When you were young it's highly likely you were told that hard work is the key to success but, as you've probably figured out by now, diligence alone won't make you wealthy. There are specific tools, behaviors and practices necessary to becoming successful. I call them wealth skills and, luckily, they are available to everyone. This series of articles will lay out the most important ones you need to build a solid foundation for your business, a foundation that will help you make money without having your nose to the grindstone 24/7.

Wealth skill number one is all about moving in the right direction. Imagine that life is like a globe, on which going north is moving ahead and going south is going nowhere. Unsuccessful people wander the world without a compass; they feel undirected and unfilled most if not all of the time. Successful people, on the other hand, are always moving forward, going true north. What makes one group so different from the other? It's simple, successful people ask for directions.

They find a mentor and work with him or her closely so it's critical to pick the right person. Unsuccessful people often try to learn on their own or commiserate with friends and family members. The problem with that is most friends tend to be in the same economic bracket so it basically amounts to the blind leading the blind. Search out someone successful instead and pick a mentor who is already ready where you want to be. He or she will have the answers and suggestions you need.

Clearly mentoring is the secret to success in all regards. When a sports team is in trouble they change coaches before they trade players, musicians without a conductor do not make for a symphony and without a great director actors each go off in a different direction.

Wealth Skill Number 1 is the most important of all because, without a mentor you're running around in circles or headed south all the time. Work with someone who's already got the directions and he or she will teach you almost everything else you need to learn.