tion. In the meantime, her lack of income is taking its toll on her. She wears hand-me-down clothes, rarely eats out and her idea of quality family time consists of watching checked-out DVDs from the public library.

What's wrong with this picture?

Reading books, creating your dream board and attending meetings will not fulfill your dreams if your actions are at cross-purpose with your desires.

Juli's actions are earning her a poverty income. Yes her sacrifice is noble, but nobility doesn't pay much. And her decision to continue teaching negates everything she posted on her dream board. Her actions are at o

Three questions if I may:

Do you crave success only to cave in to self-destructive habits?

Do you dream BIG, but fall into a pattern of acting small?

Do you subscribe to the false belief that being busy with self-development and menial tasks will actually make you wealthy?

My good friend Juli is an independent beauty consultant for one of the country's largest cosmetic companies. She and her husband are raising four adorable girls. During one stretch in her business she earned enough bonus commissions to drive a red Pontiac Grand Prix from her company's Car Reward's Program.

I'll never forget the day she picked it up. It was her special moment. She had never reached this plateau before. Having a new car in the driveway made a statement about her, her success and where she was heading.

The dealership responded with balloons and provided refreshments. The atmosphere became alive with upbeat music. Her area representatives arrived to cheer her on. And afterwards we went back to the house to celebrate with bubbly.

Exactly one year later, she returned the Grand Prix to the dealership. But it wasn't to trade up. Her commissions had slipped and she was no longer eligible for any car.

What happened?

Juli is no slouch. She's a success student. She stays in tune with her company's product line, literature and self-development books. She attends her company's local and regional meetings. And she's even assembled a dream board mounted in the kitchen with cutouts of the car, house and income of her dreams.

But what she doesn't realize is she's quietly sabotaging her success...

Because her daily actions are in direct conflict with her dreams. She is at odds with her goals. She's running around in a vicious cycle not able to rise above it. In short: she knows she's bleeding but won't change course.

Allow me to explain...

Because she and her husband were unhappy with public schools, she began home schooling her girls. Which later led to a teaching position at her church where her girls are enrolled. Which unfortunately led to a huge pay cut because of reduced enrollment. But she chose to stay on.

With all the teaching, grading and tutoring—her lifestyle has suffered. She seldom has time to invest in her business. And she is only making $400 a month gross from the job. That's only enough to pay for the gasoline to her dream car.

Because of her commitment to the school, she feels guilty if she vacates her position. In the meantime, her lack of income is taking its toll on her. She wears hand-me-down clothes, rarely eats out and her idea of quality family time consists of watching checked-out DVDs from the public library.

What's wrong with this picture?

Reading books, creating your dream board and attending meetings will not fulfill your dreams if your actions are at cross-purpose with your desires.

Juli's actions are earning her a poverty income. Yes her sacrifice is noble, but nobility doesn't pay much. And her decision to continue teaching negates everything she posted on her dream board. Her actions are at od

he day she picked it up. It was her special moment. She had never reached this plateau before. Having a new car in the driveway made a statement about her, her success and where she was heading.

The dealership responded with balloons and provided refreshments. The atmosphere became alive with upbeat music. Her area representatives arrived to cheer her on. And afterwards we went back to the house to celebrate with bubbly.

Exactly one year later, she returned the Grand Prix to the dealership. But it wasn't to trade up. Her commissions had slipped and she was no longer eligible for any car.

What happened?

Juli is no slouch. She's a success student. She stays in tune with her company's product line, literature and self-development books. She attends her company's local and regional meetings. And she's even assembled a dream board mounted in the kitchen with cutouts of the car, house and income of her dreams.

But what she doesn't realize is she's quietly sabotaging her success...

Because her daily actions are in direct conflict with her dreams. She is at odds with her goals. She's running around in a vicious cycle not able to rise above it. In short: she knows she's bleeding but won't change course.

Allow me to explain...

Because she and her husband were unhappy with public schools, she began home schooling her girls. Which later led to a teaching position at her church where her girls are enrolled. Which unfortunately led to a huge pay cut because of reduced enrollment. But she chose to stay on.

With all the teaching, grading and tutoring—her lifestyle has suffered. She seldom has time to invest in her business. And she is only making $400 a month gross from the job. That's only enough to pay for the gasoline to her dream car.

