I love social media as you get to connect with real people and then you can choose to do business with them or not by hanging out in their 'feed' for a while. I also notice that some people use social media to show how 'lucky' they are. You know those posts... nothing bad ever happens, it's inspirational quote after inspirational quote, the sun is always shining, their business and clients are the best and life is, frankly, awesome.
Now don't get me wrong—I don't post pictures of myself doing the filing #adminselfie, or trudging up the muddy footpath to school in my wellies, doing the ironing while watching a film—but maybe I should, as that's all part of my life along with the posh hotels where I do Thinging and cake eating. And yes, I'm lucky to be able to do all those things AND do my Thing—glamorous or otherwise.
But don't believe that everything you see and hear is because someone is 'lucky'. There's that famous saying (possibly from Arnold Palmer or Gary Player—both golfers):
"The more I practice, the luckier I get."
It doesn't really matter who said this, you get the point. With practice and work you get luckier. I know I do.
When I speak at an event every time I get luckier that I meet and connect with great new clients. Or is it that I've practised my speaking some more?
When I write marketing copy it gets better results, which may be something to do with the fact that I've been writing it for almost 20 years...?
What about how I can just 'see' Things... maybe it's because I've worked with a LOT of clients now and every time I am practising what I do and how I do my Thing.
Maybe I am getting luckier these days that I get offered radio interviews or am invited to speak events, or that I am super-lucky to attract clients who have been recommended to me, or perhaps it's just because I have been working hard to make that 'luck' happen.
Now I am not saying you can't just turn up with a brilliant message and attract attention overnight—you can. But if you are serious about getting lucky—consistently lucky—then you need to practice.
Practice doesn't always make you perfect, but I have no doubt it will make you 'luckier' with the success of your business.
So get lucky and stay lucky.
(Keep up the good work!)
Want to talk more about this?
I’d also say that once you claim ownership of your Thing and begin to focus on sharing it, you have “luck” coming your way. You get what you focus on, and owning your Thing is a great for focusing your intentions and efforts.
It’s a very interesting word if nothing else.
If I catch myself thinking “I’m lucky to have such two fine sons”, what do I actually mean? That they’ve turned out well because or inspite of me?
If I have done my best to be a good parent I’m refusing to acknowledge that, and instead attributing everything to acts of random chance, which is at best self-deprecating, or at worst psychologically damaging.
Alternatively, if I was an absent parent it implies a feeling of guilt, and since the past is over and we can’t change it, that’s not particularly helpful either.
The very fact that I’m using the word is a sign that something’s not right, and there is a shed load of data that it is on such seemingly trivial “slips of the mind” our lives turn.
It is said that Napoleon believed in luck and never promoted anybody to high rank in the army without asking “Is he lucky?” Conversely, the CEO of an American investment bank can be heard saying “Beware of the unlucky man” if failure is attributed to bad luck.
These are two side of the same coin and imply competence or incompetence.
It’s a very fine balance. If everything I achieve is attributed to luck by my boss – I’m in trouble. There’s a tipping point of the quantity of luck I can be seen to have, and that’s when good luck turns bad!
I think like everything we take our own definition and live by that if it supports us. I like to think I am taking actions that allow luck in :)