Most people you know weren’t just “lucky” and didn’t happen to be “in the right place at the right time.” Sure, it can happen, but not as much as you think. Sure, there’s people that defy odds and win the lottery, and you can call it luck. But that’s not the norm.
In general, people create their own luck.
Being in the right place at the right time is significantly easier if you put yourself out there more often. If you’re home watching Netflix, it’s much harder to be at the right place at the right time. If you’re spending extra time networking, reaching out to contacts, volunteering in your community, genuinely being nice to people you come across – it’s much easier to find that “golden opportunity.”
In 2011, I left a job without another one to go to (not recommended). I got another full time job in a completely different industry in 3 weeks. I was told I was lucky. In some ways, maybe I was. But, I also spent a year’s worth of free nights learning a new skill set in another industry, and then another year freelancing in that industry using extra time at night or on weekends. I stayed connected with friends, some of whom were in that industry and ultimately were a big part of helping me find new employment. Lucky? It feels that way when you don’t see the hard work that goes behind it. I was told I was young and it was harder for someone who was 50 years old and had spent his career in a niche industry. I was fairly young, but if you want to move forward, no matter what your age, you can learn a new skill. So many times we hold on to what’s familiar as a lifeline, and then you really are depending on luck – and luck is exceedingly rare.
When you see someone doing what you wish you were doing, know that they probably didn’t just get lucky to do it. There was probably years of hard work learning and refining skills, building connections, and failure behind the scenes. What looks like luck was probably the final tipping point after years of building. Then, it all comes together.
If you want to change your luck, the biggest thing you can do is to be available. Take every opportunity you can to go to a happy hour with peers (typically ones that are doing or are closer to doing what you want to be doing), get involved with additional projects, get to really know clients on a personal level, volunteer your time – anything you can to make sure that you’re in contact with others. If you’re an introvert, it may be a lot easier to do these things virtually, and that’s okay. The point is if you’re closed off from everyone else altogether, you’re not going to get the break you’re looking for.
Make your own luck, and be in the right place at the right time.
