Hard work is a very critical ingredient of success and this is commonly accepted as true, but I figured that hard work does not necessarily produce hard currencies. There are so many hardworking people who are not getting things right. Apparently, there are many other factors that create fortune and help achieve success. When you listen to the stories of people who have climbed the ladder of greatness to the top, you will realize they did more than hard work.

This piece is not written to say that hard work is not important. Hard work prepares you for opportunity. Hard work helps you build capacity that opportunity will require from you. Some many people have missed opportunities because of the lack of capacity. Imagine you get the opportunity to train the President’s son how to play a piano and a huge salary has been promised, but you don’t know how to play let alone how to train another person. The point to be taken here is the need for opportunities.

Opportunity rewards hard work. What happens to a hardworking person with no opportunity to strike fortune? There are many talented people out there who lack platforms to perform. I want to encourage people in this situation not to give up because opportunities will definitely come. This does not mean you should fold your arms, expecting opportunities to fall like manna from the skies on your table. These days, people don’t wait for opportunities, they create opportunities for themselves. Hard work without opportunity will not bring in fortune.

Beyond hard work, favor matters. I believe that one can be favored to get opportunities and breakthroughs. Labor combined with favor fetches fortune. Hard work ensures all things are in place. Favor ensures all things are in grace. A favored person gets rare privileges and receives fantastic invitations to platforms. As stated above, a favored person without the capacity to deliver sooner or later loses the opportunity. It is wisdom to always pray for favor on all your endeavors. Favor connects you with your helpers, investors and promoters. Favor makes you achieve with extraordinary ease.

Creativity or inspiration also matters. Working without thinking is like pouring water into a basket; wasted efforts would be the result. Working without inspiration can be backbreaking. Inspiration can reduce work hours, increase productivity and multiply fortune. Don’t just be a hardworking person, be creative. When you are creative, your work hours will yield bumper results. How, when and where do you receive inspiration or new ideas? New ideas come to me very early in the morning, usually in quietude and I ensure I take note. That work you are always doing can better or faster, if you listen for whispers of wisdom. Some people get inspired ideas while taking their bath, others have to visit a scenic environment. What about people who just need to interact with their friends on the matter and fresh insights would begin to roll in?

Investing time into research to discover market insights, needs of people and trends that can improve your fortunes is a wise thing to do. Time invested in research is not lost. This is why forward-thinking companies invest in research. Any company that will survive in today’s competitive marketplace must be ready to research and innovate, so it is just about working and working into the wee hours of the day. It pays to work with information and insights from research; this puts you ahead of your competitors or contemporaries. From your research, you can discover money-spinning business opportunities. Some businesses do not even require you to stress yourself physically; you might just need to make some phone calls. Have you thought of people who have their offices in their homes, yet they keep receiving credit alerts? I am not talking of people involved in shady deals.

Wishing the very best always!