--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think to be successful you have to work…" description: "\"I think to be successful you have to work really hard but you also have to have a little bit of luck.\" — Tom Petty" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/tom-petty-2030_being-successful_i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-wor_2031056.png" --- # I think to be successful you have to work really hard but… ![“I think to be successful you have to work really hard but you also have to have a little bit of luck.” quote by Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/tom-petty-2030_being-successful_i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-wor_2031056.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/tom-petty-2030_being-successful_i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-wor_2031056.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/tom-petty-2030_being-successful_i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-wor_2031056.png) > “I think to be successful you have to work really hard but you also have to have a little bit of luck.” [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Success requires both effort and chance; hard work creates opportunities, but luck often determines outcomes. **In simple terms:** Hard work plus luck leads to success. Key Takeaway Balance effort with openness to chance. Themes effort luck success Mood optimistic reflective Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - career advancement - entrepreneurship - sports competition - creative projects - personal goals Key Concepts probability agency risk Questions to Reflect On - How can you prepare to capitalize on lucky moments? - What role does perseverance play when luck is absent? A Different Perspective Luck is unpredictable and may not favor everyone equally. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Being successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) [Luck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/luck/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [I really, really do believe that the future of being successful in work is going to be about embracing all of those wonderful things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-portas/i-really-really-do-believe-that-the-future-of-being-successful-in/) [Mary Portas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-portas/) > [Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbi-fields/once-you-find-something-you-love-to-do-be-the-best-at-doing-it/) [Debbi Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbi-fields/) > [The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbi-fields/the-important-thing-is-not-being-afraid-to-take-a-chance/) [Debbi Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbi-fields/) > [I think I have enough to be successful out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddy-curry/i-think-i-have-enough-to-be-successful-out-there/) Eddy Curry > [You should pursue your passion. If you're passionate about something and you work hard, then I think you will be successful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-omidyar/you-should-pursue-your-passion-if-you-re-passionate-about-something-2/) [Pierre Omidyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-omidyar/) > [I've got to work really hard and I know exactly what I've achieved because I know how hard I've worked, and I make sure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/i-ve-got-to-work-really-hard-and-i-know-exactly-what-i-ve-achieved/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [You always need a bit of luck with transfers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-heinz-rummenigge/you-always-need-a-bit-of-luck-with-transfers/) [Karl-Heinz Rummenigge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-heinz-rummenigge/) > [You just need to go in, try your best and you just need a bit of luck at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-gayle/you-just-need-to-go-in-try-your-best-and-you-just-need-a-bit-of-luck/) [Dwight Gayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-gayle/) > [Look, sometimes, no matter how hard you try, sometimes you need a bit of luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-grylls/look-sometimes-no-matter-how-hard-you-try-sometimes-you-need-a-bit-of/) [Bear Grylls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-grylls/) > [Hopefully it'll give us a bit of luck on the night, but I'm not really a superstitious person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-gerrard/hopefully-it-ll-give-us-a-bit-of-luck-on-the-night-but-i-m-not-really/) [Steven Gerrard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-gerrard/) > [Dreams can still come true; you need a great deal of energy and determination, and a little bit of luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefano-gabbana/dreams-can-still-come-true-you-need-a-great-deal-of-energy-and/) [Stefano Gabbana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefano-gabbana/) > [“The distance from one bit of luck to the next feels as great as the distance across oceans. But, I decide in this moment,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabaa-tahir/the-distance-from-one-bit-of-luck-to-the-next-feels-as-great-as-the/) [Sabaa Tahir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabaa-tahir/) > [You get out of life what you put into it. I think you need a bit of luck but you also make a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-key/you-get-out-of-life-what-you-put-into-it-i-think-you-need-a-bit-of/) [John Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-key/) > [I think that's all just a bit of luck that I've gotten to do such different stuff. I don't know if it's a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georgina-haig/i-think-that-s-all-just-a-bit-of-luck-that-i-ve-gotten-to-do-such/) [Georgina Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georgina-haig/) > [To get noticed you need to work a lot and have a bit of luck. And I'm here to say that it's possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-o-yang/to-get-noticed-you-need-to-work-a-lot-and-have-a-bit-of-luck-and-i-m/) [Jimmy O. Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-o-yang/) ## More by Tom Petty > [Where the sky begins, the horizon ends, despite the best intentions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/where-the-sky-begins-the-horizon-ends-despite-the-best-intentions/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [As time goes by, you seem to weed out the things that were making your life hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/as-time-goes-by-you-seem-to-weed-out-the-things-that-were-making-your/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I would never put my songs in a commercial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-would-never-put-my-songs-in-a-commercial/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Take back your insurance, baby, nothing is guaranteed. Take back your acid rain, let your TV bleed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/take-back-your-insurance-baby-nothing-is-guaranteed-take-back-your/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [The great thing about the Wilburys was that none of us had to take the heat by ourselves. I was just a member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/the-great-thing-about-the-wilburys-was-that-none-of-us-had-to-take/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I don't believe in censorship, but I do believe that an artist has to take some moral responsibility for what he or she is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-don-t-believe-in-censorship-but-i-do-believe-that-an-artist-has-to/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Any time you're making a living at what you love to do, you're