3. The partnership between your "Desires" and your "Resources". Often, we attempt projects for which we do not have skills, financing, or aptitude, and in end, we fail. Financing a lifestyle on credit cards is a common example. So is attempting to run a business without skills required for success. When our desires and our skills partner effectively, we are viewed as competent, and become an expert in our field. But when our desires and our resources are not aligned, result is frustration and disappointment.

4. The partnership between your "Vision" and your "Effort". Many entrepreneurs have a clear vision of success, but fail to do work of turning their vision into reality. Other individuals have energy and ambition to work hard, but without a guiding vision, their work is scattered, inconsistent and unproductive. Success requires partnering a brilliant vision with hard work of focused daily action.

To maintain these internal partnerships, regularly clarify your priorities. Review your goals and your values, and assess your actions in light of your vision. To achieve any long term success, you will need external partnerships with colleagues, suppliers, and customers, but you will also need strong internal partnerships based on knowing who you are, what you want, and where you are going in life. Nurture these partnerships and they will take you far. They will take you to top!

3. Write them down! Have courage to put your intentions on paper, in your own words. Be specific and describe your goals in detail. When will you achieve them? What will success look like? Write down details and read your goals every day, even take a moment to briefly summarize them every morning. Stay focused.

4. Take ACTION! To run a marathon, you must jog every day. Building a business requires that you make sales, every day. A loving marriage or happy kids require your time, your attention and your love, every day. Your daily actions need not be profound or heroic, but they must be consistent and persistent. Every day!

Success does not "just happen". It is built like a work of art. First, it is imagined, then skills, tools and materials are gathered, and artist sets about creating a thing of beauty. It takes time. It requires skill, determination, persistence and faith. Just as an artist will make preliminary sketches and work out details in her mind, so your success requires written goals, careful choices, clear commitments and daily persistence. You can do this. Make something magnificent of your life!