Recently, my car was in need of service which could be postponed no longer, despite my best efforts. Being out in country, it's hard to find a good mechanic I can trust that can service an import. As a result, I made arrangements to take it to one of bigger dealers in state, nearly an hour away.

When I first called to make an appointment, service rep was polite, helpful, and eager to answer my questions. As I hadn't purchased vehicle from them, a loaner was not available.

"Would you like me to make rental arrangements for you?" he asked. "I'll have them pick you up when you drop off your car and bring you back after you drop off rental. I can get you a good rate, too."

"Huh?" I thought, "You mean you're going to go out of your way to solve my problems?"

I've rarely experienced anything like that before, and never with a mechanic. I made arrangements for following week.

When day came and I walked into service area, I noticed a conspicuous absence of, well, for lack of a better word, grease monkeys. Instead, I encountered professionally-attired men and women busily hurrying about their duties. They weren't too busy, however, to extend a warm "hello - we'll be right with you". I also noticed a fresh pot of coffee in waiting area, next to TV and very comfy-looking couches.

I waited less than a minute before a service rep helped me. I gave my name, and my paperwork was there, waiting for me. I didn't have to complete any forms, or give same information that I had previously given on phone all over again. I alerted him to another potential problem, and he made a note to have it checked out. He knew what had to be done, and wasted no time - all without making me feel hurried.

This was mid-morning. He said he'd call me to confirm work, and if all went well, car would be ready by end of day. I handed over keys.

An hour later, I was in a meeting when my cell phone rang (normally, I turn it off - but this is my Volvo we're talking about here).

"Hi Mr. Chapuis. I just want to let you know that everything looks good. It's exactly what you thought it was. Here's your estimate..."

"What about that other problem?" I asked.

Just as well honed warrior prepares for all possible occurrences, you must be prepared to last through slow times, and be just as prepared to capitalize on times when it appears you can do no wrong.

The first step on your march to flag is to decide who you are. In immortal words of Shakespeare, "In brief sir, study that which you most affect".

Know your strengths and know your weaknesses. You'll never be truly successful until you've first made an inventory of your-self. You can study all "How-To's" and you may even make money, but to be truly be successful you must have your "Why-To's" in place.

Once you've decided who you are and listed your strengths and weaknesses, next step is to determine how much money you have for your war chest.

Only use money you can afford to lose. As any professional trader or championship gambler will tell you, "Scared money never wins!"

Don't mortgage your house or max-out your credit cards because you've got million dollar sure-fire winner. You'll be so busy worrying, you won't be able to think clearly.