blessed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/any-time-you-re-making-a-living-at-what-you-love-to-do-you-re-blessed/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [A rebel without a clue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/a-rebel-without-a-clue/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [If you look around at America, that's one of its biggest problems is you have corporations that can never be pleased at a profit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/if-you-look-around-at-america-that-s-one-of-its-biggest-problems-is/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Even the losers get lucky sometimes. Even the losers keep a little bit of pride. They get lucky sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/even-the-losers-get-lucky-sometimes-even-the-losers-keep-a-little-bit/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [If you stretch your imagination, I'll tell you all a tale, about a time when everything wasn't up for sale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/if-you-stretch-your-imagination-i-ll-tell-you-all-a-tale-about-a-time/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [Buy me a drink, sing me a song; take me as I come, cause I can't stay long.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/buy-me-a-drink-sing-me-a-song-take-me-as-i-come-cause-i-can-t-stay/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I never could have dreamed that her heart was so wicked, but I keep coming back because it's so hard to kick it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-never-could-have-dreamed-that-her-heart-was-so-wicked-but-i-keep/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [She's a good girl, crazy about Elvis, loves horses, and her boyfriend, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/she-s-a-good-girl-crazy-about-elvis-loves-horses-and-her-boyfriend-too/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) > [I'm more interested in what I'm going to leave behind me than in making a big hit record. I've refined what I do for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-m-more-interested-in-what-i-m-going-to-leave-behind-me-than-in/) [Tom Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) [Explore all 190 Tom Petty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/) ## More Being successful quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [The vast majority of organizations today have more than enough intelligence, experience and knowledge to be successful. What they lack is organizational health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-lencioni/the-vast-majority-of-organizations-today-have-more-than-enough/) [Patrick Lencioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-lencioni/) > [To be successful, one must take chances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willie-stargell/to-be-successful-one-must-take-chances/) [Willie Stargell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willie-stargell/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [You cannot be successful without passion. If you don't love what you're doing, if you don't have passion for it - forget it. Do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/you-cannot-be-successful-without-passion-if-you-don-t-love-what-you/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [You can't not be a little different from others and be successful for three decades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-sheen/you-can-t-not-be-a-little-different-from-others-and-be-successful-for/) [Charlie Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-sheen/) > [Everyone has a breaking point, turning point, stress point, the game is permeated with it. The fans don't see it because we make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everyone-has-a-breaking-point-turning-point-stress-point-the-game-is/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [If you increase the number of rockets you build and you buy, then it's the scale of the economy, the price is going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-chiao/if-you-increase-the-number-of-rockets-you-build-and-you-buy-then-it-s/) [Leroy Chiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-chiao/) > [Hockey is a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-gretzky/hockey-is-a-unique-sport-in-the-sense-that-you-need-each-and-every/) [Wayne Gretzky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-gretzky/) > [There has always been a display of wealth and always will be, until the depression comes, which it always does. And let me tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/there-has-always-been-a-display-of-wealth-and-always-will-be-until/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I think there is a big and significant difference between being a leader and being a manager-leaders lead from the heart. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-jung/i-think-there-is-a-big-and-significant-difference-between-being-a/) [Andrea Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-jung/) > [There's nobody that wants the president to be successful more than I.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-r-clapper/there-s-nobody-that-wants-the-president-to-be-successful-more-than-i/) [James R. Clapper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-r-clapper/) > [Don't worry about your individual numbers. Worry about the team. If the team is successful, each of you will be successful, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/branch-rickey/don-t-worry-about-your-individual-numbers-worry-about-the-team-if-the/) [Branch Rickey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/branch-rickey/) > [We have to be successful at the cutting-edge industries of the future like Twitter. But we also have always been a country that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-have-to-be-successful-at-the-cutting-edge-industries-of-the-future/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Also, it's not the mathematical skill that's critical to winning, it's the discipline of being able to stick to the system. There are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blair-hull/also-it-s-not-the-mathematical-skill-that-s-critical-to-winning-it-s/) Blair Hull [Browse all 1,002 Being successful quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/being-successful/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think to be successful you have to work really hard but you also have to have a little bit of luck.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Petty" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-work-really-hard-but-you-also/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Being successful" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-work-really-hard-but-you-also/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/tom-petty-2030_being-successful_i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-wor_2031056.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/tom-petty-2030_being-successful_i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-wor_2031056.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/949/tom-petty-2030_being-successful_i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-wor_2031056.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think to be successful you have to work really hard but you also have to have a little bit of luck.” — Tom Petty", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Tom Petty", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-petty/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think to be successful you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-work-really-hard-but-you-also/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-petty/i-think-to-be-successful-you-have-to-work-really-hard-but-you-also/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```