So what exactly is luck? Can luck be created or is it similar to a miracle that just happens? In life and sports alike I have heard people talk about how lucky they are. But is this really luck or is there something else to it?

People usually refer to things that they can’t explain easily as something that was lucky. That was a lucky goal I scored or I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time. But referring to something as lucky would mean that it is rather miraculous that something happened. There is no explanation for it. Calling something lucky would mean that it there is no possible way that it should have happened.

But to call something lucky would diminish from one’s own ability, training and skill. I like to think that luck is instead a culmination of all of the work an individual has put in. Luck is a combination of opportunity, preparation, and action. Here’s the thing, the opportunity will never look like opportunity, it usually shows itself as a problem that needs to be solved. The more prepared we are for said “problem” the more likely we are to take action. Taking action when a problem presents itself will not always result in the desired outcome of success. But the more often you take action when presented with opportunity the more likely you are to encounter success.

So the next time you go to say something happened by luck, stop and think to yourself. Was it really luck? Or, did I prepare for this moment? Did the moment I was preparing for present itself to me? And, did I take action when the moment arose? If the answer to these questions is yes, then it was never luck, but rather your skill, preparedness and your willingness to take action. You can still call it luck if you want, but that would downplay all the work you put into getting to that moment.