There is no such thing as luck, or is there?

My dad would always tell me that “luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”

According to Steven Johnson’s TED Talk, “Where good ideas come from,” success, much like luck, is not a eureka moment.

In fact, Johnson explains that ideas [that become successful] have long incubation periods called “the slow hunch.” They take time, planning, developing, and careful execution to become something: it doesn’t actually happen while you’re standing under your shower head, singing to Ariana Grande.

Candice Landau in her article “How to Come up with Hundreds of Business Ideas” believes that idea generation is not “an innate ability,” but rather a “skill” that she has learned through practice.

If this reigns true, my dad’s annoying pre-game pep talk speeches actually came with a valuable lesson that just flew over my head at that age: luck is impossible without consistent practice that will ultimately put you in a position to succeed.

Now, that practice won’t be a walk in the park. It will include sprinting across valleys, climbing through troughs up to peaks of mountains, and swimming through your own thoughts of doubt.

But guess what? Johnson believes that you are more likely to develop great ideas when (among a number of other things) you make mistakes.

And if Steve Johnson believes you can do it, that’s all that matters, right?!

Johnson also says that “in order to create new connections, you need to place yourself in environments that actually mimic the neural networks of a mind exploring the boundaries.”

These connections don’t have to be with other people, although that wouldn’t hurt. Instead, I interpret that quote to mean that as long as you are pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, you will find a deeper, interconnection with yourself.

As we are all along our own journeys to find ourselves in this thing we call life, I ask that you reframe your idea of success and what that might look like for you.

It could be creating the next best, most innovative product the world has yet to see. It could be climbing to the top of Mount Everest, or even hitting Ariana Grande’s whistle note that you’ve been working on every night in the shower for over the past few weeks.

And while you may appreciate the success of your result, keep in mind the hard work and preparation it took to get you to where you are now.

I bet you feel lucky, don’t you?