Imagine an ambitious goal for yourself. Say you want to write a book, switch to a completely different career, or start your own business. If your goal is something you have to do because your life and the lives of people you care about depend on it – then how could you increase your odds of success? Try this: 1. Always aim high. People will try to make fun of you. Tell you to be more ‘realistic.’ They will try to marginalize you. Don’t listen. Never let the small-mindedness of others contaminate your mind. 2. Focus on one thing per area. Divide your life into separate areas – say work, health, hobbies, relationships. Each area only gets one objective. Learn to decline other pursuits. 3. Adapt yourself. As Charles Darwin said: “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” Try to be constantly aware of your environment. And adapt as needed. 4. Get rid of your “okay” desires. There are many things we want in life that aren’t that important to us. We simply want them because they make things a bit easier or more convenient. This is fine, but doing too many can add up and distract you from your goals. Focus on things that you truly want. And discard the rest. 5. Embrace crazy. While you may not have the capacity to invent the next Facebook, solve world hunger, and send rockets to space — You can still aim to be a successful entrepreneur who also runs marathons. Pursuing success in business and maintaining physical fitness can be goals that complement each other: A healthier individual is often more productive. Those who have truly made an impact on the world didn’t dilute their ambitions. They embraced their craziness. In this episode, I share how I’ve applied this framework in my own life. Join the Financial Freedom Challenge I've created a free 5-day email course. It's called the Financial Freedom Challenge, and it will help you take control of your finances and start building wealth. Break free from living paycheck to paycheck with nothing to show for. Sign up here (no cost): members.dariusforoux.com/financial-freedom