Roadmap To Success|Kinzinlu Khumba

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I am grateful and privileged for this opportunity to share some of my thoughts on this platform. This year, 2019, is ending which means we were 1 year older than last year, a step further than yesterday’s and wiser than before or at least more experienced. I believe God has given us a life to live freely and not to be tied down by our own limitations and fears. We get to live this life just once, so it is too precious not to live it. 

I’ve seen too many people struggling their whole life trying to fit in, provide, protect, only to realize they forgot to live and celebrate their own life, and then it is too late. Some don’t even get to realize it, because that’s how they perceive life to be and accept that struggling is the norm for people like us. Subconsciously, we’re being led to believe that dreams are supposed to remain a dream and can never become a reality. That’s just self-defense from fear of failure. 

We want to stay comfortable and so we start building walls of excuses and perfectly valid reasons and stay uncomfortable for the rest of our lives. How do you want to live your life? Do you have dreams, what are they? What does your goal board look like? What is success to you? Are you answering along to the questions I raised? If not, look at the questions again and try answering them. If you don’t connect with your goals emotionally, then what you’re about to read further will just be another article that you came across somewhere.

The road to success is always a bumpy ride, and we are on this journey together. Now, what do you understand by roadmap to success? I don’t have a magic trick or an easy way to show you, nor do I have any sugar-coated gentle encouragement to uplift your spirit. I’m here to share some of the tips that I heard and thought you might need it too. I’m sharing with you 9 pillars that will lay the foundation for your success and how you can make your way to your destination.

Pillar 1: Decide

The decision that you make today will result in tomorrow. Successful people hold themselves accountable for whatever decision they make and do not blame someone or the situation. You are responsible for your future. The day you decide to decide will be the day your life will start progressing. If your calendar starts in January, your life won’t begin in December. It’s in the moment of your decisions that your journey is shaped.

Pillar 2: Commit to the skills

The skills and talents that you have in you is your weapon. Sharpen it. If you think you haven’t got any, develop them. Skills can be developed. Nobody is born a superstar; you have to work your way towards it. Commit to your skills and talents and keep developing them every day. Learning stops when one grows full of oneself.

Pillar 3: Habits

Building good habits are hard and take time. Make the ‘I should do this now’ into a habit. Because we know they are good but hardly follow. Start with a simple good habit to engage in small attention. Change is hard but it’s harder to be stuck, not getting anywhere. Pull yourself out of the procrastinating habit, because this habit kills you without letting you notice, like cancer. And change your mindset, because mindset controls everything you say, think, do or don’t do. A closed mindset cannot accept new ideas or creativity and becomes a prisoner of mediocrity. Keep upgrading yourself.

Pillar 4: Associations

You become average of the 5 people you spend time with, and there’s nothing you can do about it – Jim Rohn. Therefore hold life to a higher standard and associate with positive people. This is why we are told to choose friends wisely. It might be hard with all the bonds and connections you’ve built, but just as change is hard to break free from the circle if they are negative people. Your life is much more valuable.

Pillar 5: Think bigger

Once success hits, one starts going into the coma state because they think this is it. You stop growing once you believe you’re successful. Success here could range from small to big. Like clearing 10 or 10+2 exams with good marks, or getting a good harvest for a few years.

What percentage of your potential are you operating at the moment? If this is you giving 60% of your potential, how much more can you achieve next year if you up to your potential by just 10%? In fact, we are not doing enough even though we have the potential. Think bigger.

Pillar 6: Let it go

Letting go is easier said than done but again pillar 3, change is not easy. Let go of the negative opinion and petty things that are holding you back, something which is making you play small. Is it resentment, doubt, failure, insecurity, fear, ego, laziness, opinion, shame, rejection, etc.? What do you need to let go? Write them down on a piece of paper and cross them off as you learn to let go day by day. If you release them, it’ll help you grow better and stronger.

Pillar 7: Vision

Vision, goals and dreams are all different even if they seem similar. The clearer the vision, the easier the steps to achieving your goals become. It has to be clear and not just wishful thinking. As a saying goes, “well begun is half done”. Attitude plays a very important role in dreaming and making your dreams become a reality. Sometimes vision might be blurry in the beginning and you might even need to borrow it till yours become clear. But make it your own, connect with it emotionally.

Pillar 8: Game plan

What must you do to achieve your goals in 2020 or 5 years from now? What must you do to create a different result of the effort you’re giving now? Got time issue? Get creative. When your vision is strong enough, time is your friend. Attack your fears, discipline yourself and plan a structure for your goal. Success lies outside your comfort zone.

Pillar 9: Work your butt off

Nobody in this world can become successful if they skip this pillar. When you have the right mindset, clear vision, structure all planned out, it is time to work your butt off till you get where you want to be. It is time for you to rise beyond the expectations of the people around you. You take charge of the play, be the protagonist, not an onlooker. So it’s in your hand whether you make the play interesting or boring.

We’ve been blessed with every possible gift from God besides salvation. His grace is sufficient for us all, so we ought to live life to the fullest. Surely living in fear, doubt, depression or hopelessness is not what God would want. Test the limits of your strength, discover the meaning of being alive all over again and celebrate each breath with gratitude.

Living life is different, much happier and more peaceful than surviving or just passing time. Of course, life is a roller coaster and never a smooth road. The challenges are what make life more beautiful. Remember, you’re never too young to start dreaming or too old to dream again. 

How do you want to live your life? Do you have dreams, what are they? What does your goal board look like? What is success to you?

Kinzinlu Khumba is an emerging entrepreneur based in Delhi. 

The article first appeared in Kala-Khwanbaang, an annual publication of Inpui Students' Union, Delhi (ISUD), 2019.