The Luck of the Entrepreneur

By Elizabeth Gordon

You often hear about entrepreneurs getting lucky – getting on Oprah or selling their business for $50 million to a big conglomerate. When you hear these stories of seeming overnight success, it makes you think, “Wow, they are sooo lucky.” But what sometimes appears to be luck is actually the result of a well laid plan and strategy that is finally coming to fruition. Every time you hear the story of an entrepreneur’s big win, you are probably not going to hear about the 100 times before that they failed, but trust me, they did.

What allowed them to eventually get to their big win? They didn’t beat themselves up after they failed, nor did they let it make them fearful of taking future risks. Instead, they viewed each small failure as simply a stepping-stone on the path to success. The good news is you can improve your luck. When you recognize that there is no such thing as “the overnight success story” and instead make the goal of each day to move the ball one step closer to your goal, you’ll increase your odds every day. If so-called good luck is really just persistence, creativity and determination that have finally paid off, there are some ways to stack the deck in your favor.   

1. Feel lucky. Appreciate the good fortune that you already have. Gratitude is one of the most powerful forces we have to improve our state of mind and the state of our lives. Appreciation of what you have going for you will show in everything you do. When you are positive and feel lucky, others will perceive you the same way. Opportunities will naturally start to find you.
 
2. Don’t wait until you’re ready. Sometimes it may feel like it is more prudent to wait until the timing is just right, or until all of your ducks are in a row and the stars have aligned before you make your move, but this is really just your fear talking, trying to rationalize procrastination. You can’t sit in your office and wait for luck to find you. There are rainbows of opportunities everywhere. Don’t worry if you don’t feel ready to chase them. When you find the proverbial pot of gold, you’ll be ready. If your business is worth going for, it is worth going for now!  

3. Use information and skill to increase your odds. You can give yourself a natural advantage in anything you do, by increasing your knowledge in that area. Read books, go to seminars, study what those that have achieved success have done and apply that to your own situation. Learning is a solid investment that will pay off in perpetuity, but remember knowledge only becomes powerful when you choose to do something with it. So don’t stop with just knowing, apply your skills by doing.  
   
4. Make gutsy decisions. In order to win big, you have to put something on the line. It is never wise to take irrational risks, but carefully considered risks can lead to big returns. So be bold in your actions. Anything worth doing is worth doing big. Big results require big actions

I look forward to hearing about your next lucky break.  

Until then,

Elizabeth GordonFlourishing Business, an Advisory Firm for Entrepreneurs404.521.2401 tel
www.flourishingbusiness.com

Strategy & Execution… Helping business owners achieve the financial and
personal rewards that should come with entrepreneurship