The Importance of Luck when it comes to Success

How much is Luck a factor in your life? If it’s a bit low, just work harder. Seems to help me at least!

“The Harder you Work, The Luckier You Get” – with a bit of research, it appears this fine pearl of wisdom was coined by South African Golfer Gary Player (from some years ago).

I couldn’t agree with it more and one big issue I have seen out there is a great deal of misinformation and incorrect extremism about the topic of “Luck” and it’s role in ones life.

Now, I am the first person to agree with taking personal responsiblity, being the leader, making the most of what you have and goal setting etc.  However, there is SO much exaggeration out there in that well “Luck is nothing” and it’s all up to you and everyone is created equally and all that.

Applying a bit of legal testing and using the “Extreme Test”, let’s say I am wrong and luck is just irrelevant and it’s all up to the way people think and positive thinking and all that.  Okay, time to crack my own devil’s advocate argument.  Let’s say you have two people in business and all else is equal.  One get’s cancer or injured badly in a car accident and can’t work (let alone badly injured).  Over that time frame who would succeed more in business?

I have had this debate with people and then they come back with the “Well, that person attracted Cancer or the Car Accident in their life”.  Really? People out there actually think that? I know some amazing people who visualize and do everything right and still get cancer that is life threatening.  There are amazing people out there who have bad things happen to them which is completely out of their control and one can argue that is a dose of “Bad Luck”.  I think anyone who justifies bad things happening to good people by pinning it on them is walking a thin line.

Sure, if someone is say fat and get’s Type II Diabetes then that is fine and you can blame it on the person.  What if though they are driving home, doing everything legal and lived a good life and hit by a drunk driver? You can’t tell me that they deserved that or somehow attracted that due to an “Error” in their thinking or some type of unresolved issue.

What I am realizing in not only my own life but in the amazing people that I work with, is that luck is most certainly a massive factor in building a successful life.  BUT equally so, hard work and a great mindset / strategy is ALSO a massive factor in building a successful life.

Both extremes of the 1) Victim that takes no personal responsibility and 2) Positive Delusional Thinker I think are both flawed and none pass the “Extreme Test” (which is a common legal technique to test a law or judgement by taking it to the extreme to see if can cracked therefore is applicable in use).

What I have personally realized and many business leaders back me on this one – is that success is certainly part luck and part hard work. Both are key factors and with our golfer friend I have proven it in my life.  I have had some real bad luck in my life (bad, but I know a few that have it worse) but with tons of hard work, my bad luck has turned around and I am “Luckier” these days.

My advice and thinking? Regardless of your level of luck – appreciate what you have and work hard doing what you love.  Passion translates into productivity which even if you have crossed too many black cats like me or opened too many umbrella’s indoor – your workload will tip the odds more in your favour.

Hope you enjoyed my holiday post! A great chance for me to think things over for sure!

Thank you from Edward Zia and hope you get more “Lucky” in 2014!