On Randomness, Uncertainty & Showing Up

Randomness, Uncertainty & Showing Up

“Randomness, Uncertainty & Showing Up” is a continuation of the post on learning from mistake and on chaos

I just got a new hire in my team, and in a bid to make her work easier, I sent a phone down to her through my Dad’s younger brother. She realized he was the youth coordinator while in her former church on meeting him. This was a random coincidence, and this is how life works most of the time.

Imagine she had a bad record with my uncle, and on meeting him today, I got the feedback. I’d be persuaded to let her go. She would have lost her new job.

My friend Tolu got a contract with an ed-tech company. Just before then, we had both gone to facilitate a program whose organizer was a former school principal. This organizer knew the company’s CEO, and in one of their random conversations, they got to know they both knew us. We had done a great job facilitating, so it was easy for the organizer to vouch for us. Even though we had got the contract with this company, her voice cemented the contract.

You just never know who will change your life forever. That friend you think knows no one or has no connection can randomly mention your name to someone who will give you a life-changing job. I have been recommended for gigs by the least expected people in my life, and I will never be able to make sense of it.

We often think we have got life all planned out. We believe life works the way we want it to – we have learned over time by the school system that life operates on the principle of linearity. Do this and get that.

Keep quiet in class, and you’d not be punished
Read your books and get good grades
Get good grades and get a good job
Get a good job and get a good partner, etc

In the world, it hardly works like that. In fact, it is usually the least expected people that bring about the biggest difference to our lives. But for this to happen, you need to be there – be available. Linearity is almost a myth. Nothing goes exactly as planned. Instead, a lot of what we have are random, unpredictable events. In a world filled with chaos, randomness and unpredictability thrive. You do not know what can happen the next day.

You can lose your partner,
You can have a breakthrough at work
You can be recommended for the job
Someone in power can mention your name

I have seen this play out countless times, and as such, there is hardly any disadvantage to showing up regularly. However, randomness has an element of luck, and if you want luck to favor you, you need to show up ruthlessly.

It is important to note that randomness is not doing things anyhow or haphazardness. According to Wikipedia, randomness is a measure of uncertainty of an outcome. It takes into account concepts like chance, time, probability amongst others. However, for randomness to be in your favor, you have to be available, seen, and heard.

The fundamental fact that you have no idea who can be of the greatest benefit to you is enough motivation to show up regularly. Tomorrow, I could be the in-law of a wealthy man who needs a marketer. But, because I have seen you talk and do marketing over and over, the first person that comes to mind is going to be you.

So, yes, I am talking to you – you better show up more often. Talk about what you do consistently. Your big break could be just around the corner.

It is worthy to note also that randomness is what fuels our chaos. Randomness being in your favour doesn’t necessary have to be good. Losing someone you love randomly is not a good thing yet it happened to you.

Don’t be fooled randomness. While you cannot control it, you can however control you to be positioned in its good grace or bad.

to be continued…