As a business coach, I sometimes feel like a broken record. But if something is important, then I feel like it’s my obligation to keep driving the message home until it’s either understood or someone decides to quit. And I’m fine with either one.

Because when someone embraces this truth, their whole world changes. I’ve seen it happen over and over again.

So much of “success” is ALL about what you allow to go through your head. Key word: ALLOW. That implies you have control, and you do. You get to decide whether you exercise that control over your thoughts (and therefore your success) or allow the tide to push you around like all the other sheep in the flock.

My team and I repeatedly talk about the three requirements for success. Note that these requirements apply to ANYTHING you want to be successful at. This includes growing your career OR owning a business.

1. A rock-solid belief system
2. A duplicatable process or “system”
3. Practice, practice, practice

The duplicatable process or system--and the tools that coincide with execution--is the easy part. That’s what you invest time and energy in learning from someone who has been there, done that, and offers training programs and courses on how to learn what you want to learn. Where you come in (or don’t) is on #1 and #3.

You don’t have to be a genius to get number three right. ANYBODY can work hard, pump out the reps required, and get the job done—IF they are committed to succeed and driven to accomplish their goal.

The KICKER always comes with #1– your belief system. I want to expand on this topic further now, because it IS the reason why so many win or lose.

Now, anybody who knows me well, knows that I’m not an overly touchy-feely or emotional type guy, so I’m not going to get into talking with you about your feelings here. What I AM going to get into is making excuses for why you aren’t getting things done.

I have ZERO tolerance for losers that want to constantly whine and complain about being “victims” to the world we live in. It’s not about how “hard you tried” or that you “gave it your best shot,” because at the end of the day RESULTS are what count. So, if you’re looking for someone to join you in a pity party, you’re in the wrong place.

Bottom line is that you’ve ALWAYS got either results or excuses. And the last time I checked, excuses didn’t pay your bills or buy you goods and services. So let’s not waste your time or mine discussing that nonsense.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I DO have empathy for those that have setbacks. We ALL have setbacks. The point is YOU get to choose how you respond to them.

That being said, let’s talk more about #1 and how you can get on track to pull yourself together—and accelerate your growth - BIG time.

Your belief system is the foundation of everything. It’s like the operating system on your computer. Everything works (or doesn’t) based on the operating system you’re using right now. And if you want to create a better picture on the outside (run better programs), you’ve got to FIRST create a better picture on the inside (upgrade your belief system). Said another way, an increase in #1 DRAMATICALLY increases your output and results achieved with #2 and #3.

So, consider this lesson like a computer software update, and let’s fix the bugs and viruses you’ve got
in there right now.

Also, don’t think you can just do this one time and then you’re good. Just like you feed your body good food to get and stay fit, every single day, your mind is the same. You’ve got to keep feeding it great knowledge, support, enthusiasm, and all the good “high octane” stuff if you want to grow. You’ve got to NUTURE your belief system to grow just like you do your body.

All right. What is “belief system”? It means quite a few things. It refers to your:

1. Attitude
2. Enthusiasm
3. Passion
4. Self-Image
5. What you think (or DON’T) think you deserve or are entitled to
6. What you choose to view as setback vs. short-term learning and ‘re-calibration’ opportunity
7. Depth of your desire
8. Vision you have about your life and your business
9. The self-talk you have each day
10. The value you think you have to others
11. Pride

And there are LOTS of things that impact your belief system in a positive or negative way each day. This includes, but is certainly not limited to:

1. The books you read
2. The movies or television you watch
3. The music you listen to
4. The people you surround yourself with (in both your personal and business relationships– they
are one of the BIGGEST influencers of all!)
5. Your spiritual or religious beliefs

So, if you’re going to “upgrade” your belief system, what do you need to do? Well, let’s look at the second list and break it down a bit. For example, let’s look at the first item on the list; books you read. Take out a piece of paper, and write down the last 5 books you read. Now look at your list. What does that tell you about your belief system “diet”? Boggles my mind how a fitness professional can only eat high-quality isolate ‘pure’ protein, but hasn’t fed his or her brain anything of substance since reading Macbeth in 10th grade English class. And, if you can’t even remember reading a book within the last 3-6 months, well, then that’s a clear indicator you’re overdue for a trip down to the local bookstore.

Required “belief system” reading for you to start digging into:

1. The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill is one of the most fundamental books on personal development you’ll ever find. Andrew Carnegie, one of the most successful business men of all time made an offer to Hill to interview and document all his principles of success. The result is this book.

2. Psycho-Cybernetics by Dr. Maxwell Maltz shares great lessons on “the theater of the mind” and how we can use the power of visualization to improve. Dr. Maltz was a plastic surgeon who performed incredible reconstructive surgeries on many patients who had suffered serious accidents or disfigurements. Yet even after they looked great, he noticed they still behaved and felt as if they still suffered from the disfigurement. To help his patients, Dr. Maltz become engrossed in the study of the human mind and development of our belief systems. The result of his work in the 50s and 60s is now documented in this book.

3. How I Raised Myself From A Failure To A Success in Selling by Frank Bettger is one of the best books on personal development through learning how to sell there is… and there is NO faster path to personal development then learning and mastering sales. Frank Bettger was an insurance salesman who struggled, and struggled, and struggled. Through years of trial and error, he learned how to develop himself and became of the most successful insurance salesman of all time… eventually touring the country delivering lectures and speeches with Dale Carnegie.

4. How To Sell Your Way Through Life by Napoleon Hill shares lessons on a philosophy of living by selling. We’re all selling everyday, whether we realize it or not. Heck, even when you talk about the restaurant or movie you want to go see with your friends or family, you’re either selling your desires or buying theirs. This classic text shares great lessons on how to embrace powerful concepts of influence to grow and become a better human being.

5. Thick Face, Black Heart by Chin-Ning Chu explains what it is to have a thick face (similar to a "thick skin" but more encompassing) and a black heart (being ruthless in the pursuit of your goals). Though this sounds bad, it really isn't. An example of black heart in practice, given by the author in the book, is of a doctor in the Old West that is treating an injured person. The person is screaming because of his injury (and because there is no anesthesia), but the doctor is emotionless as he performs his duties. If he were sensitive to the screams of the person he is operating on, he would be unable to carry out his duties to the best of his abilities. He knows inside that it is better to cause pain now in order to save the man's life.

That will get you started. Block at least 30-60 minutes a day to read. If you don’t have time to read then get yourself some of these books on CD. Listen to them in the car. Put them on your iPod for listening during your workout. Whatever you need to do, just do it. For at least a month straight. Not 2 days and “see how it goes B.S.”. Thirty days straight. I challenge you to do that, and see what happens. You can’t NOT notice positive results, and some of them VERY significant… quickly... when you’re consistently doing the right things.

If you’re going to be successful, and you want to grow, then you’ve got to surround yourself with the right group of peers, and supporters, and coaches. Put yourself in a group of winners, and guess what, you’ll find you start thinking like them, talking like them, and acting like them. But MOST of all you have to believe in yourself, in your ability to ‘create’ success. You’ve got to be passionate about the work you do, and the meaning it has. You’ve got to love every minute of this stuff. Otherwise success just isn’t for you.