I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of ‘getting lucky’ (in the superstitious – not biblical – way). I think it has a lot to do with how much of the reading about business I’ve been doing, boils down to “luck is when preparation meets opportunity, and that’s how you succeed” kind of philosophy.
Though I may be paraphrasing slightly.
But in a time of crisis I’ll take any pithy slogan I can get my hands on, and cling to it like a life preserver. Or, when things are good, like now, I’ll try and show some gratitude to the universe for any positive outcomes, while simultaneously diverting some of that credit back onto myself. After all, I couldn’t have gotten lucky if I wasn’t so prepared, right?
And so far, it seems to be working.
Well, look: it’s an opportunity for me to reminisce about one of my favourite Kids in the Hall sketches, with a line I’ve been quoting in my head for almost two decades. I’ll jump right on it!
The sketch takes place in a supermarket I believe, and it’s a “Flying Pig” sketch (about a flying pig who entertains people in any one of life’s many lineups).
In the beginning set-up a character delivers the throwaway non-sequitur “I know I can win the lottery, I just have to try harder”. And soon thereafter FP arrives to bring some joy to the queue.
But that line’s stuck with me, because it seems like a good motto: patently ridiculous, yet with a kernel of truth nestled in a blanket of optimism; that line heaps a can-do attitude onto wishful thinking, which is about as wishful as that type of thinking can get.
Unfortunately, as a financial planning strategy, it’s doomed to failure. But luck, and getting more lucky, is actually achieveable.
And I’ve actually hit upon some tips, and you can have them too. They’re all in this article I wrote for Alexander & James, titled Get Lucky.
They may not help the win the lottery, but you never know.
In the meantime, here’s last year’s summer jam.
