There is a seed of greatness inside you that has the potential to grow and produce success in every area of your life, from your finances to your relationships. God created you with winning in mind—whether or not you recognize this will determine how far you go. You must come to understand and believe that no matter how big or how small, success at any level is meaningful. So cultivate your desire for winning by seeing yourself accomplishing your goals with ease.

Remind yourself right now that you’re accomplishing something each day you wake up. Every day you’re being propelled to the next level. Your success doesn’t depend on your race, age, gender, or occupation—what matters is your attitude and mind-set. If you believe that you can succeed, you will.

It’s important to achieve in life because success builds your self-esteem and empowers you to take on more challenges and have a positive outcome. However, it’s essential that you judge your accomplishments by your own standards and not someone else’s. Success may mean something different to you than it does for someone else: One person may think it means becoming a millionaire, while another may find it in having a family. Whatever your idea of success is, pursue it with all you’ve got so that you can see it materialize in your life.

My friend Alicia told me about having to take a class in home economics when she was in junior high school. To pass the class, she had to sew a blouse…only she didn’t know the first thing about sewing, so she feared that she’d fail in her attempts. Her mother gave her money to buy the material and sent her on her way—yet Alicia had no idea where to buy fabric, and she didn’t even know how much she needed. She felt lost in the huge five-and-dime: The scared 12-year-old wandered down aisle after aisle until she came upon a package filled with hideous pink cloth. She had enough money to buy it, so she did (along with matching thread). When she got home, her mother laughed at what she’d purchased. “You have ten times what you need for a blouse,” she said, “and just look at that color! It doesn’t go with anything!”

Alicia felt defeated, but she decided that if she finished the blouse, it didn’t matter if she ever wore it—she would have accomplished something significant. She took the package to class, and the teacher showed all the students the necessary techniques to sew their own blouses. All the other girls had selected stylish plaids and appealing solid colors. Hers was the only outrageously pink bolt of fabric in the room. No matter—weeks later, Alicia put the last stitches into the hem of her sickly pink blouse. It had a few flaws, and she never wore it, but she passed the course, and subsequently realized that she could do anything she set her mind to do. Alicia had succeeded in the way she defined success.

To win, you have to work hard, play by the rules, and most important, stay in the game. You can’t allow situations, circumstances, and other people’s opinions of you to affect whether or not you’re going to succeed in life—these things should be viewed simply as obstacles to overcome.

Reflect on one of your successes. How did you feel when you accomplished what you’d set for yourself? Write down how you accomplished this goal in a detailed manner so that you have a blueprint to work with. Now take action! Finally, don’t confuse success with wealth, popularity, or fame. Success is personal, and everyone’s definition of it is different, so celebrate every positive step you take, no matter how small.