In my five-year study on the daily habits of wealthy and poor individuals I made discoveries that shook me to the core. What I uncovered was nothing less than the secret to financial success. I shared these secrets in my ground breaking self-help book, Rich Habits. In this article I wish to highlight three principles that all wealthy individuals live by in achieving major purposes, or goals, that propel them to great wealth. 

PASSIONATE PURPOSE
Ninety-five percent of Americans struggle financially. They eek out a living and live paycheck to paycheck. They do not like their jobs. They have little to no passion for what they do for a living. That's too bad. Passion drives financial success. Without a passion for what you do you will never attain any real wealth. Why? Why is it that most Americans live their lives in quite desperation? The answer is not all that complicated. Most never identify or create a major purpose they wish to pursue in life. Most were never taught to define their major purpose of set their major goal. If you do not have a major purpose or goal in life, you are rudderless. You have no action plan for success. Without a plan or a blueprint for achieving a major purpose or goal, you cannot hope to realize your unlimited potential. But take heart. It is never too late. Today, many are living well into their eighties, so there is always time to define your major purpose. How do determine your major purpose in life? Passion is the answer. You need to look within yourself to find that which you are truly passionate about. Passion is measured by enthusiasm. Find that thing, that purpose, that goal, for which you are enthusiastic about. What makes you enthusiastic and how do you know? Enthusiasm can be identified by performing a function or task that gives you great joy. When that task or function is performed without looking at any clock. When time flies by, you know you are near your major purpose. Pursuing a major purpose or goal without reference to the time involved means you are doing something you truly love. When it does not feel like work, you are on the right track. Wealthy individuals, the top five percent of income earners in America, never feel like they are working. They love what they do and as the end of the day nears, they look forward to tomorrow. They do not wake up that next morning and grumble about the work that lies before them. In order for you to achieve anything great in life you must identify your major purpose in life.

MASTERMIND ALLIANCE
Every wealthy individual I studied relied on a small, close network of individuals who shared their passion for their major purpose or goal. What made Jesus great and the most successful preacher of all time, was not Jesus, but the disciples who shared a common purpose. Without his disciples I doubt anyone today would know who Jesus was. Wealthy individuals understand this all too well. They surround themselves with a brain trust or mastermind alliance whose very existence is to fulfill their major purpose or goal. Without a mastermind alliance, no great purpose can be realized. We are only as great as those we surround ourselves with. In order to achieve your major purpose in life you need to surround yourself with a group of individuals who are as passionate as you are about your major purpose. Andrew Carnegie referred to his core group or advisors as his mastermind alliance. He did not do anything without consulting them. Every move he made was discussed with his brain trust. In order for you to achieve your major purpose you need disciples.

FANATICISM
Wealthy individuals are fanatics with respect to their major purpose. They eat, breathe and live every day in pursuit of their major purpose. Their brain trust eats, breathes and lives every day your major purpose. You and your group must share a fanaticism for the major purpose. Jesus' disciples, Andrew Carnegie's mastermind alliance, Bill Gates followers and Steven Jobs' core group of advisors were all fanatics. When you and your group share a fanatical obsession with achieving your major purpose, pulling the cart becomes much easier. No wealthy individual can pull the cart of their major purpose alone. You need a fanatical group of disciples to accomplish your major purpose or goal.

When you find your major purpose, fanatical disciples will manifest themselves out of thin air to help you achieve your major purpose or goal. That is the best indicator in knowing you have truly found your major purpose in life. Find what you are truly enthusiastic about, make that your major purpose in life, share your major purpose with others, select your fanatical disciples and relentlessly pursue your major purpose.