Author: Mark S. Brown

Luck or Skill?

Thomas Jefferson said, “I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” Successful people make their own luck.

Success is not about luck. Success comes from awareness, competence, discernment, initiative, preparation, and hard work. No one is just lucky. You have to work for luck. Do you want opportunities that seem to be lucky? Here are some tips to think about.

1. Prepare. Prepare yourself for the future you want. Become a student of whatever subject you want success. Hang out with like minded people, and study those that are successful. Know what it takes. Know what the opportunity will look like.

2. Be aware. Keep yourself ready to take advantage of opportunities when they appear. Most people will miss the opportunity because they are not looking. They are still waiting to be lucky. Put yourself in situations and environments where opportunities happen.

3. Take the initiative. When you see the door of opportunity you must walk through it. Successful people take risk. They do things despite their fear. They step out into the unknown. Many successful journeys start when you do not know how, but you are focused on why.

Prepare for success, find your opportunity, and make yourself some luck!

Is Your Day Filled With Chaos?

If life always went as planned, we would be bored. But we don’t enjoy days filled with chaos either. You probably, like me, experience both routine and hectic days.

William Braithwaite, an American writer, said, “It is simplicity of intention that gives consistency to life.” True. We never intend to have a chaotic day. We plan for productivity. We plan for success. Some days we win and some days we lose that battle.

When my day is filled with turmoil, there is one trick that always lets me regain control. It is simple, and very effective.

I just step back and take a look at the day’s struggles with a longer term view in mind. I put aside what I am trying to accomplish today, and think about my goals for the month and the year.

It can help release today’s pressure by revealing that today is only one day in my longer term plan. Irregardless of today’s outcome, I see the bigger picture, and then I can reset today’s goals. It also resets my attitude, my energy, and my focus.

Next time you find your day going badly, give it a try!

Are You Getting a Daily Dose of Wisdom?

Man was not born with wings, but we invented the airplane. Man was not born with gills, but we invented the scuba tank. Man was born with a creative and curious mind, and free will. Great discoveries and inventions have come to people that continued to learn and challenge the world.

I think it is a privilege to be able to learn, explore, and dream. As a life long learner, it seems easy for me.

One of my daily habits is setting aside time for learning. If you are reading this, then it may be a habit of yours as well. I often wish I had more time to learn, because there is much to discover. Here are some areas that keep me interested in growing.

Work: Increasing your work competence is always a great idea. No matter what your occupation, there are innovations that can be studied.

People: This category can be useful for everyone. You can learn about personalities, leadership, behavior, health, or even mental thought processes.

History: We have a rich world history from which to learn. You can choose specific eras, or geographical areas, or critical events. It is a great way to put things in perspective.

Nature: Do you have interest in the natural world that surrounds us? You could learn more about plants, animals, weather, and space.

Technology: Technological advances in the last twenty years have changed this world. You could learn more about information technology, science, or even medical advances.

Basic Skills: This is the category that I think helps us learn about living. It includes a wide variety of topics that make life easier, or more enjoyable. Things like plumbing repair, growing a vegetable garden, cooking, music, or a hobby.

Whatever your choice of learning in this world, consider setting aside time every day to learn and grow. Spending only fifteen minutes a day will add up to over 90 hours in a year. Invest in yourself. If you are not, who else will?

Stop the Blaming and Use These 5 Concepts to Improve Your Results

We can all get sucked into the blame game from time to time. When the results you achieve do not meet your plans, it is easy to blame something else besides yourself.

Consistently evaluating your results without blame is a process that can become a useful habit. When I am reflecting on results, here are five points I consider:

1. Preparation. We can’t rely on luck for success. We need to prepare for opportunities and actions. My favorite question: “How could I have prepared differently that would have affected my results?” 

2. Resources. We often overlook all the resources available to us. We like to accomplish things on our own. But we should consider other people, equipment, tools, supplies, and information. My favorite question: “What data could have led me to a better result?”

3. Effort. When we don’t succeed a lack of effort is the first thing that comes to mind. When we evaluate effort we need to assess the time and energy we applied to the activity. But we should not overlook other aspects of effort. My favorite question: “How could my effort been more effective?”

4. Critical Decision Points. During reflection we often second guess our decisions. Through this process we can increase our ability to develop future strategy and success. My favorite question: “What decision did I make that changed the course of my result, and why did I choose this solution?”

5. Timing. Your level of success at any endeavor can be affected by timing. Taking action at the wrong time, even if it is the correct action, can lead to disaster. We can reflect on how events unfolded, and if there would have been a better time to take action. My favorite question: “What critical action should I have delayed, or taken sooner, that would have resulted in greater success?”

These are just five different ways to help you improve your ability to reflect on results. I use them, and they work. They help me continuously improve my efforts and results. Feel free to give them a try the next time you reflect on your goals and results.