“Do You Make Your Own Luck? The Surprising Truth”
Captain’s Log: Day #25 of my 30-Day Challenge to write a 500-word article every day for the next 30 days.
I was watching Draymond Green, an NBA Player and member of the Golden State Warriors interview Candace Parker, a WNBA player and also a legend in her own right for his podcast and I caught an interesting quote during their conversation.
In the interview, Candace said, people underestimate the role of luck in winning a championship. And then later in the evening during our Accountability call, one of our groupmates also mentioned that she was just lucky to get a client, being there at the right place and the right time.
So that got me thinking, is it really just about luck? Do you just get lucky or do you make your own luck? And how do you make your own luck if that’s even possible?
Now going back to Candace’s interview, she may have a point. Winning a championship in the NBA is no walk in the park. Regardless if you have the personnel to do so. There are a lot of examples to prove this. The Houston Rockets squad of Barkley, Pippen, and Olajuwon never made it to the Finals. The Lakers squad of Kobe, Shaq, Payton, and Malone all Hall of Famers lost to a Detroit Pistons team that had much less firepower.
Some people discredit the first ring of the Warriors because Kyrie and Kevin Love were injured in the Finals. And I can’t even count how many playoff series Chris Paul was playing injured or got injured. Staying healthy and avoiding injuries is partly about having great luck.
But we can’t deny that even if that may be the case, the other team still needs to do their part. And if they are not able to take advantage of it, then they still wouldn’t be able to win. In Kevin Durant’s last year with the Warriors, he got injured in the second round of the playoffs, and the Warriors were facing a tough Portland Trailblazers team. They had great guards, they had tall forwards and centers, but they were not able to beat the Warriors in their series.
In the case of finding clients, of course, you can be at the right time and at the right place. You can probably have the best connections, but all of that would be for naught if you’re not prepared to take on the opportunity.
So I guess, while luck plays a part in our circumstances, being prepared also is a big factor. There is an old saying that goes, luck happens when opportunity meets preparation. And between the two; opportunity and preparation, the only thing you can control is yourself. Your preparation.
So how do we get prepared?
It would really be different for everybody and depending on your circumstances or what you’re trying to achieve. But as a freelancer, what I can be prepared for are several things. Here is a couple of them:
Workflow or routine. Even if you don’t have a client make time in your day to simulate your workflow. What schedule will you be working at? What is your daily agenda? You have to set yourself as if you’re already working with a client.
Fulfillment. Practice your craft. If you’re a writer, read and write. If you’re a social media manager, know what are the latest trends in social media. Treat yourself as your first client. You will need to do that to continue getting better.
Gratitude. Having a mindset of gratitude never fails. Be thankful for the blessings that you are about to receive so you are ready when they arrive.
Life can be unpredictable and sometimes, we think that others are just lucky enough to get the things that they have. But, if you are prepared, then you can make your own luck. Have a lucky weekend!
