By Three-time Olympian Ruben Gonzalez

All my life I've been a student of success. Over the years I've read hundreds of books and listened to thousands of tapes on success. Then, I listened to and did everything my Olympic coaches told me to do.

After all of that, what I learned was that success is pretty simple. It comes down to this: you have to find something you're good at and passionate about, an arena you are suited to play in, you have to have the courage to get started, you have to have the courage to not quit, and along the way you have to have the attitude that you will be willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to get the job done.

Success is simple but it's not easy. It's hard to do all that. You have to be mentally tough to pull it off. And that's why a lot of what we will cover in these articles will be about how to develop mental toughness. Developing the "I will until" attitude of winners.

Vince Lombardi said that your body will withstand almost any amount of punishment. It's your mind you have to convince.

By the end of this year you will be much more mentally tough than you ever imagined you'd ever be. You'll be taking bigger risks and winning more personal and public victories than you ever imagined.

Everything Olympic athletes are taught in their mental training is designed to do two things: to increase their self-belief and to fuel their desire. You see, the coaches know that if you believe something is possible, you'll have the courage to get started. And if you want something bad enough, nothing will make you quit.

If you couple self-belief and a burning desire with a great attitude and a strong work ethic, and if you surround yourself with winners who help you and encourage you, success is just a matter of time.

Do you have a dream that takes your breath away? A dream that you're willing to fight for? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to make your dream a reality? Are you willing to read the books, listen to the tapes, attend the seminars, associate with the right people and dis-associate yourself from the wrong people?

If you're not, you're fooling yourself. Because your dream will not fall on your lap. You have what it takes to realize your dream but it's going to take EVERYTHING you've got!

In case you haven't figured it out yet, this is a REAL success column. It's not a touchy-feely, make-you-feel-good column. You deserve the best so I won't give you a bunch of candy coated stuff that won't get you anywhere.

The reason the road to your dream is a tough one is because the purpose of the dream is to bring out the best in you. All of your hidden gifts that you don't even know you possess.

You have to make a quality decision that you will BECOME the type of person capable of making your dream happen.

John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach said, "Success is the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you did your best to become your best."

What will you do today to EARN the feeling of peace of mind that you did your best today to become your best?

Write it down and DO IT NOW!

Ruben Gonzalez is an award-winning keynote speaker and the author of the critically acclaimed book, “The Courage to Succeed.” His experiences as a three-time Olympian and as the owner of two businesses give him a unique perspective on how to conquer the corporate struggles of today. For his free 10-Part Success e-Course, visit www.StartWinningMore.com or contact him at 832-689-8282.