By Martins Itua
Anyone who wants to succeed in life and business must first and foremost understand that they bear the sole responsibility of making that happen, and that ‘predestination’, is nothing but a myth. This set of people must also understand that although believing in this myth is prevalent not only in Nigeria but also in several other climes these days, it does not hold water for those who want to succeed.
There is no doubt that people who believe in predestination live in the constant fear of an invisible ‘evil’ personality that could steal or destroy their destines. There is no such personality! So if you are one of those who prefer to take hold of your life and make it a success, here are seven principles that will help you move from where you are now to where you want to be.
- Your choices determine your outcome.
Ultimately, your choices determine what you become. People are often unaware of the fact that life doesn’t just happen but has a direct bearing to the quality of choices they make. There are seasons in everyone’s life and the ability to fully maximise each season is vital for life-long happiness and success. There is a season to sow seeds for the future. This season often requires hard work, delayed gratification, spending time to learn the ropes and developing skills. Sometimes, some people waste this period doing the opposite of what they ought to be doing. The best way to comprehend this is by imagining a farmer who during planting season, decides to eat his seeds instead of planting them. Certainly, he will have nothing to harvest during the harvest season. You simply cannot reap what you have not sown. You will certainly fail in an examination you refuse to prepare for. So you can choose to prepare for the examination or simply stare at the big book and fail woefully.
- Success is never accidental.
Nobody ever accidentally became successful. Success also never comes simply by wishing or day dreaming. Success is a function of doing the right things. You are unlikely to find anyone who’s truly successful who didn’t put in hard work, time and sacrifice. People who are unwilling to make sacrifices are never serious about succeeding. Prayer has its role in our lives, no doubt, but it should never take the place of doing what is required to attain success. If all you do is pray, then you are certainly destined to fail.
Quick look
- Predestination is a word made up by people who do not want to take responsibility for their lives especially when that person is not so much a success.
- You are the sole owner of your life as well as the sole captain of the affairs that will make or break you.
- Getting up and actually doing something to bring you closer to your dreams is better than praying every day for your dreams to come true.
- Neither your parents nor the government is responsible for what you make of yourself.
- Have a plan, stick to it and find ways to execute them to achieve the success that you want for yourself.
- Failure is not ‘failure‘
Failure is never failure until we consider it so. All successful people failed at one thing or another at some point. Failure should never stop you from pursuing your life’s goals and ambitions. For most, it is the fear of failure that hinders them from taking any meaningful step. The road to success has failure signposts on it. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin. That means you can hardly have one without the other. You should never be tempted to think or believe that the reason you failed is because of some ‘evil’ power acting against you. No power in the universe is strong enough to withstand the power of your will and determination. Changing your mind set and understanding the role of failure in your life is vital, if you must succeed. Failure teaches you how to do the same thing better. Truth is, people who have never failed have never truly succeeded. All great inventors and scientists at some point failed in their quest to achieving great discoveries.
- Your habits play a part in your future.
Simple, your everyday habits impact your future. F. Matthias Alexander rightly observed that “people do not decide their futures, they decide their habits and their habits decide their futures.” So it is vital that you watch your habits especially the ones that create stumbling blocks in the pursuit of your life’s goals. Everyone falters once in a while but if you have created destructive habits that hinder your success, then it is time to change them. Some people are slaves to their beds while others are simply glued to their televisions. Others still work 9-5 every day and then use all their evenings and weekends to rest. It is good to work while it is ‘day’ because your ‘night’ will come when you will be unable to work. But you need to stop wasting your life on things that diminish it. Invest your time on things that increase your finances and happiness. If you want to know how you will turn out in future, all you need to do is watch what you are doing today. The future doesn’t happen, we make it happen.
- Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Planning your life and setting goals for your future is vital. Failure to plan is planning to fail. You cannot achieve much in life if you leave it to chance. How can you possibly hope to be great if everything that happens in your life is a product of chance? Some people work all through their lives never thinking of how they will handle life in retirement. It never occurs to them that a future without a plan is one that is doomed for unhappiness and regret. You need to have a plan and put things in place to ensure that you attain it. Sometimes, you need to take a life insurance to mitigate any future catastrophe. You should never assume that all will be well if you have not planned for all to be well. The future will come whether we plan for it or not.
- Taking responsibility is vital for life’s success.
The ability to take responsibility for your life is vital if you want to attain life-long fulfillment. It must be clear that no matter how much people care, when it comes to the issues that determine your life’s happiness, you are ultimately responsible. Your parents are not responsible for your life, neither is the government. You are the captain of your ship and the master of your life. This secret often differentiates people who fail from those who succeed. It is time to quit complaining and blaming everyone else. The bulk rests on your desk.
- Excuses and procrastination hinder success.
There are certain people who live daily looking for a reason not to do something that can make their lives better. Some people continue to blame their parents even when they are long dead. Others blame their condition on government’s inability to provide jobs. But when you look around, you will discover that there are many people who are achieving huge success despite the challenges. Yes, life may be hard sometimes, but instead of looking for excuses, get up and look for opportunities. Procrastination is the reason why many dreams and aspirations never see the light of day. Time to stop postponing and start doing. Don’t allow the train of life to leave you behind while you are busy changing your mind on the issues that can bring your success and happiness.
