"There are no shortcuts."

When you have set a goal for yourself, you have to lock in on that goal and be committed to the obtaining of that goal. Some people will suggest that you take an easier path, or not work so hard. Ignore them. You have to discover for yourself what you are made of. You have to determine yourself what are your physical and mental limitations.

You have to believe that if you put in the work, the results will come. Don't do things halfheartedly. You know the amount of work you are willing to actually do in order to accomplish your goal. Remember, what you put in is exactly what you get back. You can't turn your work ethic off or on like a faucet. You must approach each task with the objective of giving your best effort.

Many people fail at attaining their goals because they aren't willing to commit themselves. They sound like they are committed to being the best they can be. They say all the right things, make all the proper appearances. But when it comes time to work, they look for reasons instead of answers. There are millions of excuses for not obtaining your goal. "If I was only given a particular opportunity" or "if only the coach, teacher, or boss liked me better, I could have accomplished this or that." No work, but lots of reasons why something couldn't be accomplished.

Part of commitment is taking responsibility for your actions when confronted by obstacles. If you are trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. Everyone experiences discomfort, pain and failure. These obstacles do not have to stop you. You have additional choices other than quitting or turning back. When you come to a hurdle, you can decide to run around, run over/under, or run through that hurdle. What you expect from yourself is exactly what you will get.

Make a plan and stick with it. Some people will try to pull you down, suggest you take another less difficult path. Very few people will achieve their goals by taking shortcuts. A majority of people will achieve their goal "the old fashion way," by setting goals and committing themselves to work toward that goal.