‘LUCKY’ PEOPLE: A Matter of Chance?
Why do some people seem to "get all the breaks?" Is it just dumb luck?
The fact is, "lucky" people move through life with a different attitude than most. They prepare for their "breaks," and develop habits that capitalize on good fortune. Adopting these habits can enhance your chance of success.
1. Take Calculated Risks. "Lucky" people know the difference between risky and rash, between an informed hunch and a vain hope. They are constantly tucking away information to enhance their intuition. "Lucky" people perform acts that seem daring, but they are playing out informed hunches with a clear sense of the probability of success.
2. Turn problems into opportunities. "Lucky" people take a second look at things others barely see the first time. An irate banker demanded that Alexander Graham Bell remove "that toy" from his office. "That toy" was the telephone. Henry Ford’s largest original investor sold all his stock in 1906. The next time somebody offers you an idea that leaves you cold, put it on the back burner. It might warm up.
3. Know when to back off. Unlucky people are often stubborn. Out of ego or ignorance, they don’t know when to cut their losses and change course. "Lucky" people have a knack for "getting out when the getting is good." The ability to gauge risk is crucial. Never take on things that you can’t see the end to.
4. Reach out to people. "Lucky" people are never too busy to meet new people and to keep up old acquaintances. They join clubs and professional organizations. They talk and are talked about. The head of a New York executive search firm said many of his prospects for top jobs "are simply people who have made themselves known to other people."
5. Use persistence creatively. Successful people have the determination to "butt their heads against the wall," but they use that resolve more efficiently by looking at the wall for loose stones, low spots, or hidden gates.
6. Spell luck, W-O-R-K. This is one of the hardest lessons to grasp because some people make it all look so easy. We see them enjoying the fruit and have no idea what it takes to plant and water the tree. Jimmy Cagney watched Bing Crosby, the epitome of the relaxed performer, effortlessly chat with the audience and sing a few songs. However, when he came off the stage he was soaked with sweat. He was giving everything he had in every note and the apparent effortlessness was a part of his very hard work.
The secrets of success are neither dark nor deep. They do not exclude happy chance or unfortunate circumstance; they merely deny that these things should rule our lives.