Many people attribute success or failure to good luck or bad luck. “Being in the right place at the right time,” or its opposite, are often viewed as the reason things go one way or another.

Maybe it is true that some things “just happen.” Maybe there are in fact some things outside your control that help you or hinder you, when fate just seems to step in. But is there anything you can do to help fate move you in the right direction? Of course there is.

For “good luck” to really be a factor, you need to put yourself in a position where that good luck can occur, or where you can take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Actively try to put yourself into the right place at the right time and you will have a lot more control over your own success or failure.

How do you do that? Partly by preparing yourself. Having a good education is a start, but not a finish. Continue your education informally through professional reading and participation in professional groups and associations. Keep current on advances in your field, and new ideas that emerge, so you can get a sense of what opportunities are out there and what might be coming next. Continue to develop your skills through formal training and education if you can, so you have not only your talents but also some credentials that will help you stand out.

Another important aspect of “luck” is being ready to jump at opportunities. If you are feeling safe and secure and unwilling to change, then being at the right place at the right time means nothing because you are not willing to take advantage of it. You will not see a change if you are not willing to change. This is not to say that you should go into one job and spend all your time focusing on the next one, but it does mean that if you want opportunities to work out you have to be willing to take a chance on them. Be ready to do it quickly, too, because if you don’t, someone else is likely to. That does not mean you shouldn’t think about an opportunity before you take it, but it DOES mean you should do some of that thinking in advance and have some idea what you want to do when an opportunity does emerge.

There are people who rely on luck as something that “just happens,” and there are people who make their own luck. Guess who is more likely to be successful?