“Victory always starts in the head. It’s a state of mind. It then spreads with such radiance and such affirmations that destiny can do nothing but obey.” — Douchan Gersi, explorer

How do you succeed in the gym? How do you improve and reach your goals?

Last night I heard a seminar on starting a small business, and author Karen Arbarbanel listed the qualities that go into being successful in the marketplace.

It was amazing how much those qualities resembled those necessary to succeed in the gym. Here they are:

First, passion. You have to have a love for what you’re doing in order to overcome the obstacles that are certain to come your way. The author put it this way: If the first three rules of real estate are “location, location, location,” then the first three rules of being successful in business are “passion, passion, passion.” Writer Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”

Second, focus. Great performers keep their mind on what they’re doing while they’re doing it. They resist distractions and use time well. Says legendary tennis player Martina Navratilova, “I just try to concentrate on concentrating.” American Olympic volleyball coach Ron Larsen talks about the ability to “stay on it.”

Third, persistence. Whether in business or in the gym, champions keep going. They don’t let reversals turn into failures. In his autobiography, “Pizza Tiger,” Tom Monaghan describes the building of the Domino’s pizza empire. It is a story of setbacks and disappointments, but Monaghan never gave up. Even Red Auerbach, architect of the Boston Celtics dynasty, had to undergo heartbreaking losses before he became a champion. The book “Let Me Tell You a Story: a Lifetime in the Game,” gives the details.

So if you want to succeed in the gym, then passion, focus and persistence will do it.