Isaac Oladipupo: The Anatomy of Success

Unless I’m reading some good book, I’m not a lover of long articles so I’ll try to keep this as concise as possible. My goal here is to reiterate my life’s brief adventure in line with key discoveries that have helped me reach thus far by Grace.

To start with, here’s a foundational truth many people have refused to accept – Irrespective of your background or circumstances, you’ve got MORE than it takes to achieve good success in life. Here’s why: Success is cheap and replicable. To succeed in any field you only need to find out what other successful people in that field are doing, and do the same things, until you get same results. As a young chap starting out with big dreams, my discovery, belief and resolve to live by this simple truth made all the difference.

Commit to early discovery and pursuit of destiny.

Who am I, why am I here, what will I do…? Growing up, I was of the belief that if I don’t achieve certain things at a certain age, it becomes much harder later or literally impossible. The grace to define myself and my dreams on time has been an advantage. To achieve success, we must discover our path and commit to it as early as we can. Having discovered your true path, you must stay focused until successful. This is very critical because we are in the age of endless distractions and focus remains an important virtue as we can achieve nothing significant without it. Only the few who are able to remain focused amidst distractions will thrive.

Become addicted to knowledge.

I wrote my first book at 19, and this helped secure my first job with a leading magazine company, as an undergraduate. This early exposure didn’t only change my life forever; it also taught me that BEING is far superior to having. Just as we always attract who we are when it comes to relationships, so also what we get out of life is solely dependent upon our level of capacity per time. To attract more, we must become more. Commit to building your mind, capacity and skills. It’s been said that a library is a hospital for the mind. When last did you visit one?

Carefully select your network of friends and mentors.

To ignore the influence of association is to disregard your destiny. Never underestimate the power of association. All my life, I’ve enjoyed the privilege of moving with forward thinking friends and the result has been phenomenal. However, at a point, I slipped into some wrong association in a bid to ‘help them change.’ The result? Aside holding me back, I made a huge mistake that cost me a relationship most valuable to me. Thankfully I came out stronger, but I paid dearly for it. I learnt, the hard way, that mediocrity is infectious. Don’t discriminate but be very selective. It is very possible to outgrow your associations, so know when to leave and choose a new circle of friends because association always determines destination. Love yourself enough to surround yourself with the smartest and brightest brains. Also invest in your networking skills and seek valuable mentors. Successful people connect with people, make the most of meetings and build relationships. Learn to actively network with people who can be of great value to your life.

Take full charge of your heart and mind.

Regardless of the volume of books you read, a negative mind will never give you a successful life. Just as you don’t put your car in reverse and expect it to go forward, in same light you don’t think negative thoughts and expect success. Invest your time in deep meditation and dream big dreams. Most of the things that changed my life came to me when I was alone and quiet; this explains why I adore just being alone with my thoughts at times. Once in a while, take out time to yourself, for yourself, and with yourself in a positive light. It’s life-changing!

Commit to a lifetime partnership with God.

What the outside of your house looks like doesn’t count as much as what you’re building on the inside. In my opinion, instant success without God isn’t a guaranteed success. What’s the foundation of your success built upon? Will it stand the test of time? God does nothing significant with man without a deliberate covenant. Build upon the Solid Rock by striking a covenant partnership with God and watch your blossom effortlessly. Finally, note that while dreams are free, achievement comes with a price. All you’ve read here won’t work for you unless you put them to action immediately. I’d love to meet you at the world’s achievers roundtable. Peace!

Isaac Oladipupo is an award-winning Product Marketer passionate about leveraging the media toward building global brands. He tweets via @isaacafrica_