I have an open mind whenever I embarked on a life journey. I don’t allow my plan to close my brains and blind my eyes from seeing opportunities. I am conscious and aware that life will throw so many variables on my path, and I should be able to identify and embrace what is mine. The universe has its miracles that can alter my plans. I believe in God, and I believe in miracles. I expect miracles, so I experience miracles. Serendipity is the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

I attended a training programme so I can improve my financial status. During the programme, I became a lecturer, and as a result, I had several contracts to lecture abroad. I had struggling students contacting me for a one to one section. Soon, I opened an online virtual training and work experience platform. I planned to increase my financial status by improving my skill, thereby increasing my value in the market place.  My financial situation was improved weigh more than I anticipated because I ended up becoming an entrepreneur with an academy.

Too many events occurred, pointing me to the end game. I was sensitive and open to these events. I was able to interpret and see the bigger picture. I was robust and agile in my thinking and not a waterfall. Many times you plan and close yourself up because you are just focused on your plan and refuse to see other great opportunities created by your project.

The journey to success is not black and white. Things are not rosy. Setting out a plan does not mean it won’t change. You need to understand the existence of a SWOT Analysis, how different factors can change the playing field and affect your original ideas. You must learn to be flexible if you want to succeed in any endeavour in life.

Here are things that can become a stumbling block on your journey to be successful.

Time: You might be thinking we all have equal 24 hours. Not true. Some people have more because they bought other people’s time by way of employment. They can achieve more than you can in 24 hours. You mustn’t waste time or procrastinate. Some ideas are timeboxed. Once you miss the window, they are gone forever, and if you can’t identify they are gone, you will end up chasing shadows.

Lack of focus: You need to keep your eyes on the price. The price is to be successful. You have an idea, but events can thwart things. No matter what happens, you need to stay focused and pursue success. One major stumbling block to success is the lack of clarity. Your goals may change along the way, but you are clear about one thing, you want to attain success. Life can present other means, and you can only see if you are open to opportunities.

Holding Back: The key is to give everything you have, all of the time.  If you’re not achieving what you want, don’t lower your expectations. Instead, raise your standards. Don’t think you are not good enough. There is no one like you. Where you need to make a change, go for it, don’t hold back. Don’t limit yourself.

Attitude: One reason you would want to hold back is as a result of your attitude towards life. Many people do not succeed because of their attitude and not because they are not good enough. You must change your attitude to reflect on what you want to become. Your attitude will either move you forward or backwards. Your attitude will determine your altitude. Avoid negativity and negative people. Don’t limit your opportunity to succeed. Stop focusing on problems, instead focus on the solution so you can create more of your concentration.

Fear: Job lost all his wealth, and he said that the things he was so afraid of were what he did finally experienced. His fears opened the door to the adverse events he experienced in his life. Fear can motivate you and at the same time, can hinder you. It can keep you from putting the effort and from reaching towards those massive goals. Many people don’t try because they are afraid to fail. The fear of failing makes them fail. How you see failure matters. I see it as feedback. I see failure as part of my team. I collect data from failure. I analyse the data, and I can have an informed decision based on the data collected. There is no way you can go through life without experiencing failure in specific ways. It's important to realise that in everything you do, there's always a chance that you will fail. The courage to face that chance makes you live a fuller life that comes with a reward.

Lack of Persistent: The lack of persistence is enormous; it causes failure in many degrees. People who continue toward their goals despite obstacles have often met with tremendous success. You don't have to give up. There is a solution to any problem, and you need to be patient to look for it. As Napoleon Hill taught us in his Principles of Success, you must possess two critical elements to achieve your goals:

1. A burning desire to achieve success, and
2. The habit of persistence. 

The statement of Napoleon Hill may sound simple at the outset; it is not easy because it takes a person of enormous courage to remain on course to achieve success in life despite all the bumpiness they encounter.  Having a “burning desire” is not enough; you must also have the perseverance, the persistence, to continue despite the difficulties and setbacks you will likely encounter along the way. People who continue toward their goals despite obstacles have often met with tremendous success. 

Impatience: One reason why you might give up easily is due to impatience. Impatience can be stressful, and as you know anything that stresses can drain you, suck the life out of you, and lead to depression. Depression is a mode disorder that can impact on your daily life. Impatience is unhealthy and very dangerous. Impatience makes you make rash decisions that can affect your life and the life of all connected to you. Impatience will make you restless, agitated, annoyed, and sometimes unable to think. Anxiety kills — impatience grills. Patience fills.

I don’t know the obstacles that are hindering you from achieving success in your endeavour. You can list them down and start researching each one of the challenges. With your research, you will be able to analyse the problem, and it will be in plain sight; hence, you will be able to determine the solution. You need to get to work here and stop being lazy if you seriously want to be successful.