Embracing Planned Happenstance: How to Invite 'Lightning' Into Your Business

While I normally do my writing at a coffee shop, I occasionally swap out the strong brew & surly baristas for my favorite writing spot at the Grove Park Inn, a local historic resort.

I go to a rarely-used side-lobby with huge windows overlooking all of Asheville and the mountains beyond. (If it weren't for the horrendous, teeth-grittingly insipid elevator-music they pump into the lobby, I'd be there every day).

I was recently taking in the expansive view when I saw a huge thunderstorm approaching over the far off mountains.

I love watching storms. 

It was fascinating to watch the clouds overtake first the mountains, then downtown (less than a mile away), continuing to move toward me and render everything in its path invisible with sheets of rain.

My spot is just above the resort's golf course, and I could see golfers below scrambling to get in their carts and scamper off before the storm arrived.

That is, except for three stubborn golfers just below the windows. 

Two were clearly determined to finish their final putts, even as it was starting to sprinkle. 

The third was nervously looking in the direction of the storm that he couldn't yet see, but could surely hear.

It was approaching fast. 

I was nervous as I watched them ignore the wind and thunder, holding metal golf clubs as the rain and lightning picked up.

The third golfer, shivering in the rain, took cover under a large nearby tree while he waited for his buddies to finish.

Uh oh.

As a former outdoor-guide, I know that standing under a solitary tree is the last place you want to be in a lightning storm (well, besides standing in a puddle holding your metal golf club up in the air).

I wasn't eager to watch a golfer get zapped with 1.21 gigawatts.

As the golfers kept playing, and the third clung to the tree, I was hoping they'd look up and see me, my hands pressed against the windows, shaking my head “No” and motioning to them to get inside.

Finally, the deluge overtook them. All three golfers, soaked in the now torrential rain, ran to their golf cart and sped off the course.

So back to that lightning:

You can't control or predict when and where lightning is going to strike.

But if you want to get hit by lightning, there are certainly things you can do to increase your chances (such as hanging out in a thunderstorm with a golf club in the state with a high rate of lightning-strikes).

So many solopreneurs are waiting for “lightning to strike” in their business. They see others having serendipitous meetings and connections, or seemingly stumbling into their big breaks, and wonder when the “magic” will happen for them.

Just another solopreneur “manifesting” opportunities…

I was talking to one of my Mighty Mastermind members about this a few months ago. We were making a plan for her to show up in more situations where she'd be more likely to “stumble” into new connections and opportunities.

(By the way, that Masterminder just had her most lucrative week in her business yet… Shazam! Lightning!).

Networking isn't always actively “working the room,” — sometimes it's just being “out there” more.

Being seen.

Getting curious.

Living life but being ready for opportunities that present themselves.

This is what, in career world, is called “Planned Happenstance Theory”: that is, unplanned or serendipitous events can create new knowledge or opportunities. 

You just have to be ready to see them and pounce when the right ones show up.

The key skills of Planned Happenstance are: curiosity, persistence, flexibility, optimism, and risk-taking.

In short, you can plan for the unplanned.

You're not going to meet your ideal clients sitting at home watching Bridgerton.

You have to get out there— but not necessarily be driven while you're out there.

Show up to stuff. Talk to people you wouldn't normally talk to. Ask questions. Try new things. When you see an opportunity, take the risk and pounce. Hold your metal golf club in the air instead of safely watching the storm from behind the window (metaphorically!)

What's one thing you can do this week to invite the “lightning”? 

You've got this,

p.s. If you're “coaching curious” and want to hear more about what 1-1 business coaching can do for your business, Schedule your free Clarity Call today.