Success by Choice? The Quest for Personal Discovery
The word choice is defined as the act, opportunity, or power to select between two or more possibilities. Many people assume luck is the key to achieving their goals. But real success is an opportunity meeting a prepared mind.
Your daily routine defines your success. It is imperative to know and be prepared for what you are aiming at. Luck may open a door, but only choice determines whether you walk through it ready.
One of my favorite stories is about a man who went for music auditions. The adjudicators told him he wasn’t good enough. When he left the audition, he made a choice: he would start his own record label. A few years later, he broke records. You see, success does not mean you will get approval. It means that after every downfall, you rise again.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela put it this way: “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” Success by choice means that even when the odds are against you, you decide to win.
Choices show up in small moments. You choose to wake up early or to sleep in. You choose to study or to scroll. You choose to finish what you started or to quit when it gets hard. None of these choices feel massive on their own, but together they build the life you live.
This is why blaming circumstances gives your power away. Your background, your resources, and your timing all matter — but they do not make the final decision. You do. Choosing success means taking responsibility for your habits, your learning, and your response to failure.
It also means rejecting the idea that rejection is final. Not getting picked, not being approved, and not being celebrated can all become fuel — if you choose to use them that way. The man from the audition didn’t wait for permission. He created his own platform.
So audit your choices this week. What are you selecting, daily, that moves you closer to the goal? What do you tolerate that moves you further away?
Success isn’t reserved for the lucky. It’s claimed by the prepared. And preparation is a choice.
Sicelo Ngubane is a social entrepreneur, an inspirational speaker and a youth activist with interests in leadership and personal development. Has been with Love Life, Sibikwa Arts Centre and the South African Association of Youth Clubs
