But I didn’t always feel that way. I must be, because people tell me that all the time, but what does that even mean? How do you define “lucky”, anyway?
For a long time, my experience of being “lucky” had more to do with noticing how other people seemed luckier than me. Things just seemed to roll their way while I felt like on some far away day, my S.S. Lucky ship might come into port. I wasn’t unhappy, but I didn’t really feel like luck was on my side, regardless of how others might have felt. Oh, I had a few random moments along the way, but for the most part, being a “lucky” person just didn’t ring true during my childhood and young adult life.
Fast forward a few years. It’s late December 2013 and I’d spent the last 5 months evaluating, negotiating, and finalizing my first acquisition of another marketing agency. I hadn’t expected to be ready to buy another company, but when the opportunity presented itself, I realized I was more prepared than I imagined. I had spent the previous few years organizing my vision, trying to build up some cash flow, and I was committed to growing a different kind of agency than I had for the past 13 years. This December day, I found myself walking outside along the fence that borders the cow pasture next to my building (yes, in the middle of Miami). I was on the phone with my accountant, Michael Schwartz. I’d known Michael for several years and he was intimately involved with helping me navigate the acquisition. It was at this moment, just two weeks before we were set to close the deal, that it hit me—I felt lucky. This deal just fell in my lap at the perfect time, and I knew I could make something even better with what I was buying. I said to Michael, “I just can’t believe how lucky I am.” That’s when he said something that would change my perspective on luck forever.
“I see it a different way, Aaron. Consider that what you call ‘luck’ is actually just when an appropriate opportunity meets a person prepared to receive it.”
I stopped walking and turned around in place. He was spot on. If I wasn’t in the position to see the opportunity for what it was, I might have missed it completely. If I hadn’t also been ready to accept it, I would probably have just felt frustrated, thinking again that this would be great for some other “lucky” guy. But I was ready, it was a great fit, and I was the “lucky” guy this time. Since then, we’ve been able to leverage that acquisition into sustained growth for iluma Agency and have enjoyed a series of additional lucky opportunities.
After that, I started to really think about the ingredients of being lucky. I noticed that people often thought of me as lucky, even when I didn’t think so. They’d say, “You’re lucky you have an amazing marriage,” or “You’re lucky to have such a great relationship with your kids.” I never really considered myself as being lucky in those areas–because I knew the truth. I had invested a lot of time and energy into those relationships. What I began to realize is that people who are perceived as successful and satisfied, and whose lives were aligned with their purpose and values, were society’s “lucky ones”. Maybe it had less to do with random encounters and chance windfalls.
Think about a story we hear all the time. A young woman, struggling to make ends meet, is announced to have won the state lottery. After taking the lump sum payout option, she walks away suddenly with millions of dollars of cash. We see the story and all think, “Good for her, she deserves to be so lucky!” And she does. More often than not, though, there are tragic outcomes to these stories, riddled with family infighting, squandered opportunities to make a lasting change, and sometimes, even worse. Some would say that she was actually unlucky, but maybe she was simply unprepared to receive the fortunate opportunity.
So, what are the ingredients of luck? Professor Phillippe Gabilliet gave a great TEDx Talk on the subject titled: “Is success also a matter of luck?” I’d encourage you to watch it with the link above.
Key Elements of Luck according to Phillippe Gabilliet:
Having “lucky” Encounters with people
Receiving “lucky” Information that will help you
Unforeseen “lucky” Accidents (Being in the right place at the right time)
It’s true that these are all examples of how luck shows up in your life—in the form of opportunities. But how do you properly prepare for unforeseen opportunities? Well, let’s go back to my experience that I shared above. If you want to experience luck that leads to success on a regular basis, you have to plan to be lucky. It is possible to create the conditions in which lucky things happen. Like so much of our life experience, it starts in your thinking.
Here’s the first step to transform random “lucky” occurrences into a pattern of consistently receiving opportunities that align with your vision.
Consider that the context for recognizing opportunities is having a clear understanding of your values and commitments that are shaped by a clear vision for your future. When I was presented with the opportunity to acquire the agency, it was in the context of being committed to changing the course and fate of my business. A goal that was created from my dream of spending an entire summer on the Amalfi coast of Italy by 2020. No dream = no recognition of the opportunity right in front of me.
Take the time to regularly examine, explore, and commit yourself to a clear vision and goals for your life. By doing this you will create a sense of awareness for opportunities that align with your version of success. It’s like when you decide you want a new car and suddenly the roads seem to be filled with that vehicle everywhere you look. They were there all along, but now your brain is being “hacked” into seeing them. You have to listen for and be willing to receive the opportunities happening around you all the time.
The second step is to start creating the habits and practices that enable the conditions for luck to emerge on a regular basis.
I’d propose the second part, about being prepared, is something that relates to habits and patterns. Look at it this way—if you followed someone you consider to be lucky all the time for just a few days, you would begin to see these habits and patterns for yourself. You would see that they take time to cultivate meaningful relationships, invest in the needs of others, and help create luck for those people first. It’s not that they are simply in the right place at the right time. They make sure they are in many right places, all the time. You would probably also witness someone who spends time planning for their life, considering what could be and what might not be. This is their preparation. They expect the unexpected. In fact, they embrace it. And because they have planned for it, they are able to convert these unforeseen moments into success.
If you want to be lucky, spend the time to create the conditions for luck to appear for you. Be willing to be lucky, clearly define what being “lucky” looks like for you, and then make conscious plans to be lucky. The reality is that luck is just an interpretation of the random events and circumstances in our life. Your experience of luck is only an outcome of how you interpret and act on these unplanned events and moments, and your ability to convert them into success. So, do you feel lucky? Well, do ya?
Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come. – Serena Williams
