There are few people who would not  like to have greater income and wealth, and/or more freedom and the time to do more of the things they would like to do in life.

Many people search for resources and opportunities they hope will enable them to achieve the above goals, not realizing that without the proper mindset they may never achieve a position in life that is appreciably better than where they currently are.

There are many people making $35,000 to $50,000 a year, for instance, and they will probably always make $35,000 to $50,000 a year, if they retain the same mindset.

The same applies to many people earning higher incomes of $100,000 a year or more. In fact, because some people earning $100,000 a year or more feel that they have already, "arrived," and/or sometimes allow ego to get in the way, a high income earner may have just as much difficulty getting the necessary mindset to achieve greater results.

Before we get to the key ingredients of success, let's take a quick look at one of the biggest misconceptions and myths in most people's minds: "If I only had... ! !"  

Myth #1 Many people feel that if they only had a certain key ingredient, including more money, that everything else would somehow magically fall into place.

For instance, many people feel that if they only had more money, everything would be better, or they would give more to the poor, etc.

However, countless studies have proven that most people who inherit or win large sums of money (such as winning the lottery) are within a few years just as broke as they were to begin with. Obviously, mentality and mindset have a lot to do with it.

Likewise, many people feel that if they only had "the right" opportunity (such as owning their own business) they too would achieve their goals. Unfortunately, even with "the right" opportunity a bad mindset can still sabotage all chances of success.

It's kind of like someone saying that if they only had a better car he or she would automatically become a better driver.

We've all probably known someone who is afraid to drive in heavy traffic, for instance, or is fine driving around town but terrified of the expressway. And, of course, we've all seen drivers who probably shouldn't be on the road at all.

So, here's the question: If that person is having difficulty managing a Ford, or a GM, etc., would anything change just because he or she all of a sudden had a brand new Lexus or Mercedes? Probably not. However, if that person were to get the proper training then he or she could learn to be a better driver, regardless of what kind of car they are driving.

Three Key Ingredients There are many ingredients to success. However, let's take a look at three truly key ingredients that can make or break your chances for achieving greater success.  

Key Ingredient #1 Teach-Ability And Open-Mindedness Whether someone is struggling and living paycheck to paycheck, or earning 6- figures, if they aren't open to learning new things, looking at things from different perspectives, and willing to be taught, they are very likely to miss opportunities for improvement and greater success.

So, ask yourself, do you think that you already know it all, or are you teachable? Are you truly open to learning new and better ways of achieving your goals?

Key Ingredient #2 A Reason "Why" And A Burning Desire It isn't enough to simply say that you want to increase your income or achieve greater success, you must have compelling reason as to why you want to achieve something greater.

That reason must be at least as compelling as whatever is motivating you currently. In other words, assuming that you are currently working a job, or you own a business, you are compelled to keep getting up and going to work each day. Not only is this unlikely to stop, but if for no other reason than to make sure that your bills get paid you are probably very motivated to continue this activity.

Arbitrary goals, such as, "I want to be a millionaire," are unlikely to serve as sufficient motivators, especially if your past and/or current level of success can't relate to that goal.

So, if you don't already have one, find a "reason why" you want to achieve greater success than where you are currently. Maybe it's because you want a better car, or education for your kids, a bigger house, a dream vacation, to retire early, have more time for recreation and exercise, or perhaps you want to get more involved in your church, or with community and charitable work, etc.

Whatever your reason it must be long term, consistently sustainable, and at least as motivating (if not much more so) than whatever is currently causing you to get up out of bed in the morning.

Key Ingredient #3 A Willingness To Put Forth The Necessary Effort Even if you have the above two ingredients, if you aren't willing to put forth the necessary effort, and, if necessary, make it a priority to do so, you are still unlikely to achieve greater success. Therefore, you must have a willingness to work and put forth the necessary effort!

This doesn't mean that you can't work smarter rather than harder, but it does mean that you have to be willing to take the necessary steps and put forth the necessary effort to make things happen.

Each situation may vary greatly in regard to how much effort will be required for you to move forward, make progress, and achieve your goals. The effort required may range from mere minutes to make a decision, to hours, days, months, or years. Obviously, however, if you take no action, there can be no results.

Are you willing to put forth the effort to get from where you are, to where you want to be?

As pointed out above, money, or even having the right opportunity, doesn't automatically assure your success. Whether you feel that you already have the three key ingredients for success or you know that you need to work on developing one or more of these factors, a great place to start is by checking out the section on this Website that features some of the best books, tapes, and videos, of all time that will absolutely be worth their weight in gold in getting you moving in the right direction.

The above article is copywrited by ABC Income and the writer Phil Covington, any republication must be first authorized by the above mentions parties.