Success is temporary. But one’s work and effort towards it are forever. Success is that desirable state of mind brought about by a sense of accomplishment. And nothing is accomplished without the diligent application of one’s mindset and willpower. For young Iranian business owner Ashkan Fattahi, a growth mindset and strong will are the key ingredients that define the quality of one’s success.

For Ashkan, summoning the power of the will was a given for every task. Whether now or when he was 16, the young businessman and high-stack poker player knew that “willpower is the key to opening new doors in life. I was a precocious kid. I wanted to get an early start in life, and once I had experienced success in business after working with my father, I knew I liked how it tasted and how it felt. To repeat my experience meant strengthening my willpower to expand my wings and attain newer heights.”

Apart from a strong dose of willpower, Ashkan also learned to develop a growth mindset from an early age. He says, “Growth is something you need to work at constantly. It’s easy to laze around, lie in bed all day, and dream of all you can accomplish. But the pieces of your success won’t align themselves together until you choose to grow and develop a focused and goal-oriented mindset.”

Ashkan is yet to enter his 30s and has already dabbled in different businesses, shaken hands with noted celebrities, and built his businesses in Iran. For a young boy with dreamy eyes to have come this far on sheer willpower and a mindset to succeed shows us a lot about what a strong-willed individual can do.