I was watching an MTV interview one day. The reporter was interviewing the popular singer Kid Rock on how he went from being a no-name singer to a world-renown music icon. Now normally, I dont pay attention to what pop icons say because its usually nothing worth digesting, but something that Kid Rock said in this interview really got me thinking.

How did you go from being basically a nobody on public access television to the huge success you are today? The reporter asked.

Simple. I pretended I was big shit. I always thought of myself as big shit. And you know whatthats exactly what I became. Rock replied (with obvious bleeps included).

At first I thought this comment was vulgar and arrogant and in some ways it was, but when you really think about it, Kid Rock was telling all of us his recipe for successA recipe that any one of us can follow in our own lives.

Law of Success #1: Project Yourself Where You Want to be and Eventually You Will Get There

Even though Kid Rock started out with almost no money, and doing cheesy parts on public access television; this did not phase him from where he envisioned himself to be. He envisioned himself as a huge celebrity pop music icon that he is today, even when he wasnt. That projection is an important part of success. We are where we think ourselves to be and if we want to achieve something greater in our lives, we first must change our mental outlook to adopt that which we desire. Now, thats a more philosophic and vague statement that will leave the majority of people scratching their heads and Kid Rock has me beat in simplistically breaking this statement down into something we can all understand, If you think youre big shitYoull become big shit. Its that simple.

This is one of the most important secrets of success that many people fail to fully grasp. They complain about not being able to get anywhere in life, and they blame all of their misfortunes in their life that barred their path towards accomplishing anything. They are missing the first crucial step towards success and confidence which is changing how they see themselves. You cant become CEO if you dont envision yourself already as one. You cant become a world-class triathlete if you envision yourself as being mediocre. You cant become a well-known singer if you think of yourself as small-time.

Success begins and ends in the mind. That is the only difference between you and those you see on television or read about in magazines. Sure, success for some might come easier than for others, but true happiness with your life comes from your ability to set goals, overcome challenges, and fulfill life-long dreams. Everyones success is measured by their own unique scale of how they want to live their lives.

So, all of us can learn an important lesson on success from Kid Rock. Project ourselves where we want to be right now, and eventually we will rise to meet that level of expectation.