Motivation, the most difficult part of SEO
We all know how boring SEO can be at times and basically that the top sites worked harder, built better websites and as a result got more sales. Sadly it's not rocket science to find out what is wrong with most websites and why they are not ranking, often it's a case of more links (some links?), better web design and some lessons on what Google are really looking for.
Google recently published a great guide to some seo basics on how to set up your website for Google, you can download it at http://www.google.com/webmasters/docs/search-engine-optimization-starter-guide.pdf
The secret to motivation is doing a little piece everyday and not stopping until you have achieved your initial goal. If you are consistently adding new pages and links pointing at your website, you will be sure to gain some serious market share over time. How fast is down to you basically, so build a link a day minimum and try to publish some content as well that benefits your users.
If you have a product or news based website, ensure your content is unique, with smart page titles, thoughtful descriptions and keywords matching the content. A logical navigation (internal links) will also play a large part in how your website is ranked and what terms you are able to target with one website. The Industry, competition, the size and style of the website will also play a large part in how successful the project will be.
No matter what the size or style of your website, two fundamental requirements must be addressed, quality website content, and, quality websites linking to your site homepage and internal pages.
Repetition is the shortest way to build a website and will lead to short term results. The harder you work to achieve quality relevant content for each page, with laser focused keywords, a logical easy to use navigation and simple calls to action, the more successful your site will be.