Do Luck And Success Go Hand In Hand?
A million-dollar question - Do luck and success go hand in hand?!!!
I have been an average student throughout my school years, who was diligent and consistent but could never be included in the list of “the star performers” of the class. Luck and success ignored me completely and I could not qualify for my medical entrance test and fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor. So half-heartedly, I joined a Law course at a university in India. But to my surprise, I enjoyed studying the subject and topped throughout my three-year course. This change in my life from being an average student to being a top performer year after year, made me believe that luck was on my side.
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It’s been 20 years since the proud moment when I was awarded two gold medals in Law course. Even today, when I see my medals, securely kept inside my cupboard, I ask myself, did I suddenly become lucky to secure not one but two gold medals or did I do something different then?
After thoughtful consideration, I have concluded that yes, I did do things differently to achieve what I aspired for. For those three years, my books became my best friends, and having those gold medals around my neck became my goal. I was determined to excel and remain a topper throughout my course and worked very hard for it. And finally, I did achieve it.
This incident made me wonder whether luck and success go hand in hand. When someone succeeds and makes a name for themselves, we associate luck with their stars and try to console ourselves to be satisfied with where we are as we cannot have their kind of luck. But is this fact true?
When is a person lucky?
To have an answer to this question, let us understand what being lucky means. Does it mean to get success by chance, without making efforts for it or does it mean to get success after you have strived hard to obtain it. In both cases, we get what we desire. Then, what is the difference? The difference is:
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The level of hard work or effort that has been put in to be successful. The harder we work, the luckier we get.
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Time taken to convert our efforts into success. One needs to understand the relation between the time when the effort is put in and the time when luck strikes. We call a person lucky only after the person gets successful but it takes time for one's efforts to metamorph into success. So one needs to be patient, resilient, and persistent in actions.
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Are some people really lucky?
Do you think that few people are the privileged ones who get whatever they wish for without moving a finger? Well, I don’t think so! Even if two people are equally qualified, have the same experience, and are given equal opportunity at work, still one might rise to a senior position and the other might be stuck to the same position for long. Does this mean one person is luckier than the other? Well according to me, If one person succeeds at a faster pace than others, it is because he is proficient in that work which makes his work easier and faster for him. People might think that that person rose without putting much effort. But the truth is that he had that ability that came naturally to him and so he required less effort than others. But that same person might not succeed had he been in some other situation where he did not have the skill to excel and might be called unlucky!
How to succeed with or without luck.
Whether luck is in your favour or not, is a question with no definite answer. No one can tell if you would get lucky and succeed. But there are surely tried and tested ways which are mentioned below that would lead you to the path of success.
1. Realize your potential
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Everyone cannot be good at everything. So figure out the skills that come to you more easily and try to make them your strength to win whatever you aspire to. Amitabh Bachchan, the great Indian actor, once tried his hand at starting a movie production company and failed miserably. He is a successful actor but could not be a successful businessman.
2. Start taking steps
You can gain success only when you start to work towards it. You need to lay the foundation for luck to strike and convert your efforts into a success story. So start acting by making a robust plan and by following it as per the timelines.
3. Differentiate between risks & blunders
You might get inspired by seeing others being successful in a particular job or business and try to follow in their footsteps and later fail miserably. That does not mean that luck was not in your favour. It happened because you jumped into the thing too soon without visualizing and understanding all the aspects of that business. You need to devote time to conduct SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity & Threat) analysis beforehand to be successful.
4. Leverage the opportunities at once
Opportunity strikes without any advance notice. You need to prepare yourself beforehand to be ready to grab that opportunity and not lose time. For e.g, It’s good to prepare for the interview well before you have applied for the job so that you do not waste time preparing for it when the time comes, rather utilize it to improve yourself.
5. Have an agile mindset
I know of a food home delivery business that started slow with the delivering business but tripled its profits during Covid lockdown when all other businesses were struggling to stay afloat. This business did not waste any time to expand into delivering miscellaneous couriers along with the delivery of food during the lockdown. With the same infrastructure resources and an agile mindset, this company grew and is reaping profits today. If you are flexible to change and adapt, you too can convert any bad situation into an opportunity.
6. Be alert and aware
Try to keep yourself updated on the latest trends in the areas of your interest specifically and on general topics largely. This will help you in understanding the new trends and technological advancements and utilizing the knowledge and advancement to the best of your advantage.
7. Stay focused and motivated
As we know Rome was not built in one day, you need to think positive and be persistent. You can only improve as you give more time and put in more effort. No matter how many hardships come your way if you are resolute and focused, success is likely to come your way. So be patient, take the right steps, and wait for the hard work to transform into your luck.
8. Always appreciate your resources
Even when destiny and luck are in your favor, never take your success for granted. Appreciate the time and effort you have put in and respect your resources, time, and give credit to the people who helped you along the way.
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By Aditi Mahajan
Content writer, poetess and blogger
