The first definition that appears in The American Heritage Dictionary states that success is “The achievement of something desired, planned, or intended.” All in all… that’s a pretty good basic definition of what success means.

I believe that our basic human nature actually drives us to seek and achieve success in life. Obviously, most of us want to achieve our dreams and desires… and to be successful in all our activities.

In fact, in your own quest for personal success, I suspect that most of you reading this article now…have spent some time studying various methods of achieving success. Fortunately, there are many great resources available for those seeking success.

An excellent resource for the devoted seeker of success is the enormous treatise on success entitled “The Law of Success” by renowned teacher and early 20th century bestselling author Napoleon Hill. In this extensive work, Mr. Hill lays out and explains 17 powerful principles that must be applied for optimal success. This classic 1000+ page work is probably a must read for the truly devoted student of success.

While there are some who love to delve into the topic of success (myself included)… I suspect most want to achieve success in the shortest amount of time possible using the least amount of effort necessary.

I do not envy or belittle the great deeds and principles associated with success in any way… I would humbly like to offer a formula for achieving success for all your desires and pursuits… that should not take years of study to apply.

Breaking down the “success formula” down to its basic elements. The following steps must be followed and performed in the order listed

1. Get a solid vision of what you want to achieve…using as many senses as possible.

2. Gain as much knowledge as possible about the subject or skill set in which you want to be successful.

3. Take all necessary steps to ensure success in whatever desire or pursuit you wish to succeed in.

Creating a powerful vision of what we want to achieve is a vital first step in achieving any goal.

In our pursuit of success in any endeavor, it is very important that we really contemplate what we wish to achieve…and formulate a solid vision of the desired end result in our minds even before beginning the process.

When we truly visualize the result of our desires and searches… we create a powerful mental image that will propel us faster towards our goals. A strong mental image that uses as many senses as possible…will increase the speed of achievement and help keep us motivated along the way.

As we begin to create our visions, it’s vital that we really look at our goals… to make sure we’re really pursuing the “right” goal for us. Spending adequate time to truly formulate our desires will become very important when we actually begin to apply the actions necessary to achieve our goals.

To produce the best vision of what we wish to achieve… we must apply the powerful tools of meditation, affirmations and visualization together to create that perfect mental image. As we quietly meditate on our goals…we should start talking to ourselves quietly about the perfect scenario of what we want to achieve.

During this important meditation time, we must also visualize the end result we desire…using as many senses as possible. Through our “mind’s eye”… we should be able to see, feel and even smell what we want to achieve.

All of these powerful tools mentioned… along with the next step in the “Success Formula” will bring into play the powerful forces associated with our subconscious and superconscious minds.

In order to achieve true success in our desires and activities… it is imperative that we gain as much knowledge and skills as possible regarding what we hope to succeed in.

In truth, there are almost an infinite number of topics and activities waiting to be done. We just don’t have enough time in a lifetime to achieve success in all areas of endeavor.

That’s why it’s so important to truly contemplate our goals…and decide which activities are most important to us at any given time. Once we have determined our most important desires and pursuits, and have formulated a solid vision of our goals…we can begin to apply the second part of the success equation.

With a firm understanding of what we want to achieve…we must begin the process of obtaining all the knowledge necessary to successfully achieve our goals.

As we pursue our current passion… we must strive to learn as much about the topic of interest we are currently pursuing. Chances are, there have been others before you who have also wanted to master a similar discipline or achieve the same goal you are currently working towards. You can use your own experiences and acquired knowledge to help you on your own journey. Many of these former seekers will have written some valuable material that will be very useful to learn in your own search for knowledge on any given subject.

If there’s a new set of skills you want to master…it’s also vital that you try to model the behaviors and skills of those who have achieved it in the past in that area. In addition to modeling a particular skill set…it’s also important to practice the new skill until it becomes a habit.

Along with the first step in the “success formula”…when we acquire as much knowledge and skills as possible associated with our goals, we set in motion the powerful forces associated with our subconscious and superconscious minds…that will bring about our desires almost effortless.

Action is vital to success in any endeavor… but it should definitely be the last step in the “Success Equation.”

As the above statement suggests, action is indeed a very important step in achieving success in anything… but action should only be taken after completing the first two steps.

Once we have truly contemplated our goals and gained all the knowledge and skills necessary to successfully complete these goals…then it is time to take the necessary steps to make our goals a reality. At this time, our actions should also happen almost effortlessly.

Dr. Robert Anthony, author of many valuable resources associated with creating our own realities…had this to say in his article titled “The Secret of Doing Without Doing”:

“Simply put, you shouldn’t take any action on anything until you’ve visualized your desire and made it real enough in your mind that your next action (step), whatever it may be, seems like the most logical step. How Can you know the next? logical step? This is the test you can do to yourself before taking any action. If you focus on what you want and still feel overwhelmed or anxious, then you are not ready for any action. You know you are ready when it feels like the next logical step is effortless. There is no strain, no strain, no pain.”

Having said all this, it is also important to remember that while our actions should seem almost effortless… there is still a work factor involved in the successful achievement of any goal. Nothing can be accomplished with little or no effort on our part. Schemes to get rich quick and success without any work or sacrifice are just not going to happen.

The trick is to make our actions so desirable that they don’t really seem to “work” at all. When we have done the groundwork discussed in the first two steps, we will be so full of passion and knowledge… the action step will flow naturally and we will be happy to do it!

The “Success Formula” can be applied to any aspect of our lives…to truly create an Abundant Life filled with success and happiness.

Whether we desire Financial Freedom, Personal Development or Optimal Health…using the “Success Formula” is the key to obtaining all of these things and more.

We really are the masters of our own destiny… and with the 3 steps we just discussed, we hope it will provide you with a relatively simple way to achieve all your dreams and desires.

A truly Abundant Life can be achieved through Vision, Knowledge and Action. Good luck on your own Abundant Life journey!