Do you believe in luck?

Do you believe in luck and feel you are just unlucky? When you see someone that is successful on TV or read about them in the paper do you feel they got that way by luck? Of course we hear stories about how someone happened to be in the right place at the correct time and obtained something we wished we had, but often when you dig into the story you find out that there is something much deeper that actually happened.

I have a friend that I have known for years who promoted his band to the point of national and probably international fame. I became is friend because when he was little more than a local act I allowed his band to rent out my facility to put on concerts. I saw what he had to do to promote his band and how his efforts differed from other bands who also performed in our facility. The difference was he wasn't afraid to approach bigger bands and use their fame to promote his events. He convinced younger bands to open for him to attract attendance and make his act the headliner. He did what it took to promote his product. First locally, then they toured in the north east, then on tour around the country. While I saw better acts, his band became more popular because of his efforts. Was he lucky? – no but other bands who were just doing what it took to get into a place and play thought so.

Most people do not realize how much time is wasted doing just enough to get by. Doing just enough to get by usually translates into:

• Missing opportunities
• Doing things over because something was missed.
• Losing time, money and productivity

Doing just enough to get by opens the door to the competition. People that are successful get that way by doing things better than the competition. When the competition moves ahead this is what most people call "luck". "Luck" is one of the excuses we use to justify doing just enough to get by while someone else put in the effort to do a little more and succeed. What is interesting is the people that did put in the effort probably didn't do much more work they were just consistent and did not quit when faced with obstacles.

As you become more successful you are forced to take a look at just how much time is wasted doing just enough to get by. I am as guilty as some people when it comes to doing just enough to get by, but I am less guilty then most people. Several years ago I started taking risks and looking for opportunities to improve my financial and personal life.

Before you can become "lucky" you have to take control of your life and take responsibility for your actions. You can't replace consistent effort with excuses and ever expect to be "lucky" or successful.