Un ‘LUCK’y: When Hard Work Meets Opportunity

Every racing fan has heard someone chalk up a victory to luck. The perfect weather, a rival’s untimely error, or that flawless final lap—it can all seem like fate smiling on the lucky few. But seasoned racers and true champions know that luck is not some random gift. “Luck” doesn’t exist at all. Rather, what some call “luck” I call it the moment when relentless hard work meets a unique opportunity.

I hate the word “LUCK” with a passion.  I wish we would remove this word from the English language. Most people use this as an excuse to help them feel good about failure.  I’ve met countless people who chalk up someone else’s incredible success to a random set of events.  Maybe this belief in “luck” is a shameless way to sleep better at night by attributing the better results that someone else experienced to a random set of factors outside of anyone’s control. I believe the word “luck” should be eliminated from the vocabulary of any serious competitor.
 
When two athletes compete under the same circumstances, there’s no room for luck. Similarly, luck has nothing to do with one business's incredible success in the same industry while another business is struggling.  In this article, I want to explain why you should eliminate this word from your vocabulary.

Serious competitors don’t wait for luck; they prepare for it. With every training session, late night in the garage, or hour spent poring over the race map, they sharpen their skills. Behind every first-place finish or podium celebration lies a trail of early mornings, a river of sweat, and a mountain of grueling practice. Through failures and setbacks, real competitors gain the grit to keep going, turning obstacles into valuable lessons.

Creating your own “luck” opportunities in any competition is rare and fleeting—a chance slipstream, a sudden break in traffic, or ‘kicking’ at the perfect moment. Only those who have put in the work are ready to grab these opportunities without hesitation. For them, what looks like luck is actually the result of preparedness meeting the perfect moment. Champions position themselves through discipline, sacrifice, and focus, so when the door opens, they burst through at full speed.

Being fast matters, but being ready matters far more. The legendary wins—the surprise upsets, the last-lap heroics—are not just stories of luck. They are the outcomes of racers who laid the groundwork and stayed ready to strike at the perfect moment. When the strategic opportunity arises, those who have worked tirelessly find themselves in the winner’s circle, while others look on and call it luck.

It doesn’t matter what competition you’re facing; if you want to race to win, don’t look for luck. Put in the miles on the track to set you up when the pivotal moments happen. Planning for luck is insane, and it’s a fool’s dream to hope for circumstances to go in your favor. I suggest the opposite approach.  Plan and prepare now, as if you will be unlucky. Perform so that when the strategic moment happens, you’re ready for it. Remember, in competition—as in life—luck is simply what happens when hard work collides with a strategic opportunity.