A version of this article was also published in my column at the Globe and Mail.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

I love this quote. It’s become one of my mantras. There’s some debate as to who to attribute this to. Some say the Roman philosopher, Socrates, was first to coin this expression. Others say Elmer Letterman. And in more modern days, Oprah Winfrey has frequently been attributed to sharing this wisdom too. I don’t know who was first, but I love it!

I first heard this quote well before I ever even knew of Oprah. I was in my 20’s and trying to figure out my career path. I was at a crossroads (who hasn’t been there, eh? The first of many!). I lived in Montreal and our local newspaper would post daily quotes that were sponsored by advertisers. This little gem jumped out at me.  It was love at first sight and I’ve held it closely as a mantra from then on.

Photo: a cut-out from when I first clipped this quote from our daily newspaper in Montreal (decades ago!)

I was feeling lost at the time and unsure what career direction to pursue. I was always leaning into something and in many ways “preparing” but sometimes I did not know exactly what I was preparing for. This doubt and unease happens in times of career uncertainty and confusion.

This quote buoyed my spirits and even my sense of hope, which I now refer to as my “Hope Index.” It said to me that it was okay to not yet know. That is is still possible to take steps to prepare and when the opportunity strikes, you will see it and be ready to go for it. You create your own luck by being ‘awake’ with eyes wide open and preparing however you can.

Some people may think the notion of luck is malarky. Isn’t it random and happenstance – they may argue. And how can you prepare and create luck if you don’t even know what opportunity you are aiming for? What if you don’t yet know what job you want? What career path to pursue?

Isn’t preparing in advance like shooting darts to – nowhere? 

Not quite.

Fast forward decades since I first saw that quote, I’ve had (still have) a wonderful multi-faceted career and it was marked by many lucky breaks along the way.  In my ‘20’s just starting my career, I had moved to Toronto from Montreal and was trying to break into the marketing and communications field. I was equipped with – wait for this – a degree in Fitness! And yes, a marketing diploma too. I needed all the luck I could get to break into this new path because I was competing with people who had much more related experience. In the end, I got a real lucky break and landed a role with a leading PR agency which gave me a wonderful start to my career.

While I felt ‘lucky’ to be introduced to people who could connect me to other people (and so on), my good fortune was also accompanied by tenacious effort on my part. Not just in getting a job but also preparing for that field. I read every trade journal I could. Networked like mad. and so on. I was ready and just needed a lucky break.

Over the years, I’ve had many more lucky breaks throughout my career –in PR and later in coaching and training. Truth be told, while I always felt appreciative and ‘lucky’  for the opportunities that landed,  there really had been a lot of hard work, leaning in, and willingness to take chances.

So I guess you can say I helped generate my luck. You don’t get lucky sitting still and just waiting and hoping….

We create our luck more far more often than we realize. 

There is a lot of uncertainty in our economy right now and many people are feeling anxious about not knowing what is coming next. There are many ways to be ready and prepared to ‘attract’ (or seize) a lucky break.

Consider these scenarios:

Zahra is ready for a change and sees a job ad with a company she has long admired. There are likely hundreds of applicants. But “lucky” for her she has been actively networking – just to keep current and connected, even before she was looking for a new role. Turns out one of her new acquaintances works at that company and was able to help Zahra get her resume seen. And with a good word put in, Zahra got the interview, nailed it and landed the job. What luck (that she’s been networking and found someone to help!).  

Layla’s current job doesn’t call for AI skills yet. But she knows it is coming so she takes a couple courses to start to skill up. Not long after, her employer restructures and shifts focus to – you guessed it – more AI in the mix. Layla gets to stay while others in her team were unfortunately let go. Lucky Layla (good thing she had the foresight and curiosity to learn some new AI skills!).

Giorge gets a random call from a recruiter for a leadership role that he hadn’t applied for but sounded interesting enough to explore further. It’s been ages since he’s interviewed. He kind of wings it. The offer goes to another candidate, Francois.  Indeed, Francois was also caught off guard with the recruiter call but he’s been keeping his resume updated and regularly reflects on his accomplishments and strengths because – you just never know when you will need to speak about them. He aces the interviews and gets the job. Lucky break that the recruiter called — but more so that he was ready!

Four ways to prepare for those yet unseen “lucky breaks” that either come your way – or that you create.

Of course there’s no guarantee that one’s preparation will garner the ‘win’ or bring luck. The point is that even when there is uncertainty you may have more influence in attracting luck your way than you think. Here are a few ideas.

#1) Foster the boy/girl scout mindset of ‘always being prepared’. Reflect on what this means for you in your career. Be it resume updates, new skills, networking, and more. Don’t wait for the opportunity to present itself and then prepare. Prepare now and always. Funny how opportunities show up once you start to kick up some dust. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

#2) Learn, grow, be curious – and awake: Don’t get too comfy in your current role/sector. Be someone who reads, stays up to date, and is always curious beyond their current task/job description. Even if not looking for a job, stay awake to where the job market is headed  – and stay alert for luck that may come your way, even if disguised as a challenge.

#3) Connect, connect, connect: No matter how skilled you are or impressive your resume is, you must nurture connections with others . If uncomfortable with ‘networking’, reframe it as connection. Remember, it’s often people who can introduce you to hidden opportunities beyond those listed. And do remember to reciprocate and offer help to others as well.

#3) Stay in possibility.  Lean in and take actions to do what you can – even in uncertain and ambiguous times. This will elevate your own sense of trust and confidence.  I have a colleague who often says, “Do something, and something will happen.”. I love that. It gives me hope that I can generate some of my own luck. How about you?

So what do you say? Ready to attract some luck your way?

Eileen Chadnick, PCC, of Big Cheese Coaching, is an ICF credentialed, two-time ICF (International Coaching Federation) Prism award winner, who works with leaders (emerging to experienced), and organizations, on navigating, leading and flourishing in times of flux, opportunity and challenge. She is the author of Ease: Manage Overwhelm in Times of Crazy Busy. She is also a long-time, regular contributor at the Globe and Mail Work-Life section.