People who are resilient have the best chances for succeeding in life by staying positive and focused on achieving their goals and fulfilling their dreams and aspirations. Being resilient is one of the most important emotional intelligence competencies you can posses in today's fast-paced and often times stressful world. People who are most resilient:

Keep reserves of energy built up with regular periods of rest, reflection, and renewal
Have people they can depend upon and who know and accept them as they are
Build their day around rewarding and high pay-off activities
Know what their needs are and get them met on a regular basis
Eat well and get plenty of rest and exercise
Focus
Be ruthless with your time management. Don't be led off your course with distractions or spending too much time on your "B" and "C" to do's. Continually ask yourself, "What is the highest and best use of my time right now to accomplish my goals." To stay focused, follow these steps:

State goal
Create action plan
Execute plan
Review results
Make adjustments or create new goals
Repeat the process
Consistent Commitment to Action
Consistent commitment to taking the required actions to achieve your goals is a crucial element in the achievement of these goals and in your ultimate success. Create systems to track the actions you must take each day and make the necessary course corrections to ensure your success. Busy work might make you feel good, but only by taking the appropriate actions each day will you move closer to reaching your goals and dreams.

Positive Outlook
We become the sum total of our thoughts and we attract into our lives the manifestations of those thoughts. If you hold a positive outlook about your future, your goals, and your circumstances, you will attract more positive results into your life. What "tapes" do you have playing inside your head? Are they positive ones or negative ones? Every now and then, stop and listen in. You may be surprised as to what you hear.

Support Systems
Surround yourself with nutritious people. Form a master-mind group. Get a coach. Create an environment around you that fosters a positive outlook and hold near to you the people who believe in you and your vision for the future. Ask for help from others who have achieved what you desire to achieve. Do inspirational reading and apply success concepts and principles from others. Have an attitude of gratitude for those who have supported you in the past or who are supporting and believing in you today.

Good luck to you on your journey to success.