Luck: we're all guilty of relying on it. We use luck in a multitude of ways to give reasons why or why not something works out for us.

Luck:

1. The things that happen to a person because of chance: the accidental way things happen without being planned
2. Success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions (Source: dictionary.com)

Sorry to break it to you, but there is no such thing as luck defining the outcome of something we hope will happen. Yet we fall for this mentality time and time again because blaming luck for a positive or negative outcome is a much easier path. It provides built-in excuses, allowing us to shirk responsibility or to deny credit to someone to whom we might not want to give credit: an employee sealed the big account or a player got the big hit in the game because of some cosmic force that visited from the heavens. But the truth is that belief in luck does not dictate the outcome. Rather, when you have a concise plan and stick to a routine that has proven to work, you increase the odds to be successful more times than not.

Follow Planned Routines

When it comes to preparation, having a positive and strict routine can be a vital link to a successful outcome. This is why we practice, both on the playing field and in the office. You wouldn't go into a huge sales meeting with a potential client, where a PowerPoint presentation is needed to describe how your company will be the right choice to land the account, without studying for the presentation. We have been taught to prepare as much as we can for situations in case things don't quite go our way. That's when we go into crisis management mode, forcing us to pivot from our set plan of action to try to fix the situation. We practice this in order to get the meeting, game, or conversation back on track.

So, we are taught to come up with a solid, prepared routine when we set out to accomplish a task. The groundwork we lay prior to a particular meeting, presentation, or game will lead to better outcomes over a sustained period of time. Think of the Boy Scout motto: “Be prepared.”

Wasting Time on What You Can't Influence

When I played baseball in college, I was convinced that if I followed a certain routine, it would lead to me being a better player. This approach can be highly successful; routines in sports and the workplace can have a multitude of positive outcomes. It can build confidence when completing a task. It can make a person comfortable in certain situations.

The problem was that I tried to create routines around desired outcomes over which I had no control, as opposed to outcomes that I could influence. Focusing on things I couldn't control led me either to blame these ridiculous routines for my failures, or praise them when I had success. Many people make the same mistake.

My routine had to do with my shoelaces.

Yes, shoelaces. How silly does that sound now? I believed if I followed a certain routine where I laced my shoes a certain way, the baseball gods would allow me to be successful.

One day prior to a game as I laced up my spikes, I saw that my laces had larger than normal loops hanging out. It must have been the way I tied them that day. My initial thought was if those loops ever hooked on my other foot's spike, I would go for a tumble, therefore not getting a jump on a fly ball or being able to steal the base. So I tucked the loops inside my shoes. There, solved that problem, I thought.

Well, that day I had one of my best games. If you've ever played a sport, you will understand that some days you feel you can do no wrong. This was one of those days. Ball players know it can go south in a real hurry, where the baseball can look like an aspirin coming at you when it is pitched for you to hit.

Not this day, though. Every pitch thrown to me looked like a beach ball. I went 4 for 5 with 2 doubles! And I had 2 great defensive catches in center field. I couldn't wait to get back to the ball park the next day to keep the hot streak going.

So as the next game rolled around, I made darn sure that I laced up my spikes the same way. It seemed imperative that I tuck in those laces again. But not because it would help prevent me from tripping. Clearly it was going to lead to my playing better and getting hits!

On this day, however, I was not able to repeat a 4–5 day at the plate, yet I still collected a few hits. I became convinced my routine of tucking in those laces led to my success at the plate as a hitter. So, as the season went on, day in and day out I continued to tuck in those laces to follow my routine.

However, my hot streak quickly ended; 0–4 with 3 strikeouts soon followed. Then another poor game, followed by another. Soon my coach sat my butt on the bench and started the other outfielder.

What was going on? I was still tucking in the laces, so why no hits?

Looking back, I see what a complete waste of time this was. I convinced myself this silly routine led to my success. Yet I had no control over this “lucky” thing.

Control the Controllables

My success was not due to unbelievably good fortune or because of a lucky shoelace superstition but because I was focused, comfortable, and confident with my approach when batting. I just happened to be well prepared during this time frame. My hot streak quickly came to an end, like most good streaks do. Routines are a vital component to sustain success, but my routine of tucking in the laces was not responsible for my success or failure as a hitter. A lack of confidence and proper preparation also added to my failure. Doubting one's routine can certainly lead to doubting one's ability, but routines have to contain specific habits and customs that directly relate to a successful outcome. We all experience ups and downs at the workplace and on the playing field. It should be expected.

But what if I focused on preparing for the game better instead of worrying about my shoelaces and the superstition of luck?

What if I took a few more batting practice swings, or studied the opposing pitcher more? My wasted valuable time clearly led to my failure to properly prepare. I spent precious moments relying on something I can't control, when I could have focused on controllable moments.

So, again, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is no such thing as luck, other than what we create for ourselves. Sometimes things don't go our way due to numerous possible reasons, but not because of luck.

It's Fun to Be a “Little Stitious”

One of my favorite television series is The Office, with Steve Carell as Michael Scott. If you love good comedy and have not watched the series, I highly recommend it. In one of Michael's classic talks with Dwight Schrute, the office salesperson and part-time beet farmer, along with another one of the hilarious characters, they discuss how the paper company they work for was having bad luck in solidifying sales. Michael describes his lack of belief in luck:

“I'm not superstitious, but I'm a little stitious.”

I have this quote framed and hanging in my office and use the line quite often to remind my players or work groups that, when seeking success, they should laugh a little about the notion of relying on supernatural ideas over which we have no control.

Build off your wins, and find ways to constantly improve from your failures.

Another way to look at it is that you create your own luck. Positive outcomes happen when we focus on the things over which we have control—the routines that have substance and allow us to be better prepared for success. All too often, people will credit or blame things totally out of their control: an employee landed a huge account because of a lucky tie, or an athlete scored a touchdown because of the wristband he chose to wear.

You create your own luck.

When things don't go in your favor, you start to look for excuses, instead of focusing on how to best improve on your failures. Things won't go your way all the time, but not because you left your lucky charm at home that day. Maybe we lost an account to a competitor because the sales pitch was not a solid one, not because we drank the wrong brand of coffee that morning.

This reminds us of the valuable lesson to focus on what you can control, not what you can't. Believe me, as a college baseball coach I have attempted to control things like umpires, opposing coaches, and even the weather. It doesn't work! Do not look for excuses about why things didn't go your way. Look for why something didn't work, then find a path to better navigate it the next time. Use your setbacks as a motivator and a teacher. Build off your wins, and look for ways to constantly improve from your failures. Evaluate how you work outside your comfort zone, try something different, and recognize the positive changes that come from your pivots.

Focus on what you can control, not what you can't.

So, don't waste time blaming luck for outcomes. It's a long-standing human tradition, but luck has nothing to do with our successes and failures.

However, throwing a penny on the ground and hoping it lands heads up can be a fun little diversion! Remember, you can be a “little stitious.”