This last statement above can be restated as "To achieve something in the physical, you have to first achieve it on your mind". This may sound spiritual, but I believe it's a common law of life.
The mind is truly powerful. Let's quickly conduct a little exercise, so that we can see how powerful our mind is.
Exercise 1: Just think about yawning for 5 seconds. Just think about it. What happened?
Result: You will begin to feel an urge to yawn.
Alright, let's try one more test.
Exercise 2: Let's say you are busy doing something, and you sudden realize that there is no drinking water nearby.
Result: You weren't thirsty few seconds ago, but immediately after thinking about it, now you feel thirsty.
These two exercise further confirms that we all tend to act in accordance to our line of thought. Thus, if we say we can't achieve a thing, we won't achieve it. In other hand, if we believe we have what it takes to become great, nothing can stop us.
What really happens when we think and believe a thing? We act on it, as our believe supplies us with the zeal to act. It is our acting on it that shows we actually believe in it, also it's our actions that ensures that we achieve what we have set our mind on.
If on the other hand, you think you can't do a thing, you won't be able to do it, because you won't even have the zeal to fight for it, or make attempts to achieve it. Truly, a man's limitation is himself, and as a man thinks, so is he. Therefore we should ensure we think positively all the time.
But, can we fully blame someone for thinking he can't make it? Let's be sincerely and considerate while we judge this. Also put into consideration how scary things are out there. Some life situations present themselves as "eat or be eaten", which others dictate themselves to be accessible only to those who are not faint in the heart.
We know it's more easier to fail than to succeed. The road to success is rough and filled with disappointment. Taking the easier route involve cutting corners, which is not morally right, and even to do that requires more strong mindset as it involves cheating and hurting others. That is even more scary.
So, what do we do? We have to teach our hearts how to be positive, so as to ensure that we don't keep missing out of opportunities. To achieve this, we have to deal with fear first; the fear that we can't succeed. Luckily, we can easily conquer fear by speaking positive words to ourself.
When I'm faced with a challenge, I always remind myself I can do it, because someone else has done it before. Nothing is new under the sun. Secondly, I remind myself that I can't really tell what the outcome is if I don't try. Saying this keeps me in the right state of mind and gets me ready to take action.
Before I begin to take action, I study what I want to embark on, and from my findings, I make plan. Isaac Newton once said:
"We are like dwarves seated on the shoulders of a giant, to see more things than the ancient, and things more distance. But this is neither due to the sharpness of our own eyes, nor the greatness of our own statue, but because, we are raised and borne aloft by a great giant."
Nothing can be more true that this.
By studying the life of those who have achieved remarkable feats in the area of your interest, you can create your own path or follow their foot steps towards achieving our own goals. You can watch out for the errors they made, as it will help you to not make that same mistake.
Don't forget that you will definitely meet challenges on your way to success. These challenges are hurdles you must overcome. Keep that on the back of your mind, and it will keep you prepare to face whatever comes your way.
Lastly, while you work towards success, be adaptable. You may get to points where you need to hold on, modify your plans or probably start afresh. Quickly recognize which season it is and act accordingly. Also be ready to learn. Go and rule your world. Godspeed.