What makes some people millionaires in a few years, while others struggle all their lives to make both ends meet? Have you ever stopped to think what makes the difference?

There are so many examples of committed young people who start from scratch and build empires that are valued in billions – in one or two decades.

How do they do it? More important, what stops you from doing it?

Here are the 10 things that pull you down from the heights you always wanted to climb:

1. No clear goal – look yourself in the mirror and imagine where you want to be after 10 years; after 5 years? Do you have any clarity about that image?

This is your first step towards success. One who has no goal cannot have a purpose in life. Without purpose, you cannot succeed.

It's like getting into your car and saying "I will drive today – but where, I do not know." You might reach a great destination – but that is one chance in a million. For the rest, you will just be driving, waiting for a destination to find you.

2. Fear of failure – you might have wanted so many times to just dump your job and start a business of your own. Theoretically, you are capable and you would be able to earn more from it - but you do not take the step!

Why? You fear failure. Ships are safest in the harbor – but they are not meant for that purpose. The same applies to you. If you want a great destination, you need to walk the path and face the possibility of failure. Failure is life's way of teaching you to move forward. Get ready to learn!

3. No action plan – asked about your dream, you will say, 'I want to be a millionaire by the end of the next year.' That's great! You have a vision; you have an aim.

Now break this dream into achievable bite-sized action plans. Adjust it to realty and bingo! You are on the pathway to success. Without a concrete action plan you will be lost in a jungle of uncertainties and indecisions.

4. Resisting change – never resist change; embrace it; welcome it; love it!

Change is progress. Stay in tune with the times and adopt to change as fast as you can. Those who are able to stay on the right side of change are those who succeed in life. Fear of change and resisting it are some of the most critical factors that cause failure.

5. Procrastination – when you tell yourself, 'I will do it tomorrow', that tomorrow never comes. Do it today - NOW! It's very important to be self-driven and disciplined about which way you want to go in your life. Life is so short; where is the time to postpone anything?

6. I can not' – these are the most harmful three words you will ever find in the life of the regular person. The successful one believes in himself or herself. For him or her it is always, 'I can'. There is no place for negativity.

Would we have air travel today if the Wright Brothers told themselves "We cannot do this" or "It cannot be done"? Belief in one's ability to achieve the impossible is one of the most significant factors in success.

7. Lack of passion – say, you want to become a millionaire in 5, 10 or 20 years. And you choose to do so by designing and building cars – but you hate everything about the industry.

Do you think you will achieve your goal? No - never!

You need rather to find something that makes you jump out of bed and rush to work. Find what you are passionate about, and use that as a vehicle to your success. Without passion, there can be no success!

Are you ready for success? It's waiting for you!

Have you thought about your retirement yet? If you are in your 20s and are reading this article I am sure you will be smiling thinking, 'Hey, I have time for that.'

Wrong. The earlier you start the better. In fact, like mortality, retirement too is something that people feel 'will be handled when the time comes'. The truth is that 'when the time comes' it is too late to do anything much about it.

If you want your senior years to be filled with security and comfort, you need to start making concrete plans very early in life. Here are a few points that will guide you:

1. Start early – you can never start early enough. Eventually, you could buy a piece of land cheap or start contributing to your IRA. The land will appreciate considerably over the next 20-30 years; and your IRA during that time will build with compound interest to make a tidy sum!

2. Be regular with your contribution: it will often be very tempting to skip contributing to your IRA fund every year. Do not give in to this temptation. Be regular with your contribution; only then will your money grow to the required level.

3. Do not withdraw money from the IRA funds – when you contribute to this fund, just write off this money from you mind! Do not count on it to bridge any 'emergency' that may crop up every now and then.

When you withdraw the money you will be penalized by about 10 percent - and that will eat into your overall retirement amount.

4. Diversify investment – just because you are contributing to the IRA does not mean that you will stop investing elsewhere. Save about 1/10th of your income and use this to invest in high returns mutual funds and other such market linked investments.

Do not make the investment on your own, unless you know perfectly well what you're doing. It's better to entrust your money with expert and reputable financial organizations, which will pay you higher returns than your regular saving account.

5. Take out insurance – insurance is a great way to take care of both investment and the security of your family. Choose a policy/plan that gives you life coverage, accident coverage, dismemberment coverage, and investment returns.

There are many policies which allow riders for a relatively lower fee. Educate yourself well in this field before you take the plunge. Insurance is one of the easiest and best ways to ensure your financial safety and that of your family.

It is very important to note here that you will need to be very serious about building your own safety net for the future. Plan ahead - where you want to live, how you want to live, and work out the projected income you will need for such a lifestyle. And always add a little extra for medical problems, which will invariably join you in your golden years.

A little monetary pain in your youth will ensure that your senior years are free from financial worries and heartache!