The secret’s out. It’s in the title that the secret to your success is to be willing. If willingness is the answer to getting what you want then why do so many people get stuck and fail to achieve their goals?

• Why doesn’t everyone who wants to write a book successfully write and finish it?
• Why isn’t everyone who wants to be a millionaire rich beyond their wildest dreams?
• Why can’t we finish what we started?

Think of a recent goal you started but then got stuck. Do you know why you got stuck and stopped working on it? If you think real hard you will probably know why. The REAL reason: Not because you were too busy.

You started by writing down your goal and developing a list of things you must do to accomplish it. If your goal was to write a book then you made a list of all the things you needed to do to accomplish it and the deadline to finish it.

Your list begins:

1. Set up a writing work area.

2. Do my research.

3. Reserve one hour per day on my calendar.

4. Identify my topic.

5. Name 10 things I want to write about on this topic: These are my chapters.

So far so good. You are working diligently on these activities and it was easier than you thought. The next list:

6. Begin writing at my scheduled time: one hour per day

You list other goals that are needed to finish your book: interviews, phone calls, workshops, etc.

You write a chapter or two in a couple of weeks and then something happens. You run out of steam. All of the sudden you are too busy. But, wait a minute, you had this time on the schedule—“too busy” is not the

You have just been sabotaged—by you! You realized that writing a book takes some effort, some time, and you must contact people and interview them, etc. There is something on this list that makes you feel uncomfortable and you aren’t willing to do it. You cannot finish your book. You must be willing to do the items on your list or you will not reach your goal. You might be able to skip one or two of the items and still finish your book. Yet the secret to your success is your willingness to follow through, take action, and do it.

Take a look at your list and promise yourself, “I will do it,” and mean it--then you will reach your goal. If the task you must do feels uncomfortable to you—do it anyway. The agonizing, uncomfortable feeling will pass once you do it.

Every day we have the choice to succeed or fail. Your success begins and ends with you and your desire to succeed. Choose what you want in life and go for it.

Joan Clout-Kruse is the author of "Top 10 Traits of Silicon Valley Dynamos," and the e- books "How to Write Your Great Book in 90 Days or less" and "The ABCs of Success." These books can help you plan and set tasks to achieve your goals. Contact her through her Web site http://powerhousewriting.com or at 650 759-2042. She can help you write a "how to" book or booklet to attract clients and get recognized as an expert in your field. She offers 30 to 90 Day book writing programs through personal coaching, e-mail and teleseminars.

Attention publishers: You are welcome to reprint this article in its entirety--please leave the links in place. Do not modify. Thanks.

• 5 Keys to Effective Goal Setting – Successful Entrepreneur Mindset


• Goal Setting & Goal Getting


• Goals: What-Why-How


• Quotes on Goals


• Setting Goals – 5 Steps To Doing It More Effectively


• What Are You Willing To Put On The Line?


• What Do You Focus On?


• How to Make New Years Resolutions that Actually Stick


• How Movies Can Help You Avoid Dream Bullies


• New Years Resolutions - 7 Keys to Victory


• Making Your New Years Fitness Resolution a Reality – Part 2


• Once Can Be Enough


• Is Goal Setting A Waste of Time?


• Resolutions – Setting Goals With the Family


• Creating Our Dreams: Achieving the Goals We Desire