People who are still struggling to find success are often tempted to view those who are successful as being “lucky.” It makes them feel better about themselves. And their failures.

We know of many successful people. We know who they are. Some are online celebrities. But, we didn’t see them struggle. We didn’t know them when they were struggling, and poor. Sometimes we incorrectly assume they found success easily. And quickly. Worse yet, we may assume they were always successful.

I get a phone call asking me, “Do all successful people pre-think every action?” Words like “all” scare me. I’ve not found too many instances where broad brushes can properly paint an entire group of people. But I engage the conversation no matter.

I know people who have achieved wild success by shooting from the hip. They’ve not given much thought to anything because they were too busy moving. Sometimes they moved forward. Sometimes they moved backwards. Fast. Some are like those proverbial blind pigs and they did find it – success. Sometimes they hit it BIG.

I know other people who never make a move without giving it serious thought. They pre-think all the variables. They consider the possible outcomes. Nothing happens until they’ve properly considered every available piece of information. And success never comes. Failures happen slowly, but methodically.

There is no one-size-fits-all. However…

I think it’s a mistake to not pre-think our business and career actions. My advice is usually very specific because I rarely find people who share an identical circumstance, knowledge, experience, skill set, ability or opportunity. For the person who takes action – and lots of it – without ever considering the consequences – I encourage them to more carefully consider the possible actions they might take. For the person who thinks – but never acts – I encourage them to abandon another hour of data collection and take some meaningful action based on their current “best” information.

Generally speaking, I always encourage people to pre-think their decisions and actions. Have a strategy. Have a designed purpose. Answer your “why.” Nobody can guarantee success, but we can improve our chances. We can put ourselves in the best possible position. We can attract serendipity with meaningful actions.

You may become successful – we’ll use becoming a millionaire as a metaphor for success – without ever thinking about it. You may also be struck by lightning. Or win the Powerball. But the odds are not favorable. Develop a plan. Be strategic. Map out a route. Then follow that route as you course correct along the way. It will – in my opinion- greatly enhance your chances of success.

Will it happen tomorrow? I don’t know. You don’t know either. Nobody does. What I do know is you’d better prepare for success. You don’t know when you’re going to break through. Map out a strategy. Think about what you do.

Ask yourself questions and take some thoughtful time to answer them. Here’s just a few to help get you started:

- Will this action move me closer to my desired goal? How?

- Will this action be congruent with who I am, and what I’m trying to accomplish? Will it help me become who I hope to be?

Remain focused on what you hope to become. Work hard without being fearful of failing in public. Nobody is taking notes. Nobody is keeping score. That’s what makes today’s world so great. We can dive in without any worry of being embarrassed. Failure isn’t anything to be ashamed of unless you embrace it and allow it to define who you are. It’s merely a temporary state through which all successful people must pass. So, get on with it.

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