 About 2 days ago, I was listening to an audio program by Jim Rahn. Then he told this story about when he was broke. One day he met a girl who was selling something. I think candy. He really wanted to buy candy from this little girl but he didn't have $2 to do so. He felt ashamed when he had to lie to avoid the embarrassment not having $2 would have brought him. That was the day Jim decided that he will be rich. While so many people make decisions every day especially at the beginning of a new year, real decision is like writing on raw cement. Real decision is like a do or die of fear. Real decisions are difficult and that's why most people avoid it. I want to share with you 3 simple yet difficult decisions you can make as we enter a new year in today's video. 1. Decide to study people you admire. We all have people we admire. Often these people are people we would like to be like. We love and admire them because we wish to be in their place. Just like them. However, the problem is that we can't become people we wish to become just by admiring or praying to become like them. So, this is what I do. I study the lives of the people I admire. Growing up I admire successful entrepreneurs and those who create or invest meaningful things. That's why today, if you come to my office, you'll see biographies of people like Thomas Edison, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, John D. Rockefeller, Jack Ma, etc. When you study the lives of the people you admire, you really want to focus on their early life. For example, let's say you want to study the life of Albert Einstein. Well, you'll do well to pay close attention to his life before the world knew him and before he became popular. You'll have to study the most challenging period in your hero's lives because that's where the real lesson that can change your life lies. That's what nobody talks about. The media focuses on people who are already successful. Nobody follows a failure around with a camera and that exactly is what you have to do. You see, people are not made in public. Every successful man's true secret is in the secret. How they leave their lives several years before the world knew them. If you do the difficult task of studying the early life of the people you admire, you'll learn a whole lot about how to fight and succeed in the battle of life. 2. Decide to try things you're not sure will succeed About 12 years ago, when I decided to be an entrepreneur, I didn't have any assurance that I will succeed. Odds were against me. I only had maybe 10% chance of success but when something is truly important to your happiness in life, you have to be courageous enough to fight for such things even if you're not sure, you'll succeed. Elon Musk said, when something is important enough, you'll do it even if the odds are not in your favor. So many people in our world today are waiting for perfect weather. A lot of people say to themselves, I'll start that business if I can get $20,000. I'll start reading books if I can get a job that makes me work less. I'll invest money if I'm sure I'll get a good return. Well, here's the bad news. Nobody ever was sure of anything. Neil Armstrong was never sure he would walk on the moon and come back to Earth safely. Steve Jobs was never sure he will build one of the most successful companies in the world. Harry Ford could never possibly be sure he will discover how to mass produce automobiles for the ordinary people. All these people and others who have achieved greatness is all about trying, making mistakes and trying again and again. As we enter a new year, I challenge you to sit down and ask yourself, what is that thing that you truly want to do but you cannot get yourself to try because you're not sure you'll succeed? Well, now is the time to dare the devil. Are you afraid of mistakes? Yeah, you'll make a lot of them. Are you afraid that you might fail? Yeah, you'll have some failures. But at the end of it all, you'll become a better and smarter individual and then you'll figure out how to succeed. 3. Decide to be the Messiah you're looking for Growing up in a Nigerian village, I always heard people complaining all the time. At about age 11, I was moved to a little town and it's the same thing. Everybody around me always complained about everything. As I was moving closer to my adulthood, I started thinking about this. Why can people stand up and be the Messiah they are waiting for? Why can people decide to solve some of the problems they always complain about? Since one of the problems I heard people complaining about all the time in my country is poverty and unemployment, I decided never to add to that problem as a little guy. I would never look for a job in my life. Instead, I'll figure out how to create some jobs. It's easier said than done. I was there in the business world for eight long years before I had my success and now I know where Jesus went through. OK, you see, it's extremely difficult to be a Messiah. That's what many of us have to try and do. If everybody who complains about their country's problems decide to do something about it, all our problems will disappear in one decade. But most people wouldn't lift their finger, the only organ in their body that they're willing to lift is their tongues. As we enter a new year, decide to be the Messiah you're waiting for. Decide to solve one or two problems you always complain about. They're so difficult and make your life less fun. But at the end of it all, you'll be proud of yourself and feel like you're living for something worthwhile. Decide to study the people you admire. This will reveal to you how they built their lives and how you can build yours. Decide to try things you're not sure will succeed. You'll make mistakes and even fail a few times. But you'll be smarter and succeed eventually. Decide to be the Messiah you're waiting for. This will make your life a lot more difficult. But at the end of the day, you'll be proud that you lived for something worthwhile. I hope this video helps someone. My name is Steve Courage. I'm a Nigerian entrepreneur based in Lagos. If you wish to know more about me and see my ugly face and consume videos I specifically make for Africans, check the description box and join my channel where I show my face and teach Africans how to build successful businesses. I love you.