Your best year ever! Whatever your New Year's resolution—more friends, a spot on the team, better grades—we have the secrets to making your dreams come true

Girls' Life, Dec, 2003 by Catherine Dee

The fascinating thing about roadblocks to success is that some have an uncanny way of actually helping you succeed. For one thing, they require you to think on your feet and call on all your resources to get past them, reaffirming your commitment.

Looking back on your completed journey, you might see that what seemed at the time like a terrible mess simply redirected you to where you really wanted to go. Your sweet reward!

#7 Start over again. You did it! You made the lacrosse team, aced chemistry class, got that dog-walking biz up and running. Once you achieve a goal, it's not uncommon to get a little restless and feel a little bored. And that's OK! Success is best as a way of life, not just a one-time thing.

A truly successful person piles successes on top of each other. As mountain climber Arlene Blum so eloquently puts it, "You never conquer a mountain. You stand on the summit a few moments; then the wind blows your footprints away." Don't just stand there--get busy making some new tracks.

MAKIN' IT HAPPEN: Aim high as the sky

Is it any wonder that the one quality most successful people seem to have in common is perseverance? It's hard not to be impressed by someone who not only knows what she wants but is wilting to ask for it (repeatedly, if necessary) and work like a horse to get it. Stick-to-itiveness stands out starkly in a world where people don't always go after what they want or stay committed to what it is they're going after.

Keep on pushing. If that doesn't work, tweak your strategy and try again. You never know when you'll suddenly break through. Once you get what you're dreaming of, don't toss your perseverance aside. Keep it handy because you'll be needing it. Happy trails...

Catherine Dee is the editor of The Girls' Book of Success ($10, Little, Brown). Her other hooks include The Girls' Book of Love, The Girls' Book of Friendship and other cool titles. See empowergirls.com for more info.