Have you ever wondered why some people are successfull and others aren't? Or have you ever said "I'm not like them - I can't be successful?

Well I'll let you in on a little secret - anyone can be successful. YOU can be successful. But there are a couple of things you need to know.

First of all, no-one has become successful by sitting on their proverbial butt and doing nothing about it. As they say, you need to plan to become what you plan to become.

Sure, some people may have a seemingly easy run to the top - maybe they inherit the family business or maybe they just had a lot of luck along the way.

But most successful people had a 'normal' upbringing, and some even had a disadvantaged upbringing - they just learnt how to seize opportunities and learnt the skills of success.

Which brings me to my second point - learn the skills of success. Goal Setting. Time management. Planning and decision making.

Goal setting in particular is what makes people successful - it gives you a meaningful target to aim for and when done properly, gives you the roadmap to get there. So set specific and measurable goals with deadlines, and prepare an action plan to achieve them.

But thirdly - and probably most importantly - know that success is different to everyone. Work out what your definition of success is and strive to achieve it.

You don't have to be a 'Donald Trump' to be one of life's successful - normal people like you and me just want the best for our family and to live a happy, comfortable life.

Or perhaps you're more ambitious than that?

It doesn't matter how big or small your ambitions are, the best (the only) way to get there is to set goals - regularly - and take action towards achieving your goals. Think about what you want on your tombstone and in your obituary - and live this life.

There are many other secrets of success:

• Understand YOU. Lever off your strengths and strengthen your key weaknesses.

• Understand other people - you'll run into them everywhere and can either help you on your journey or get in your way.

• Get the right attitude - as Zig Ziglar put it, "It's your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your altitude." Adopt a positive can-do approach to life and you'll be surprised where it takes you.

• Manage your career, your finances and look after your health.

And the grand-daddy of all success secrets: DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.