Look back at your past few successes and failures and you will see that the margins between success and failure are often very fine. You’re often just a half-step away from being heralded a genius and most often, you need a bit of luck or inspiration to make it past that half step. If you don’t have that bit of luck on your side, you’re suddenly closer to a naive idiot than a genius.
Of course, you have to put in a ton of preparation to give yourself that shot, but once you get close, small external forces you have no control over can change the outcome. The good news is that in the long run, luck balances out. In short spurts however, a lack of luck at the final step can be very frustrating.
So, what can you do?
1. Acknowledge that you are the sailor in stormy seas. It helps knowing where you are going but a strong wind in either direction can make you miss the target despite your efforts.
2. Keep putting in the preparation required to give yourself a shot at succeeding. There may be fine margins in the final step when you are competing against 2 others to land the big client but there is a huge gap between the ones who made it to the final step and the ones who didn’t. Keep getting yourself in the mix.
3. Don’t account for luck in your plan. If you account for luck, call it a wish. It’s not a plan.
A Learning a Day 