The Harder I Work, The Luckier I Get

Luck, Luck, Luck, Preparation Meets Opportunity

Ever wondered why some people are successful while others aren’t

Luck, Luck, Luck, Preparation Meets Opportunity — Richard Heart

We’re always told to be careful what we wish for, because if our wishes come true, the outcome may not be what we expected or wanted. There’s a flip side to this argument that’s often overlooked; luck is the byproduct of preparation meeting opportunity. We don’t often think of luck as an opportunity but there’s a sophisticated line of reasoning that suggests it is.

But when we focus on preparing at the moment and constantly work towards achieving our goals in life, then that becomes potential luck-worthy material just waiting to happen.

Let’s break it down;

Luck is the residue of design. — Branch Rickey, Baseball

Take Branch Rickey, the Brooklyn Dodgers general manager who signed Jackie Robinson and changed baseball forever. He was asked why he’d signed Robinson in 1945, even though he thought it was too early to do so. “I had to,” he said. “The boy was ready … He was the best player I ever saw.”

Rickey explains that he knew that what he called “a calculated risk” was actually a plan hatched from years of watching Robinson play at UCLA, where Rickey had gone to scout him. As in every game Robinson played, Rickey would be there in the stands. And even though he never said a word to Robinson about signing with the Dodgers, Rickey says, “I must have been talking to him all these years. I must have said to him: ‘I think you’ll be a great player, but they won’t give you a chance.’” Rickey was sure that he had been talking to Robinson, which is the real reason he signed him.

It can be argued that Rickey’s plan was prepared by years of preparation meeting opportunity. Rickey knew that Robinson would be ready for the opportunity when it presented itself. But Rickey’s preparedness also had to do with the fact that he was part of a plan he’d been working on for years, while Robinson was still just a kid playing high school ball and dreaming of the big leagues.

If you prepare in advance, then you are creating luck. — J.D Rehbein-Wrightstein

There’s an old saying that states that if you’re lucky enough to succeed, then you’re lucky because you prepared enough to be ready.

And there’s another theory that suggests the opposite; that if your preparations aren’t up to par, you’ll be lucky if your opportunity comes at all.

Because Rickey was already prepared for his chance to sign Robinson, his pending success was a result of preparation meeting opportunity.

But the case for luck could be made that, without Rickey’s preparation, Robinson would never have been signed.

If we take this theory seriously, it means that luck is a choice we make in life. Our preparation meets opportunity and because of it, we’re ready for our chance at success.

Luck, then, is a product of our choices and therefore part of the equation we’ve used to define our identity. It’s part of the plan we’ve been creating for ourselves over time. Instead of a lucky break, it’s a break that breaks right into our plan.

Opportunities arise like waves; there is one for you at this moment. — Brian Tracy

We can always make the argument that luck is preparation meeting opportunity; it may just be how we look at it from an inverted perspective. It’s a matter of perspective, and we can either see luck as something that we deserve for our preparation meeting opportunity or as something that happens to us because of our preparation meeting opportunity.

Either way, the elegant reality is this; Luck is the byproduct of preparation meeting opportunity. Even if you don’t see it that way, but you have the luxury of seeing it from this perspective, it’s not a bad place to be.

Have fun finding the real meaning for your life. That’s what it is all about! And why not choose to see a little bit of luck in your life? What an opportunity for you — to find meaning and purpose in preparation meeting opportunity and discover a part of yourself that you didn’t know existed!

Prepare smartly, and good luck will find your way

Luck may seem like a random and fickle entity, but it’s actually not — it’s the result of preparation meeting opportunity. Prepare for the opportunity, and the preparation will increase your chances of luck.

Of course, not everyone can be prepared for every opportunity that comes their way — but if you happen to be thinking about it beforehand, your odds are significantly increased.

It’s possible to take some steps towards preparing for opportunities that you might not naturally experience in your life, but it’s not likely.

How can we prepare for opportunities that we don’t see coming? What if it happens too fast? We can’t predict every single thing that comes our way, so what should we do?

The best advice I can give is to adapt a mindset that is positive and open to change. Luck doesn’t wait out our plans; preparation meets opportunity and regardless of what we do or don’t plan, luck will find us.

Summarize

Luck is preparation meeting opportunity in a moment. It is made up at the time of happening.

In mathematics, it can be observed that luck has nothing to do with averages and statistics. So don’t rely on statistics to have you on the winning side. Be prepared, no matter what comes your way. Remain optimistic, because this will help you think of options and possibilities which might not have been considered otherwise. Be adaptable; be ready for change because that’s what prepares you best for future opportunities and luck in your life path.

If you’re not prepared, you can never be lucky. Luck is an opportunity that might arise without warning or notice. So before we plan our lives, I always recommend to first prepare ourselves for life’s surprises by getting into a routine and making the necessary adjustments to make everyday life easier for ourselves.

Journal entry

January 16, 2022

Today’s day of the week is Sunday, the day of rest. This is my first daily journal entry, so I would like to write about my overall thoughts about life.

I have been thinking about the reasons why I am writing this journal every day. It’s very simple, really. Sometimes I just want to do something out of the ordinary and write here in my daily journal every day has become a part of that routine for me. But today, I would like to talk about the meaning of life.

Life is an opportunity for each and everyone of us to discover our purpose and meaning in life. The best time to start discovering it is when we are young because then we have more time adjusting ourselves to our new environment and improving our skills, which can be put into good use later on.

It’s not a matter of discovering new things every day, but simply making the best out of each and every day, knowing that life is all about making plans to achieve something and eventually achieving it.

In life, we should always maintain our priorities straight and decide on them before we begin living our lives. I have been keeping my priorities straight, but I sometimes lose focus on them. But now I have made a decision to never lose focus on my priorities ever again.

Life is an opportunity for us to handle everything that comes our way with the mindset of positivity and open-mindedness. We should not just expect out of our lives what we decide from the very beginning, but we should expect more from ourselves.

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J.D Rehbein-Wrightstein founder of The Savytech articles is a writer who loves to help people discover their hidden potential as well as their true purpose in life. He inspires and educates people on living an awesome life with inspiring articles. Connect with him on Twitter for more!