Luck is preparation meeting opportunity
Oprah says luck doesn’t exist.
Luck is preparation meeting opportunity.
And I couldn’t agree more.
While luck might exist in some cases, I’m more inclined to believe one’s preparation dictates a lot in life.
By the end of this article, you’ll be able to identify a few ways you can be more prepared to meet the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.
Being prepared means a few things:
Being prepared means you can’t procrastinate.
Have you ever had the perfect opportunity present itself, but you couldn’t say “yes” because you weren’t ready? For example, maybe the perfect job was available, but that certification you’ve been putting off wasn’t on your resume. People who procrastinate may miss out on exactly what they’ve been asking for in life. An easy way to remedy this is to start small. Make a list of things you’ve been putting off and commit to a proactive lifestyle related to that one task. Eventually, you can add another thing to that list and in time, you’ll be known for your initiative, rather than your procrastination.
2. Being prepared also means you take risks.
I’m not talking about dangerous risks. I’m talking about risks with your resources. Often, we cannot reap a reward without investing time and money into it. Those two resources are the exact reason people don’t achieve their dreams. The process of devoting time and money into an opportunity that may not yield a desired result is a risky maneuver. However, if you are spending your time researching and talking to others to ensure you are fully prepared, you won’t rely on luck to ensure your plan works. Taking your time, being thoughtful, and also knowing when to take a risk are important factors in being prepared when an opportunity presents itself.
3. Being prepared looks like courage.
If you’ve gotten past your procrastination and have been bold in taking risks, you’re likely the first person in your peer group to try something. You’re the first to start that new business, or the first to complete that project. Being the first to do anything can be scary. You often have less guidance than those who will follow you, and there are more inherent risks when you are required to carve out your own path. This takes a massive amount of grit and courage, two things you’ve already learned about while you were combating procrastination. Trusting your intuition and planning ahead are skills you will master if you embrace a prepared lifestyle.
Luck has little to do with opportunity.
You have everything to do with it.
So, make a list of things you’d try if you knew you couldn’t fail. Apply some of these tips to that list and let’s see if you feel more prepared when an opportunity comes knocking at your door.