No, I’m not kidding! You can get your first million dollars in 12 months or so if you apply the steps that I am about to explain. Each of these steps will allow you to move closer to your goal of becoming independently wealthy. All you have to do is apply them. Truthfully (as always) this isn’t a get rich quick scheme or a multi-level marketing scheme. It is simply the facts that stop aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners from reaching their goals. These steps are independent of business, industry, location, current financial situation, childhood circumstances, and the like.

Now you may be inclined to dismiss the information you are about to learn but I urge you not to! If you haven’t heard of Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich you should run out to your nearest bookstore or library and get a copy. If you ask any successful entrepreneur or business owner to name 3 books that have helped them achieve their success, Think and Grow Rich would be on that list.

Many of the steps shared below are represented in Think and Grow Rich and these are the characteristics that result in success. You see, Napoleon Hill was commissioned by one of the first billionaires of the United States, Andrew Carnegie, to study other successful entrepreneurs of the time and determine what they all had in common. The steps below is my rendition (a very short one at that) of this book. These attributes or characteristics are common among today’s successful people. So let’s get started with making your first million in less time than 95% of the world’s population!

Step 1: Action – I once heard someone say that “Action is the key to success”. This is absolutely true. Think about. You cannot achieve anything (but failure) if you don’t put some action to your goals, dreams, wants, and desires. If you take a step towards your goals daily you will achieve what you want in no time. The key is to move towards that goal; to do something meaningful to achieve your goal. Make a list of things that you want to do and break them down into small manageable pieces. Mind mapping is an excellent way to discover what all is involved in accomplishing your goals. In simplest form, you would write your goal or your task in the center of a paper. From there you would branch out from the goal and make smaller more manageable goals/tasks that would allow you to reach your ultimate goal. As you can imagine this is a powerful brainstorming tool.

Step 2: The Next Shiny Thing – There are countless opportunities out there. Some actually work and others just talk a good game. In fact, most of them talk a good game and that is a problem that many aspiring entrepreneurs face. You must keep your eye on a single prize (or even a group of related prizes) and put your focus on succeeding at that. If you want to be an author, then focus on that and not an Internet guru. There is a lot of money to be made but don’t let that distract you from doing what you were called to do.

Step 3: Procrastination – I can safely say that procrastination plagues each of us to some degree. Some people actually have a chronic issue when it comes to procrastinating. Others just put things off until the weekend. Whatever your level of procrastination, you must understand how you can deal with and overcome it. My Internet pen pal, Douglas Cartwright, has experienced procrastination and has overcome it with great success. He has developed a resource that will teach you how you can overcome your psychological knots. Check out his free resource at www.overcomingprocrastination.co.uk

Step 4: Faith – My pastor has a saying “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything”. There is absolute truth to this. Having faith in God, the calling for your life, and the fact that you will achieve your goals is the difference between success and failure. You must know that you know that you know what you believe to be is true and not let anyone change your beliefs. Your success depends on it. If you believe and know you will be successful then stand firmly on that and put action to your beliefs. Faith without action isn’t faith at all.

Step 5: Dedication – I promise you that you will not become a millionaire overnight. All of the success stories that you have heard where it seems that people made their millions overnight aren’t true. Often we do not know the time, efforts, struggle, obstacles, blood, sweat, and tears that these people endured to achieve their success. You must be dedicated to what you are doing otherwise you will not achieve your goal.

Step 6: Desire – Do you truly want to achieve your goals? The desire to achieve your goals is a powerful driving force. All the reason why you want to achieve your goals should be kept at the forefront of your mind. In fact, take a pen and paper (not a computer and keyboard) and write down why you want to achieve your goals. This will help you remember why you are working so hard. The desire to help others, the desire to be free from the rat race, the desire to build the Kingdom of God, the desire to help your family financially, or simply the desire to be your own boss are all worth while goals. Keep your desires in front of you. These will help you move past life obstacles.

Step 7: Love – Not the love of money for that is the root of evil but the love of what you are doing or what your goals can do. You have heard it time and time again that you should do something that you love. Waking up in the morning with excitement in your heart and a smile on your face is much better than waking up and facing a day that you would rather not. Love what you do or don’t do it. Life is too precious for us not to do what we love.

Step 8: No is Not an Answer – Through out your journey you will hear ‘no’ much more than you hear ‘yes’. But no is not an answer (unless it is truly no because of ethical, moral, legal or the like reasons). When someone tells you that you can’t do something, ask the questions that children ask the most, “Why”? I guarantee that with enough whys, you will discover how you can accomplish what you need.

Step 9: Pursuit of Knowledge – Never think that once you are out of school that the pursuit of knowledge is over. In fact, it begins when you make a decision to do more than the average. Knowledge opens doors that would otherwise be shut. You should be a student of your craft, industry, or profession – study to show yourself approved.

Step 10: Understanding Your Market – You should know who you are trying to attract as clients/customers/patients. What makes them who they are as a customer? What are they interested in? What makes them lay awake at night? What publications are they reading? What do they do for fun? Understanding what makes your niche market who they are will allow you to better market your product or service to them. It will allow them to feel as if you know what they are thinking. You will be received as an ‘insider’.

Step 11: Application – Having the knowledge, knowing your market or any other of the steps above are pointless unless you use it in your business. There are countless aspiring entrepreneurs who gain all this knowledge about their business and do nothing about it. This sit on it because of fear! Fear of success, fear of failure, or fear of rejection. Don’t waste your time and money to not apply what you have discovered and the obstacles you have overcome.

Step 12: Leverage: I’m sure that you have heard the saying ‘Don’t reinvent the wheel’. There is a vast amount of knowledge available at your disposal. Especially in the 21st century, there are so many technologies that we can leverage. Leverage the knowledge of other people. There are countless books, monthly information-packed newsletters, audio CDs, videos, and the Internet that you can leverage to get you where you want to be. The only caution I would advise is to remember you get what you pay for.

So that’s it in a nut shell. Use these steps to gain your first million and let me know how it goes. It brings me great joy to hear the success stories of others. Leave a comment!