From Welfare to Billionaire: How One Simple Secret Can Help You Achieve Your Life’s BIGGEST Goals
By Jason Gaspero

Have you ever had an idea for a book … a website … a creative project … or a new career …

… but you’ve always felt the timing “has never been right” to get started?

If your answer is “yes,” you’re not alone. What’s more, you can do something about it right now … no matter what your circumstances.

How do I know?

Just take a look at what J.K. Rowling of “Harry Potter” fame pulled off.

Once an unemployed, single mother on welfare, she scribbled ideas for her stories while spending time on trains, in coffee shops, and anywhere else she could find the time to write.

Now she’s one of the most successful authors in the history of publishing … and worth over a billion dollars.

What was her secret?

Her tremendous self-discipline. She had the intestinal fortitude to work through those “lean times” and keep marching forward until she reached her ultimate goal.

And so can you.

Follow the simple self-discipline strategies I’ll show you in the next few minutes, and I assure you your chances of achieving success in your chosen field will skyrocket.

In fact, I believe developing your self-discipline skills to the fullest is BY FAR the most important skill that any aspiring freelancer, entrepreneur, or creative professional can develop.

And it’s not nearly as difficult as you might think.

Here are some tips, techniques, and strategies you can start following right away to develop “J.K. Rowling-style” self-discipline.

First …

Set Big Goals!

J.K. Rowling wasn’t content with just scribbling ideas on napkins. She wanted to complete a novel, get an agent, get her book published, and make a name for herself as an author … in a VERY competitive industry.

Those are some BIG GOALS!

What is it that you’ve always dreamt of doing? Whatever it is, THINK BIG! Set BIG GOALS for yourself, too! Without having a BIG GOAL to strive for – one that could give you the dream life you’ve always wanted – it will probably be way too challenging for you to maintain the self-discipline you need to keep on keeping on.

Oh … and by the way … when you set your big goals, DON’T LIMIT YOUR BELIEF IN YOURSELF! According to best-selling author Dr. Joe Vitale, when you limit your belief in yourself, “your expectations become smaller and you set smaller goals.” So go ahead and write down whatever dreams and goals you’ve got in mind … no matter how “unachievable” you may think they are.

TIP: Write down your BIG GOALS in the positive … as if they’re all a foregone conclusion. You don’t want to just write down, “I want to work for myself. Instead, write down, “I want to work for myself. I can feel how good it feels to live life on my own terms. I know that I will work for myself someday soon, no matter what. It’s guaranteed!”

Then keep these goals where you can read them regularly and keep them top-of-mind. Thinking this way will help defeat the “anti-self-discipline” demons lurking inside you and give your self-discipline a tremendous boost.

Take CONSISTENT ACTION!

You can tell yourself that you “can” do something and that you “will” do something as often as you want. You can also have written goals that clearly state what you want to do. But until you take consistent action – day in and day out – all of your goal planning and lifelong dreams will go for naught.

“Nothing happens until something moves,” writes Dr. Vitale. “Most people don’t take enough action. They’re waiting for the world to come to their door. … You can’t simply identify what you want, then do nothing to achieve your desires. You must continue to take consistent action.”

So how do you do that? How do you get yourself to take CONSISTENT ACTION?

Follow Your PASSION!

To keep your action consistent, you want to make sure you’re doing something you’re passionate about. This is absolutely essential. “Without passion, you’re just working,” writes Dr. Vitale. “With passion, you’re doing what you love and can’t wait to ‘work.’”

For J.K. Rowling, writing children’s stories was her passion. And this passion of hers carried her through her welfare days until she became a huge success. For her, writing wasn’t an exercise in “self-discipline.” On the contrary, she was merely doing what she loved … even though times were tough.

Hey … I know it’s downright scary out there right now. We’re all feeling it.

But this doesn’t mean you should throw your passions on the backburner until things start clearing up. Make sure you find the time to follow your passions and take action consistently … even if you can only spare a few minutes a day here and there. After all, if it’s a passion of yours, you’ll enjoy it!

Doing just this could be just the thing to get you through this giant mess AND help you come out on top when the economy finally turns for the better. The best of both worlds.

Remember … this mess won’t last forever!

And finally,

NEVER GIVE UP!

Although J.K. Rowling’s meteoric rise to fame and riches is astounding, it wouldn’t be completely accurate to say she was an instant success. In fact, her first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was rejected by 12 publishing houses.

Can you believe that?

Then, after British publishing house Bloomsbury agreed to publish the book, Bloomsbury editor Barry Cunningham advised Rowling “to get a day job.”

In fact, it wasn’t until the following spring until she started her meteoric rise to success.

However, before she became a success, Rowling didn’t stop doing the things she needed to do to. She maintained her self-discipline. Day in and day out, even though she was challenged at first, she kept on contacting agents and kept on writing.

And eventually, it all paid off. Big time.

So whatever passion you’ve got lurking inside you, make it happen! Set big goals for yourself. Take action. And never, ever give up on your dreams! Master the tenets of self-discipline, and you may just surprise yourself!

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Published: February 10, 2009