Some people believe that success comes suddenly, forgetting about the sacrifices or the price that needs to be paid.
One person who believes that there is no success without hard work is the Vice President of IMANI Ghana, Mr Kofi Bentil.
Taking his turn on the weekly motivational talk show, the Springboard, on Joy 99.7 FM, he explained that the circumstances surrounding a person’s life mostly influenced the direction his life takes and must, therefore be considered when assessing success.
His appearance on the show was to discuss some of the key critical factors that drive success.
It also marked the beginning of a new edition, ‘Critical Success Factors,’ on the show.
The series is expected to inspire and motivate audience throughout the country to emulate and imbibe the successful life stories of people and use it to better their lives.
The grace
Mr Bentil was of the view that the circumstances surrounding a person’s birth are very crucial in the determination of his/her future.
“lf someone is born into affluence, he or she could easily be successful because it is seen that things are put on a silver platter for that person.”
He, however, added that much as being born into a wealthy family is a step to being successful, it does not automatically guarantee success.
Mr Bentil said in analysing wealth, it is never said that a family is rich unless that wealth is found in the third generation. This is because in most cases, many people turn to lose their wealth at the second generation, he added.
“If you are born into a rich family, it does not guarantee that you will become successful in future and it does not guarantee that if a person is born into a poor family, he/she will become a failure.”
“Many people, therefore, learn how to succeed because of their deprived situation,” he said.
Conquer your fears
Although one does not have control over his or her birth circumstances, the IMANI Vice President said it is very important to surmount and conquer the environment that a person finds himself or herself in.
“Anybody who will succeed, whether you are born into a rich system or a poor one, you must, as a person, conquer your environment with whatever that is placed at your disposal,” he said.
He added that it was very crucial to undergo a formal and structured system of instructions that would help ensure success.
“It is important to subject yourself to a formal system of instruction. In the urban area you will go to school but in the village, you will learn under your father as an apprentice but whatever training you will undergo, it has a way of shaping your life and your thinking,” he said.
Blending formal with informal training
Mr Bentil said it was important for people to find a fine blend between formal and informal training. He said while formal training was important to the progress of a person, it is always the informal trainings, acquired by personal efforts that help people to succeed.
“The things that you learn on your own, the things that curiosity leads you to, that you would not be examined on, are the things that will lead you to success.”
“Successful people in the world today are not successful because of the basic things they learnt at school but rather the personal things they learnt on their own,” he noted.
He said one of the key critical factor for someone to achieve success was for that fellow to identify a space in the locality that individual finds him or herself.
“You may be born into a village where there is no doctor, so everybody say you are passing your exam, therefore, become a doctor, because your village need a doctor. You become one, but that might not be your space,” he said.
He said identifying a person’s space require the individual to examine him/herself to know which of the professions he can undertake without stress. This, he said should be based on the person’s unique talent, which everybody is blessed with.
He said after that talent had been identified, it was important to master it through learning and service to be able to perform or undertake that craft in its uniqueness.
“if a person’s knife is sharp, hard work will give him or her a quick result but if the fellow’s knife is blunt hard work will give a result but it might not be quick. In one way or the other, hard work is needed to secure success,” he added.
Kofi Bentil’s 10 Critrical success factors
The circumstance of your birth.
The ability to surmount to your environment.
Subjecting yourself to formal system of learning.
Personal learning.
Finding your space.
Mastering that space.
Hard work effort and commitment.
Persevere through crap.
Keep your heart pure and hold no evil.
Believe in God and follow him.