The theory of the “hot streak” has been widely debated. On one hand, anybody who has watched a basketball game in the month of March can recognize a hot hand when they see it. On the other hand, statisticians are quick to point out that those hot streaks are merely an illusion that disappears pretty quickly when you look at only the numbers.

But what about when it comes to your career? Is it possible to have a hot streak with your work?

According to this article published in Nature, the answer appears to be yes. What is even more encouraging is the fact that these hot streaks appear to occur randomly. This news should come as a game changer for the many of us who mistakenly believe that mid-career is the time when our work life is going to take off.

The traditional belief is that once you reach your mid-forties, the chance for breakthrough work decreases; that if it hasn’t happened by then, it’s not going to. Yes, there are some of us who find ourselves on the fast track to promotion at work.

However, the assumption that all of us produce our best work mid-career is a mistaken conclusion. The fact that our career hot streaks occur randomly means that, for many of us, the best may be yet to come.

Written by: Eric McClerren