Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work. - H. L. Hunt

I am not aware of anyone who has decided on going to the gym just for the sake of exercising. Behind that decision are powerful motives-having a great body, becoming fit so that you'll live longer, to become more attractive, or to increase your self esteem in regards to your body. Similarly, there are very few people, if any, who are living a disciplined life just for the sake of maintaining a discipline. The reason the person maintains the discipline in their life is because of the promise that the discipline holds. It is their belief that their discipline holds the key to the successful achievement of their goals. The pull of their goals demand them to maintain those disciplines. The promise of what that discipline will bring into your life, if followed, is extremely powerful for the person who is hungry for success!

A person begins to go to the gym, not just for working out and getting hurt, but in order to first become and then remain fit. There is an invaluable lesson contained in the previous sentence in regards to the disciplines in the gym and for success in life. There is no use in just becoming fit and then losing out on the discipline. The promise has to contain the sustaining of the achievement as well. There is no use becoming a millionaire for just a day and then getting broke again. Therefore understand that you don't strive for a goal just to achieve it, but also to sustain that achievement as long as you can. Discipline is the key for sustaining your success, but it is your promise that will make you stick to your disciplines.

The person who goes to the gym sees the promise of their future life in going to the gym. The beginner sees that if he/she continues to go to the gym regularly, they will achieve the fitness levels that have previously been possible only in their imagination. In the same way, the person who wants to be successful in life starts taking on the disciplines that will change their life because of the power of their promise. When you see where you are headed, you have already begun the journey. Now act on it.

In order to craft a new life for yourself, you will have to first create a compelling promise that will urge you to action; a promise that won't let you off the hook. If you don't have this promise, then you will stop at the first obstacle. However if you have this promise you will be ready to pay the price. Are you at the stage where you are ready to pay the price? Can you see your promise? These are important questions to ask and to answer. If you haven't done so, I urge you to do it now. The promise holds the key to the art of the start! If you are serious about creating a new life for yourself, don't be lazy in clearly defining your promise. Make it so strong and powerful that you will go to bed late and wake up early to work on it just to see it materialize. It is possible! Millions of people have already done it. Are you game? Then create your promise and get ready to pay that price.

If you are having trouble creating your promise, then you should answer the following questions and do the action steps required in the following section. Take some time out for yourself and your achievement because no one else will!

1. If you could achieve anything, what would it be?

2. Why do you want this goal?

3. What will it make of you to achieve it?

4. What will you have to do in order to make this goal real? What action steps will you take right now to start making it real?

5. Write a detailed plan for the one thing you would do today that will take you towards that goal. (Do this step everyday.)

If you don't have the promise, you won't have the power to persevere! - Sukhbir S.

Sukhbir Singh is the creator of LifeApps! Personal Development Institute which is currently running a course called The 9 Doorways to Lasting Change on the LifeApps group at Yahoogroups. He is also the manager of an export business operating out of Bangkok, Thailand. His interest in success came from the study of many personal development books and audio programs that he got exposed to when he was in Sydney for his Masters degree in Business Information Systems.

LifeApps! is currently designing their website and should become active by the end of this year. The purpose will be to offer e-courses that will be developed into public seminars and audio programs. He has recently written a short motivational E-booklet of 20 pages called Success Lessons from the Gym. You can receive the current draft of this E-book by emailing him at suk_b@yahoo.com with the subject heading: SL Request.