In my experience there’s no such thing as luck – Obi-Wan Kenobi
It’s one of those phrases we see over and over and know it to be true but then we see people become crazy successful we turn and say – wow, they are so lucky. More than likely, it wasn’t just luck that got them there, it was hard work and stick-to-it-iveness – qualities successful start-up founders have in spades. But what about those workers that aren’t serial entrepreneurs. Are they lucky to be where they are or is it hard work that gets them there? In the wisdom of Ben Franklin, energy and persistence conquer all things.
I’m the product of multiple generations of hard workers (what millennials might call workaholics) – people that don’t know what a clock is, they only know when the job is done. For my father that meant when the last customer left the dealership in a new car and for my grandfathers it meant when the freshest produce was out or when the last sewing machine was repaired so the parachutes could be sewed for D-Day. Having an inner drive and motivation for mastery (see Daniel Pink – Drive!) was key to their success and there are days like I had today when I know this to be true.
It’s hard to feel good about successes when you are stuck in the moment. But on a day where you told a couple of Stormtroopers, “these are not the droids you’re looking for…” and the Force was with you, it’s ok to smile, pour a glass of cabernet and do some writing.
After all, it’s not just luck that got you there…