This is a question that I presented to my contacts and to my surprise; there were clearly not a lot of people doing enough of the answer.  As the child of a strong-willed and determined woman, I have learned to appreciate the value in this and I have seen firsthand from those that I coach that the lack of this will result in their businesses to fail.  The answer is W-O-R-K.

I am surprised at how many business owners claim how little they work and often go on to brag about how much money they make, only to be found years later in debt and trying to rebuild their fortunes.  If you ask any successful business owner, he or she will tell you that they work almost every day except on vacations.  Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates all report to their offices each day working on their success.  This is the true foundation for wealth and success, a strong dedication to work.

The difference between Donald Trump, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates going to work compared to those other entrepreneurs is that they truly enjoy what they are doing for a living and don’t think of it as work.  They have a deep rooted passion that motivates them every day to continue on their mission or to follow their calling as some would say.

To them the word W-O-R-K means:

W – Willingness to take action, make decisions and implement plans each day in support of their passion.  Success is about mindset and motivation and being willing to take 100% responsibility for reaching your goals every day.

O – Ownership in their future, success and wealth.  They do not let anything stand in their way of their dreams or achieving their goals and they do not sit back and wait for things to happen.  They make things happen.

R- Reasonable in their expectations.  Successful people set goals and set reasonable goals.  They may have big dreams and big visions but they also have the sense to build a roadmap and set reasonable expectations.  This allows them to reach further in their networks and their resources and to work with others in achieving their overall goals.

K- Keeping it real and moving it forward.  Successful people know that mistakes will happen and they don’t let them stop them from their goals.  They are flexible in the plans and can adjust when needed.  They are master implementers and quick decision makers, never allowing a mistake to get in their way of success.

So, the moral of the story is “don’t be afraid of hard work, commitment to work and to achieving your life goals and dreams”.  When you find your passion and are on a path to fulfillment, it won’t feel like work but rather enjoyment.