Want more lucky career opportunities? Try this.

"I talked with my friend who is enjoying her new role, and I'm feeling a little jealous."

That was my client on our call, talking about a friend who had landed somewhere she loved. She told me that a few of her friends have recently taken on new roles that they say are "the best jobs of their lives" so far. She wondered aloud, "When is somebody going to reach out to me and tap me for the best job of my life?"

She even caught herself and noted that maybe she was being passive. She said what she really wants is for the right job to just fall in her lap, the way it seemed to for her friends, but that doesn't seem like a realistic wish.

I stopped her there, because I don't think it's passive at all. I think it's what most of us secretly hope for.

Many years ago, especially running my own business, when I envied people who were ahead of me, I learned that they were very good at creating conditions for luck to happen. While it may appear that opportunities just came to them, what you often don't see behind the scenes is the consistency, outreach and performance it takes to be ready when the luck happens (this phrase is also a great book by Ina Garten).

I earned an opportunity recently to submit an RFP to work with a very special and local organization. The opportunity just seemed to fall in my lap as they reached out to me directly. Looking closer, however, it wasn't pure luck at all. This person was referred to me. I had made a commitment one year ago to invest in more local networking and educational opportunities. In addition to that, I've been showing up consistently for eight years by sending newsletters, posting on social media and writing books and thought leadership.

Does luck just happen sometimes? Sure, I believe that luck and good timing can play a huge role in success and opportunity. However, I had an old coach (Susan Hyatt) who used to say, "the harder I work the luckier I get." I'll take this one step further to say:

Success loves clarity. The more clear you are in expressing what you want to others, the luckier you seem to get.

So, my client and I worked on intentionally establishing conditions for more opportunities to fall into her lap (see those below).

🔥 Whose opportunity have you found yourself envying lately? And have you ever actually created the conditions for that kind of luck to find you? Keep reading.

PUT THIS IDEA INTO ACTION

Want to stop waiting for the opportunity and start creating the conditions for some luck and good opportunities to fall in your lap? Try the following:

1: Name the thing, but be wary of titles. You cannot create conditions for something you haven't named. My client kept reaching for titles. VP of this. Chief Officer of that. But a title is just a guess, it isn't always in sync with the work you truly want or enjoy.

• Instead of the title, name what you'd actually be doing all day. My client wanted to find visible opportunities to work with CEOs or C-Suite executives and translate their visions into action by creating dedicated project teams with actionable plans.

• Get specific enough about what you want so that someone else could recognize the opportunity when they see it (and say your name for it).

2: Align it with how you want to feel. This is why I hesitate to attach what you want to a title because a title is not a feeling. Years ago when I did this exercise for myself, I realized that I could do the exact work I do right now inside an organization, but I wouldn't feel creative, autonomous, or free. Those are the things I want to feel, so that is how I got clear that the work I am meant to do is as an entrepreneur.

• Name three words for how you want to feel in the role or opportunity. My client landed on accomplished, helpful, and decisive.

• Then use them to discern if opportunities that arise are truly right for you or just look right.

3: Tell people what you want. This is how the conditions actually get traction. The opportunity can't find you if no one knows what you're looking for.

• Tell your boss. Tell trusted people you work with, so if they hear of something, they think of you. Tell your network.

• It doesn't need to be perfectly fleshed out. A lot of us keep what we want close to the chest until we feel perfectly clear. I'd offer that the opposite can be just as true – a conversation about what you think you want, out loud, with someone you trust, is often what gets you clear.

4: Act Backwards. Telling people what you want is the first step, but consider how the "lucky" people actually spend their days to get the things they want. For example, I couldn't just tell people I wanted more local opportunities. I had to also show up to local opportunities and meet people. I had to host local opportunities.

• What projects can you volunteer for or ask to take part in to create experience and visibility in something that interests you?

TRY THIS NEXT: This week, write down the exact opportunity (focus on the work, not the title) you want to fall in your lap. Note how you want to feel in this opportunity. Then pick one person to say it out loud to. 

Be ready when the luck happens.

Kelli Thompson is an award-winning author, keynote speaker, and executive coach who specializes in helping women advance to the rooms where decisions are made (or build her own room). She is the author of the critically acclaimed book, Closing The Confidence Gap: Boost Your Peace, Your Potential & Your Paycheck

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