People have called me lucky more times than I can count. I used to let it go. Now I think about a football coach who didn’t.
Seneca said it best: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” My old coach drilled that into us after a hook-and-ladder play that sent the crowd into a frenzy. Everyone in the stands called it luck. He called it seven-on-seven reps run so many times that it was second nature.
The crowd saw the moment. He saw the work behind it.
I carry that same mindset into the woods. I’ve been in whitetail stands where a buck appears and a shot presents itself before I can range or run through my routine. Preparation takes over in those moments, not hope.
That’s why I get back on the range as soon as the season ends. My goal is to make my shot process so systematic that my subconscious handles it when the moment arrives.
If you’re prepared, it looks like luck to everyone else. If you’re not, you’re rolling the dice. When the opportunity comes, will you be ready to execute it?
John did archery demonstrations shooting arrows into gummy Life Savers. It wasn’t because of luck. Without hours of prep, this wouldn’t be something to happen live.