Because of her commitment to the school, she feels guilty if she vacates her position. In the meantime, her lack of income is taking its toll on her. She wears hand-me-down clothes, rarely eats out and her idea of quality family time consists of watching checked-out DVDs from the public library.

What's wrong with this picture?

Reading books, creating your dream board and attending meetings will not fulfill your dreams if your actions are at cross-purpose with your desires.

Juli's actions are earning her a poverty income. Yes her sacrifice is noble, but nobility doesn't pay much. And her decision to continue teaching negates everything she posted on her dream board. Her actions are at o

Juli is no slouch. She's a success student. She stays in tune with her company's product line, literature and self-development books. She attends her company's local and regional meetings. And she's even assembled a dream board mounted in the kitchen with cutouts of the car, house and income of her dreams.

But what she doesn't realize is she's quietly sabotaging her success...

Because her daily actions are in direct conflict with her dreams. She is at odds with her goals. She's running around in a vicious cycle not able to rise above it. In short: she knows she's bleeding but won't change course.

Allow me to explain...

Because she and her husband were unhappy with public schools, she began home schooling her girls. Which later led to a teaching position at her church where her girls are enrolled. Which unfortunately led to a huge pay cut because of reduced enrollment. But she chose to stay on.

With all the teaching, grading and tutoring—her lifestyle has suffered. She seldom has time to invest in her business. And she is only making $400 a month gross from the job. That's only enough to pay for the gasoline to her dream car.

Because of her commitment to the school, she feels guilty if she vacates her position. In the meantime, her lack of income is taking its toll on her. She wears hand-me-down clothes, rarely eats out and her idea of quality family time consists of watching checked-out DVDs from the public library.

What's wrong with this picture?

Reading books, creating your dream board and attending meetings will not fulfill your dreams if your actions are at cross-purpose with your desires.

Juli's actions are earning her a poverty income. Yes her sacrifice is noble, but nobility doesn't pay much. And her decision to continue teaching negates everything she posted on her dream board. Her actions are at o

e to explain...

Because she and her husband were unhappy with public schools, she began home schooling her girls. Which later led to a teaching position at her church where her girls are enrolled. Which unfortunately led to a huge pay cut because of reduced enrollment. But she chose to stay on.

With all the teaching, grading and tutoring—her lifestyle has suffered. She seldom has time to invest in her business. And she is only making $400 a month gross from the job. That's only enough to pay for the gasoline to her dream car.

Because of her commitment to the school, she feels guilty if she vacates her position. In the meantime, her lack of income is taking its toll on her. She wears hand-me-down clothes, rarely eats out and her idea of quality family time consists of watching checked-out DVDs from the public library.

What's wrong with this picture?

Reading books, creating your dream board and attending meetings will not fulfill your dreams if your actions are at cross-purpose with your desires.

Juli's actions are earning her a poverty income. Yes her sacrifice is noble, but nobility doesn't pay much. And her decision to continue teaching negates everything she posted on her dream board. Her actions are at o

tion. In the meantime, her lack of income is taking its toll on her. She wears hand-me-down clothes, rarely eats out and her idea of quality family time consists of watching checked-out DVDs from the public library.

What's wrong with this picture?

Reading books, creating your dream board and attending meetings will not fulfill your dreams if your actions are at cross-purpose with your desires.

Juli's actions are earning her a poverty income. Yes her sacrifice is noble, but nobility doesn't pay much. And her decision to continue teaching negates everything she posted on her dream board. Her actions are at odds with her dreams.

In a nutshell, here's an illustration of how we often sabotage our success:

If you wanted a cornfield but sowed apple seeds instead, you won't reap any corn. You can pray, repeat affirmations, yell at the soil, read farming manuals and fertilize all you want—you won't get one stalk of corn. I'm willing to bet you a dollar on this.

So here's a suggestion. It's simple to digest—but not as easy to process. Yet it's something I highly recommend for those who have healthy dreams.

If you believe you can paint the picture of your perfect lifestyle—make a detailed list of your action steps that will get you there. Then work those steps and stay on course. One step at a time. Even if life gets in the way. This is one sure way to stop the bleeding.

Reading books and acquiring skills will build a better you—but without the right actions, the better you will not become a happier you.

Tommy Yan helps business owners and entrepreneurs make more money through direct response marketing. He publishes Tommy's Tease weekly e-zine to inspire people to succeed in business and personal growth. Get your free subscription today at www.TommyYan.com