Patience and hard work aren’t all you need to reach financial success. We’ve got some secrets from self-made millionaires to help you make your own fortune:

• Set some clear goals. You’ve got to dream big if you want to succeed on a large scale. Don’t be afraid of your ambitions. Start with a list of what you want to achieve this year, and then select the one goal that would have the greatest positive impact on your life, something you feel real passion for. Then get to work.
  
• Educate yourself about money. Even if you don’t have your sights set on becoming the next Warren Buffett, a good understanding of finance will help you set priorities and make decisions about spending, investments, and savings. Immerse yourself in all the information you can find about the field that interests you. Knowledge is power.
  
• Think of yourself as your own CEO. Whether you work for a boss or for yourself, view your career and success as your own. That means taking full responsi­bility for what happens to you—your decisions, failures, and triumphs. It also means putting all your energy into your goals. Motivational guru Brian Tracy advises taking the “40+” approach: You work 40 hours a week for survival, but that’s only the beginning. Every minute you devote past that 40 hours is devoted to your success.
  
• Serve other people. Structure your goals so they’re not just about you. You’ll earn support from the people whose help you need by showing them how your achievements will benefit them—and you’ll feel better about yourself than you would if you concentrate only on what’s in it for you.
  
• Learn to sell yourself. Whatever you create, you have to sell to someone else. You’ll need to understand sales and marketing no matter what industry you’re in. But at the same time, you have to sell others on your abilities. Be honest and reliable so customers, investors, and other important stakeholders know they can trust you to take care of them.