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If you were to be a fly on the wall of any locker room prior to a big game in any sport, you might be a little surprised to hear the abundance of encouraging and inspirational words going around in addition to actual, tactical strategy. A savvy coach knows how critical attitude can play into a game—more so than talent or skill in a given moment. Which is why any good strategy for setting a course for success must entail a tremendous amount of attention to attitude, as we’ve already seen above. But how does one cultivate that perfect attitude? In all honesty, it’s easier said than done.

You must reject the Google & Gates Lie: “I have to be super smart and invent something the world relies on to be rich” and adopt an attitude that will support you as your ideas, no matter how small you think they are. I didn’t go through the normal chains of education. I wasn’t bogged down with thoughts of failure, and I wasn’t afraid to take a few calculated risks. My positive attitude helped me stay focused on fueled from the get-go. It also helped me to ignore people who told me I couldn’t do it, or that I’d be a failure soon enough. When people ask me how they, too, can work toward nourishing that same attitude and keep it moving upward minus the ego, I share my six tips to what I call “refining your character.” These six elements constitute the “constant energy” you must put into enhancing yourself and preserving your positive outlook. It’s no joke that your attitude is your control center. “Anonymous” may be credited for saying The control center of your life is your attitude, but I wish I could claim that phrase because it’s just so darn true.

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Faith: Having unremitting faith in yourself and your dream is key. In the Bible, Paul said: “faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen.” How can you expect anyone else to believe in your dreams or to follow your plans if you don’t have faith in them yourself? Recall what I said earlier about being your own cheerleader. When you construct a plan and follow it faithfully, the universe will align itself to assist in making your dreams come true. You can call it karma or whatever you want to, but any of us would be hard pressed to name one person who succeeded without having faith in his dream.

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Guts: Take fear by the hand and let it lead you, even if you have to step outside your box and get a little uncomfortable. If anyone tries to say that she succeeded without doing anything that scared her, she is lying. Your commitment to achievement in the face of fear or what’s hard, is a valuable asset. Being successful means that, to an extent, you have to step out of line. It means that you have to do and be things that are divergent from the rest of society in order to rise above mostof society. Standing out can be scary, which is why you need guts to succeed.

Let me be clear: Having guts is different from simply not being afraid. Having guts relates to having the conviction and faith to stand strong in the pursuit of your goals no matter how difficult it becomes, and no matter what others might say to distract you. Nurture a