[dschiptsov]

Some of these advices are in harmony with thousands old maxim "fortune favours the prepared", which not only hints that so-called success is much more a result of chance, like almost everything else in the universe, but also correlate with the notions of avoiding a debt, concentration and persistence. But the chance is still the major factor.

BTW, the parts of the Patanjali Yoga Sutra, which gives practical advice about the practice - about necessity of an appropriate isolated place, diet, habits with emphasis on sleep cycle, proper state of mind, concentration and persistence - is the best universal advice to achieve anything in life that I am aware of. The word Yoga could be translated as "discipline", and has little to do with asanas, mats, and yoga pants.