There are two types of people in this world: those who sit around, waiting for good things to happen to them and those who make sure good things will, indeed, happen to them.
A prime example of this is the huge array of Facebook status updates that range from people celebrating their new job successes and excitement over new cars, to people who whine about the sh*tty day they had, how they wish they could go out and how jealous they are of their best friends' said new cars.
It’s not hard to see that these two types of people take on very different attitudes regarding their own destinies.
While people who want new jobs and new experiences try their best to make it happen, others are more than happy to blame others’ successes on luck, or even Daddy’s money.
Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to do so many wonderful things. I’ve traveled America; I bought my first car; I’ve been offered jobs at some of London’s biggest media companies, and most recently, I landed my dream of writing for millions of readers on Elite Daily.
While some people will say I’m lucky, I feel the credit is due to determination and motivation more than my star sign and astrological aptitude.
So, what can we do to make our own luck? How do we achieve all these wonderful things? How do we put ourselves in the prime position to achieve the best of what we’re capable of doing?
1. Make Goals
The best way to get what you want out of life is to know exactly what you want out of life. There’s no point in aiming for a dream job if you don’t even know what it would be, or dreaming of living in a mansion with no idea of how to get there.
Make sure you know what your end goals are, and by all means, make them as over-the-top and exciting as you possibly can! You don’t even have to cover everything at once; if your current life mission is a new car, make a genuine plan for it.
Work out budgets, how much you need to save, whether you can get finance to help out in the meantime, and work toward a dedicated structure. There’s no point sitting at home wishing and not doing anything about it.
2. If You Don’t Ask, You Don’t Get
One of the biggest things I’ve learned is that if you don’t ask, you don’t get. One of the most successful ways to secure what you want in life is to make it known, whether to yourself by admitting what your ultimate end goals are and cementing what you’re after or by asking those with the power to make it happen.
If you want more responsibilities at work, just ask. If you want to get to the next stage with your partner, make it happen. The worst possible outcome is rejection, in which case, you can move on with a definite answer.
So many of our problems and wishes can be solved simply by asking and having the confidence to make it happen.
3. Seize Opportunities
While this one is probably the most common and most obvious, there’s so much that can be said for those who make the most of the opportunities presented to them.
This isn’t necessarily a "Say Yes To Everything" kind of approach, and I’m not saying you should be jumping from a plane at the first available circumstance. But, to make your own luck, you must seize new chances.
Whether this means accepting a new project or signing up for courses and activities, we should be making the most of the hundreds of opportunities available to us.
4. Push Your Boundaries
I’m terrible at this; I love my comfort zone. But, nothing exciting happens from inside the comfort zone. The greatest challenges, opportunities and advances happen right on the edge of your boundaries.
New jobs, moving homes, traveling to new countries — it’s all petrifying. But, the scariest stuff is always the most exciting, don’t you think? The only way to expand your horizons and explore new things is to push yourself.
Sure, you can wonder what happens when it all goes wrong, but what happens if it all goes right?
5. Take Control Of Your Own Destiny
There have been several occasions when I’ve been lucky enough to post something on Facebook and have people reply, “Omg, I’m so jealous, wish I could do that!” Hey, why can’t you!? We’re the same age; we’re living in the same place; we have the same opportunities — so make the most of them!
We have the same number of hours in the day as Beyoncé, so why can’t we accomplish all of our dreams, too? No one else will do it for you. No one else will hand you your dream life on a plate.
We have to get up and do it ourselves, and as soon as you learn that life requires hard work and dedication, the sooner you’ll be living it how you dreamed.
It’s a cliché, but the world is your oyster and you can achieve anything you want. We just need the motivation and the dedication to do it.
We can sit around and wait for opportunity to knock, or we can go knock down the goddamn door ourselves.
