Have you ever accomplished a goal that you were extremely proud of only for it to be quickly minimized by another person declaring that your success was attributed to luck? That minimization of your accomplishment may have resulted in you feeling less successful and confident.
On numerous occasions lately, I have observed this prevailing trend by others attributing luck as the sole or primary reason for certain successful outcomes and circumstances instead of the achiever’s experience, skill, intention, and execution. I have witnessed this occurring in all aspects of life whether it is at work, with financial investments, while playing sports, etc. I believe that this trend is contributing immensely to the majority of the population’s lack of self-confidence and/or self-esteem.
One example of this trend occurred when I was at the golf course the other day and I heard someone yell out, “What a lucky shot!” Prior to hearing that exclamation, I witnessed the golfer hitting the shot. It was indeed a great shot that bounced right toward the hole. However, was luck really the reason behind this golfer’s success?
Another example of this trend occurred when I overheard an individual talking about how a woman “got lucky” with regards to a profitable investment in the stock market. My understanding from afar was that she purchased the stock during a market downturn, the stock appreciated significantly since the purchase, and she recently sold the stock to realize her gain. Does that sound like luck to you? With the stock market seemingly reaching new record highs every other day during recent months, why did this individual feel the need to attribute luck as the cause for this woman’s investment success?
This begs the question: why do we (as a society) often feel the need to hastily appoint luck as the sole or primary cause when we witness someone achieving success? Utilizing the examples above, why are we unable to conclude that the talented golfer hit a great shot because he factored in the probability of a directional bounce, or that the woman investor conducted extensive research and determined that the stock’s price and relative value presented a great entry point despite the daunting market conditions? Do we immediately dismiss the possible positive explanations because our minds skew toward a negativity bias? Does declaring luck as the cause make us feel better in the moment because we are experiencing jealously or insecurity due to the fact that we were not the one achieving the successful result?
Regardless of the reason(s) for why we minimize another individual’s success, I want to explore a different perspective as to whether luck plays any role in our lives at all.
Let us take a closer look at the golfer that was allegedly the beneficiary of a lucky bounce. From my vantage point, it was clearly not his first round of golf because his technique and form were above-average. Furthermore, I keenly observed him methodically reading the contours of the green and surrounding fringe before hitting the chip shot. Lastly, I could discern from his practice swings that he intended to hit some type of low, skipping chip with spin, which would result in certain directional bounces based on the undulations of the fringe and green.
Based on this aforementioned vantage point, a different perspective could lead one to conclude the following: 1) he made arrangements in his schedule to be on the golf course that day (a.k.a. creating an opportunity); 2) based on his exquisite form, it was clear that he had attempted similar chip shots in practice or during other rounds (a.k.a. experience); 3) he envisioned himself hitting that particular type of chip shot during his pre-shot routine (a.k.a. visualization); and 4) he was decisive in attempting this type of shot after rehearsing several practice swings with a certain technique (a.k.a. setting an intention). The combination of which allowed the golfer to strike the ball with a specific technique, acquired during his experiences, that would yield a high probability that his vision and intention would be successfully fulfilled since the opportunity finally presented itself (a.k.a. execution).
Interestingly enough, this golfer’s observed path to success was remarkably similar to every one of the successful individuals I have studied during my lifetime since those individuals also relied on their experience, visualized their result, set an intention to achieve the desired result, and then executed when an opportunity presented itself. That does not sound like luck to me. Rather, it sounds like a well-measured, thought-out approach to life that we should all consider adopting.
As for the proclaimed “lucky bounce” that occurred for the golfer, it is undeniable that the golfer placed the ball in motion via a certain manner so he could be the beneficiary of certain directional bounces. While he may not have had control over every single bounce that the ball took on its journey toward the hole, it can be stated that he successfully placed himself in a position to benefit from that bounce, albeit a proclaimed lucky bounce or otherwise.
As for the savvy woman investor, who is to say that she did not sell a put option or place a limit order on the stock, during the tumultuous market downturn, at a specific price where she believed the stock was undervalued based on her investing experience, and then envisioned herself owing that stock for a period of time until it reached a price where she felt comfortable selling it at a profit? Once again, that does not sound like luck to me. It sounds more like she relied on her experience, visualized a profitable gain on the stock, set an intention to purchase and sell the stock at certain price levels, and then executed a purchase and a sale of the stock when the market conditions presented her with the opportunities.
So, the next time you observe a person achieving success, I encourage you to consider whether more was at play than “luck” because that individual most likely implemented what was learned from other successful individuals that traversed a similar path, and you just might be able to give that individual a much needed boost of confidence simply by conveying the proper recognition that is undeniably deserved.