Steve Palmer: Surrender to the fact that you are a mere puppet on strings pulled by Lady Luck

Having spent 46 years on Earth in a general state of bewilderment, I have come to the conclusion that one thing is more important to success and failure than any other. And it is not even a close contest. By a country mile (they are like normal miles, but slightly longer), it is luck which largely dictates the fortunes of a human being.

Some people have lots of good luck. Some people have lots of bad luck. Those who have more good luck than bad luck will be more successful than those who have more bad luck than good luck. Your luck ratio essentially determines your level of accomplishment, and everything else can make only a minor impact.

Luck is dished out instantly – where you are born and into which family has an immense bearing on your future. My kids fail to realise how lucky they have been to be raised in Britain – one of the safest countries in the solar system. Among their bad luck allocation is having a father who works long hours and is ill-equipped to develop them into sporting stars.