It has been said that luck is the result when opportunity is combined with preparation. Stop and read that again. Think about that for a minute before you keep reading. “I just need a little luck”, “Gosh, he was lucky” or “If it weren’t for bad luck, I wouldn’t have any at all.” None of these suggest anything about opportunity or preparation, only some random event that supposedly resulted in some positive or negative outcome. Hogwash!
I believe, wholeheartedly, that luck is a product of our actions. Negative or positive. Think about the opportunities you have had in your life. More specifically, the ones you acted on. When opportunity knocked and you opened the door and let it in, my guess is that you had done something that allowed you to open the door.
A friend says to you, “I just won a week in Hawaii at a five-star resort, do you want to go with me?” Most of would answer and emphatic “yes.” Now let’s take a look at reality. Do you have a few bucks put away to cover the time off work? Do you have so many responsibilities that you are unable to delegate that you can’t leave? Have you procrastinated on so many projects that you would be letting people down if you left for a week?
Now this example may be oversimplified, but can you relate to the concept? My guess is that most of us can. Let’s face it, most of us are living on the edge. Not just financially, but with our time management as well. We know what the forecast is for tomorrow, so why save for a rainy day. Right? We aren’t even thinking beyond tomorrow.
So how do we prepare for that opportunity? Here are five ways to be ready for the knock at the door:
1. Read
I can’t believe how many people have told me they have never read a book cover to cover. Simple task here … ask someone you know, THAT IS SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR PERSONAL LIFE, to recommend a book for you to read. Get a pen or a highlighter and mark that thing up whenever you come across something that makes you stop and think.
2. Grow
Involve yourself in activities that will grow you either personally or professionally. If you are not growing yourself, you can’t expect your circumstances to change. Get involved in a mastermind group. Go back to school. Anything that will increase your knowledge.
3. Dream
Dreaming allows you to imagine what you would like your life to look like. It has been said that if you can conceive it and believe it, you can achieve it.
4. Listen & Watch
Listen to the people around you. Do what successful people are doing and avoid the habits that people have that are standing still. Has your neighbor been stuck in the same dead end job for twenty years and does nothing but complain about it? Whatever he is doing – do the opposite.
5. Plan
Plan for that rainy day. Put a few dollars away every week. Finish those projects you have been putting off and letting stack up. Finish what you have started.
Start changing the way you think so when that knock comes at the door, you are prepared to open it.
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Barry Smith www.buildingwhatmatters.com 10/4/12 photo by author
