Our lives were predetermined right before we were born into this world. we did not determine whether we will come into this world, we just found ourselves here. how did it come to happen that we should be a part of this world? only God can answer that question. but from what we know and what the bible tells us, for those of us who are believers we know that when God created us, he had already written down what was to happen in our lives even before he formed us in the wombs of our mothers. so anyway, success and everything that revolves in our lives, is predetermined. no one knows what will happen to them when they wake up in the morning, God is the one who directs our steps in everything we do, where we go and how we go about it. We may plan our day but God is the one who orders our footsteps. Like it's been written in the bible he is the Author and Finisher of our lives.