Thomas Edison had a formula for his success: 1. It takes time for greatness 2. Be patient 3. Persistence is key

Colonel Sanders: The founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken was turned down over 1,000 times when he tried to interest others in his recipe for chicken. He drove from town to town, often sleeping in his car, calling on restaurant owners. He strongly believed that secret recipe would eventually pay off. His persistence and belief in himself and his recipe finally paid off in a big way! His tenacity is inspiring, especially when you consider that he found his success when he was 65 years of age.

Colonel Sanders kept his chicken recipe a secret, but he was willing to share his recipe for success: 1. Never quit 2. Always believe in yourself 3. Be patient 4. Be positive

There are countless stories of people from all walks of life who achieved remarkable success. Almost without exception, same types of characteristics can be found in stories about success. Being patient and persistent, having a positive attitude, and never giving up are traits that are essential for success.

Enough already, what has this got to do with me?

Well if you haven't worked it out yet, it's all about having some direction in your life. You've got to have something to aim for right? Without direction you'll just be running in circles, or back and forth like our little squirrel friend. You simply must have some direction if you want to move your life forward, get it?

OK clever whatsit, how do I create direction?

The easiest way is by setting yourself some goals. I won't go into detail here about finer points of goal setting, that's for another article. I just want you to make decision to set yourself at least one. Make sure it's achievable, write it down, read and visualise it regularly using all of your senses so it becomes real to you.

Believe me, setting goals works! All successful people have been setting goals for themselves for years. So if you want to emulate them and achieve success for yourself, in whatever sphere, you must set yourself some goals.

So how d'you square up?

Are you a squirrel who has no direction in life, or are you a hedgehog who gets his head down and goes for it?

Be successful!