Your Lucky Day

Sorry not to have posted in February. It was a short month with many demands. The groundhog made his annual appearance, then went back into his den. Maybe I followed his lead and was hibernating too.

Anyone, I've been reading a slew of business books and it strikes me that one of the failings of most of these efforts is the failure to recognize the role that luck plays in an enterprise’s success or failure. But in most fields, be it business, the military, sports or otherwise, chance has been known to play a crucial role.

Perhaps this omission is because to acknowledge luck might seem anti-rational or fatalistic. After all, if fortune can be capricious, what use is planning and goal setting? What use is writing a book of business advice?

I would suggest, however, that acknowledging the forces outside our control emphasizes the need for diligent effort and flexible planning. Expecting the unexpected, developing contingencies, and having ready-made Plan B’s, all provide a competitive edge.

Acknowledging the role that fortune plays keeps you humble and vigilant when you are experiencing success, because you know that your luck will change. Understanding the presence of providence allows you to persevere in difficult times, also knowing that your luck will change.