Most people have been conditioned to think that success in life comes down to one of two things.  They believe either that it comes down to a huge stroke of luck like a lottery win, inheritance nest egg or stock market windfall.  Or they think appears as a result of a one-off grandiose gesture such as winning Olympic gold or creating an app that becomes an overnight billion-dollar wonder, that only a talented elite are capable of achieving.  So, they spend their lives thinking that they are not lucky or talented enough to reach the pinnacle of achievement and that other people are simply more special than what they are.  What you may be surprised to discover is that anyone is capable of producing phenomenal success.   Anyone.  And that includes you.  The secret of success is actually deceptively simple, so simple, in fact, that you are already doing it, every day, without even realising it. The success you have in life lies in the power of habit – the cumulative effect over an extended period of time of the most miniscule of choices that you make every day.   Success (or failure) comes from small, simple steps repeated consistently over time.  The repeated actions that seem insignificant now will be magnified several times over many years down the line.   These steps are very easy to do and – here’s the catch - they are also easy not to do.  For example, two people of equal talent could decide that they would both like to start a business.  The first person decides to spend 30 minutes a day researching and learning how to go about it, and commits to it every day.  The second person decides that they would like to do the same but when it comes to it, they decide to watch TV, sleep in or surf the net on their smartphone.  After all, what does it matter?  They can do it tomorrow…or tomorrow…or tomorrow.  After just one week, the first person will have spent 3.5 hours honing their craft, which adds up to 14 hours a month, 168 hours per year and a whopping 1,680 hours over a decade working on their business!  The second – nothing.  Who is more likely to have a successful business in 10 years’ time? And who will spend their days wondering why life is passing them by, all the while complaining that they don’t have time to start a business. The same principle can be applied to any area of your life.  So, how many hours are you whiling away doing nothing, when you could really be building something?  It is said that every overnight success takes on average 5 years.  What appears to be a massive stroke of luck was actually the result of an ‘achiever’ or a ‘natural’ busily working behind the scenes making the simple, disciplined choices that the majority are unwilling to make.  The results that are rewarded in public are the result of tireless work in private.  It has little to do with intrinsic talent.   A less talented individual with a plan executed consistently will outdo with ease the more talented individual without a plan, who acts on how they feel in the moment.   So, are you making the right choices and creating the right habits for the results you want to see in your life? If you have ever wondered at any time in your life “how did I get here?” - the answer is habit.  It is your habits that have made who you are today, and your habits will continue to create the you of your future.  The fact is that everyone is self-made, but only the successful admit it.  The habits that you commit yourself to every day will ultimately decide your destiny.  So, give yourself the gift of a lifetime and choose the daily habits that create the future that you want and deserve. If you would like to find out more on using the mastery of habits, you can read The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson and The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy.