Sital Ruparelia

“The harder you work, the luckier you get.”
- Gary Player (South African Golfer)

Just two weeks ago, the race for the English Football Premier League title seemed a foregone conclusion. Manchester United were several points ahead of the chasing pack with games in hand.

My own team, Liverpool, were in second place and seemingly out of the running. Winning their first championship title for 19 years seemed impossible.

After all, Manchester United have a much stronger squad of players, have more recent experience of winning titles and have recently gone 14 games without conceding a goal. It looked like Liverpool would need a huge helping of luck to win.

But things started to change.

Last weekend Liverpool hammered Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford (Man United’s home own ground). 

Then yesterday, Manchester United lost 2-0 to Fulham at Fulham’s ground for the first time in 45 years. And with it the services of some key players who lost their cool and are now suspended from the next couple of matches.

So an unbeatable team, who had recently gone 14 games without conceding a goal, have now conceded 6 goals in 2 games.

At the same time, Liverpool’s other major challengers, Chelsea, also suffered a rare defeat yesterday.

What seemed impossible at the beginning of the month (even for the most loyal and ardent of Liverpool fans), is now very possible. Liverpool could yet win the league title.

Not necessarily because Manchester United have slipped up and created an opportunity – but because Liverpool have stayed focussed on their task, on the things that they can control – their own training, own plans and winning their own games.  You could say United’s defeats were a helping of luck from a Liverpool perspective. But actually, they’ve helped create their own luck by sticking to their task - winning their own games.

That’s very similar to succeeding in your career.

Instead of worrying so much about the economy, what firms are doing and what may or may not happen, stay focussed on winning your own games – that is, staying focussed on the activities you can control and the things you can influence. When you do that, you massively increase the chances of achieving the results you want – whether that’s a new job, shift in careers or surviving and thriving in your current role. 

When you stay focussed on your own tasks and own activities (instead of worrying about everything else), the windows of opportunities (and luck) will always show up at some point in time. And when they do, you’re ready to seize the day and take advantage of those opportunities. You effectively create your own luck by putting in the work when everyone else is sitting around complaining and worrying.
 
I’m just on way to Liverpool today to watch Liverpool play Aston Villa this afternoon. If we win, then we’re just one point away from Manchester United and so very much in the race for the title on again.

I’m hoping we seize the day and continue creating our own luck.