Luck is either something you get or something you don’t get, right?
You have no say at all in the luck stakes.
It either happens or it doesn’t.
It comes in two main flavours. Good luck and bad luck.
We all hope for “good” luck of course, and we’re generally happy when we get it.
It’s also convenient to assume that when you don’t get what you want, it’s simply “bad” luck.
In my opinion this is a load of utter nonsense!
This is a form of “victim-thinking” because random external events are holding you hostage.
You are taking no responsibility for what goes on in your life.
You are believing that fickle fate is capriciously giving or withholding favours on a whim.
In my experience this is an extremely limited way to think about luck.
You can rig the game in your favour.
Allow me to explain.
BTW – if you prefer an audio version of this article, I have included one right at the end of this article. If you want to listen right now, here’s a link. Enjoy.
I have also included one of my YouTube videos on this very topic if you fancy checking that out. If you want to watch right now, here’s a link. Enjoy.
The luck equation
There’s a luck equation which I firmly believe in. Luck = Opportunity + Preparedness.
In any area of your life and work, putting effort and resources into developing all the knowledge, skills and mindsets you can, to give yourself the best chance of success whenever an opportunity arises, is a solid and workable plan.
Whilst you can, and in my experience should, work on the preparedness part of the luck equation as much as possible, many people neglect the opportunity part.
People assume that the opportunity factor is simply a “wild card” or random event which is totally out of their control.
In other words, it either happens or it doesn’t.
In my experience, this is entirely the wrong way to think about it.
Tip the odds of luck in your favour
Here’s a great quote by Milton Berle.
Milton Berle“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.”
Milton’s powerful quote is designed to get you developing an edge in the luck stakes.
You can impact the opportunity part of the luck equation in your favour by creating more “doors” for opportunity to knock on.
Let’s work through an example
If you are a singer, you could simply record a demo, sign up with a good talent agency, keep practising your skills and hope for the best.
This plan might lead to great success, and you could get lots of bookings this way. Even a recording or concert deal. Fame and fortune might be beckoning. Who knows.
You will have justifiably prepared for it with all the hours of practice and hard work when you learned to be a good singer.
The assumption is however, that opportunity or fate alone can makes the biggest difference to the outcome. You are now trusting your future to luck.
With the above in mind, you might have no luck. You might not be successful.
The conclusion might be that singing is not for you. You might even give it all up.
What a waste of all that hard work and talent.
Tip the luck balance
Why not give yourself more chances for luck to manifest?
You could work hard to increase your opportunity chances as a singer by also:
- Entering singing competitions
- Hitting open mic nights
- Jamming with local bands
- Putting out YouTube or TikTok videos
- Singing free at events
- Busking (solo or with friends)
- Posting regularly on various social media channels
- Networking with other singers and/or music industry influencers
- Hiring a PR agent
- Building a website or landing-page
- Building an email list
- Live streaming free concerts
- Guesting on music podcasts
- and so on and so forth.
The results will appear
You just might encounter your dream client or breakout gig at such a free event or because of some social media reach out.
People may well say, “Weren’t you lucky to become such an overnight success.”
Annoying as this might be, you will know that you made your own luck and that your “overnight success” was built on solid preparedness and hard work over a long period of time.
As a bonus, it is all “upside” because you’ll always benefit from any extra stage time practice anyway.
What are you doing right now to build more “doors” for opportunity to knock on?
Good luck also means being there
Here’s another great quote, by Woody Allen this time, which sums up this ethos perfectly:
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.”
Woody Allen
You’ve got to be “in it to win it.”
Self-confident and emotionally intelligent people know this.
They do these things. They build new “doors” and they show up.
It’s how they can be confident that good opportunities for luck to show up will arise more often for them.
They won’t get success every time of course, but the statistical odds of success go up with each new luck opportunity created.
Winning the lottery is pure luck though, right?
I hear this all the time, so let’s put it to bed once and for all.
The chances of winning most lotteries are indeed slim to vanishingly small, but they do exist.
The opportunity factor is the right numbers coming up in the draw to match your ticket numbers.
For that to happen – you must buy a ticket!
Buying a ticket means you have showed up and it means you are prepared.
The equation still holds.
Start to change your mindsets and beliefs about luck
Consider these questions and answer yourself honestly:
- Is your fate pre-determined, or can you affect the outcome?
- Are you as prepared as possible to take advantage of luck opportunities?
- Are you doing enough to tip the luck opportunity scales in your favour?
- What stagnating goals or plans do you have because you’re not creating more “doors of opportunity”?
- What are the successful people around you doing differently?
BTW If you’re not surrounded by successful people, then find some and hang out with them.
Learn from them, network with them, show them your talents, demonstrate your skills, be proactive.
Go ahead and create more luck opportunities for yourself
Once you know you can create your own luck opportunity chances by putting yourself into positions and places where the luck opportunities can appear, your self-confidence will grow massively.
Your ability to take full advantage of life’s “lucky breaks” will flourish along with your chances of success.
You will have tipped the success odds in your favour.
You will have positively rigged your own game.
That is all for this one
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PPS Here is one of my YouTube videos on this very topic which you might also enjoy.
PPPS Here is the audio version of this article if you would prefer to listen.