The harder you work, the luckier you get

There is a popular saying that says: the harder you work, the luckier you get … what is the truth in this, is there any?

In a previous quote i wrote how preparation, and being prepared can lead to success.
Check: Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity – Seneca

Hard work does not guarantee success. One person can work hard and get nowhere. Another can have a stroke of luck without lifting a finger.

But there are some truth in this quote:

The harder you work, the luckier you get

The first truth is the harder you work, the less you will be dependent on luck, and the better well off you will be in life. This truth has a lot of exceptions though, these exceptions are mostly visible in poor countries where wages are low and working hard can barely do any difference.
This could be understood clearly with this quote: “God helps those who help themselves.”

The second truth, depends on the definition of work. If we consider work as training / practicing, then this quote become very accurate. Training and practicing increase the specific skill, and makes everything in that set of skill needed universe, easier … hence you feel luckier. If you “work” harder, you have better preparation. Therefore, you are in a better position when the opportunity arrives.

Sometimes luck needs consistency : Woody Allen said, “80 percent of success is showing up.”

In business, hard work alone won’t cut it, when competition is tough, you need smart work, not only hard work.

Hard work, in the sense of just working hard in a job or task, does not lead to any luck … The point here is not about preparation, and being prepared, not about developing skills or learning how to take advantage of opportunities.