Wanting success is the first step, but it’s not enough. You must be willing to put in consistent, daily effort. "Hard work" won’t cut it, either. Every effort must focus on the right goal. After all, the right effort in the wrong direction will get you no closer to where you want to go.

It’s not about trying some tactics a few times and then giving up, saying: “it is what it is.” If a business idea does not pan out or the new employee is lazy, try something else. Change your approach. Come up with new ideas, hire someone else or navigate around whatever obstacle gets in the way.

Study great businesses and people to see what it takes to succeed. For instance, it is extremely tough to win a Super Bowl by paying top dollar for a quarterback. The formula to win means paying a reasonable price for a quarterback and spreading the funds to surround that star player with a decent team. Think about it: every dollar spent on a good QB above a reasonable price is a dollar you can't spend on other players. Tom Brady knew this even when he was a young player. But that wisdom still hasn’t percolated through the NFL. Even today, plenty of quarterbacks still take large paychecks and then complain they can’t win a championship.

We all have little things about ourselves we'd prefer to ignore. But that's not a formula for success. For anyone hoping to take their business to the next level, there are immediate things you can do. Ask a consultant for advice, hire a coach, delegate greater control and improve your communication. If you want to be healthier, try exercising and eating better food. If you want to grow as a person, read more books, watch TED Talks and cut the toxic people out of your life. If you need to work seven days each week for six months to reach an important milestone, then do it. If seeing a psychologist will help you get over a mental block, then book a session.

Roadblocks, obstacles and limitations will always exist. Life is always changing. That's a good thing! Instead of fighting the change, go with the change.

You must court an amazing life because an amazing life does not simply fall from the sky. It requires work to seek out and learn the kinds of habits that will accelerate your dreams. Challenges will always pop up, but the methods used to navigate them are sitting on the library shelves. But you must do the work.