13 Proven Ways to Make Your Own Luck
Do you wait for good things to
happen to you--or do you go out and make them happen? Here's what you need to
do to enjoy more success.
Luck is not a plan, but you can plan
to have more luck when you start
up a business or
engage in any enterprise. Here are 13 proven
ways to make it happen:
1. Forget about superstition.
If
a great opportunity arises out of the blue, is that luck? Or is it the result
of a great impression you left on someone else, who then steered the new
opportunity your way? Much of what we think of as simple good fortune can be
explained if we look hard, so forget about a lucky horseshoe and study what "luckier" people
do. I'll bet it includes the items on this list.
2. Take the initiative.
If
you go through life knowing only one Latin phrase, make it this one: Audentes
fortuna iuuat, or "fortune favors the bold." (If you would like a
slightly more modern interpretation, look to hockey great Wayne Gretzky:
"You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take.") Regardless of
how you articulate it, you increase your odds of winning dramatically simply by
stepping up to the plate.
3. Focus on a few things.
Chances
are, if you're reading this you're an interesting and ambitious person. You
probably have all kinds of great ideas. The real trick, however, is to pick a
few things that you're really good at and enjoy, and focus on them. Doing so
funnels your efforts into the activities that are most likely to show success
and bring you more luck.
4. Become a little more expert.
A
little bit of wisdom goes a long way, and this strategy multiplies the
effectiveness of the two items you just read. So many people take themselves
out of the running for great opportunities, only to be surprised when other
people who don't have greater expertise or talents take advantage of them. So
increase your confidence every day by becoming a little bit more expert than
your audience. Make lifelong learning a cornerstone of your plan, and improve
the odds you'll be ready when opportunity knocks.
5. Meet more people.
When
I was single, I set a goal: Date 100 different women in a single year. The idea
was that I only needed to be right once. It worked. The same thing
applies in other contexts. Would you feel lucky if a new connection led to a
great opportunity, or would you think that you had improved your odds of
knowing the right person simply by meeting more people?
6. Call old friends.
Meeting
new people is important, but networking isn't just about adding people to your
LinkedIn profile. Instead, the most powerful relationships can be the longtime
ones you've had, based on friendship, trust, and shared experiences. So,
instead of just reaching out to new people, be the one who nurtures old
relationships. (Easy tip: Go to your reunions.)
7. Make a game of failure.
No
matter what you try, you will fail sometimes. The trick is to overcome
your fear of failure, so as to have many more opportunities to
succeed. Each day, give yourself a little reward for winning the failure
game--making 10 failed sales calls, or making the effort to do 10 seemingly
fruitless introductions. This attitude also stops you from resting on your
laurels. If you have a big victory on any particular day, you still need to go
out and fail a few times to win the game.
8. Visualize success and plan for it.
Think
about your goals every day. Imagine what success will look like, and work
backward to figure out how you will get there. A few years ago, I wrote a book
with a professor who had been trained as an engineer. His first order of
business was to send me a 365-column Gantt chart, with the last day
representing publication. It was overwhelming at first, but I came to
appreciate it. Figure out where you want to be a month or a year from now, and
work backward.
9. Craft your story.
Stories
are the most powerful form of communication. The great news is that you get to
craft your own story. The way you tell it impacts everything about your
relationships with other people. Remember, the story needs structure. It needs
a theme and compelling characters. And it needs to involve a worthy struggle.
Can you describe those elements in your life?
10. Share your story.
When
I got out of the military a decade ago, my story went something like this: Recently
discharged veteran wants to meet the world's most interesting people, write
about them, and find a way to make a living. I told just about everyone I
knew. Eventually, someone I had shared it with let me know about an opportunity
that really changed my life: I wound up working for Bob Woodward of The Washington
Post and later reporting from Iraq for the newspaper. People love a good
story, and they want to help make yours come true.
11. Write down good things.
One
of the most surprising things I've learned as a chronicler of other people is
how little we actually remember of our own lives. Longtime readers of this
column might already know that I'm a big fan of the haiku-as-diary method
of keeping a journal. Regardless of how you do it, recording the
pieces of your life allows you to chart what you've done successfully and
reminds you to follow up on opportunities.
12. Copy from the greats.
I've
been working on a ghostwriting project with a client
recently, and had the chance to think about how creative people benefit from
being organized. Doing so frees your mind from the routine so that you can
focus on truly unique challenges. Apply the same principle here. Pick a few
successful mentors and imitate them. Their past performance isn't a guarantee
of your future results, but it's probably a good place to start.
13. Put others first.
Yes,
it's Lucky No. 13 on the list, but this is perhaps the most important item.
Whether you call it karma, or simply the notion that people like to help people
who have been good to them in the past, the notion that no good deed goes
unpunished is simply wrong. In the long run, focusing on helping others achieve
their goals often opens new opportunities for you, as well.
- Bill Murphy Jr. http://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/13-proven-ways-to-make-your-own-luck.html?cid=em01016week16e
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