Do you notice that some people seem to be luckier than others? They get good breaks. They seem to be in the right place at the right time. Wouldn’t it be nice to be like them?
As it turns out, studies show that these people have something in common. They do certain things that others don’t. If you do these things, you will also be lucky.
Here are three things you need to do to get lucky:
- Be observant.
- Try new things.
- Meet new people.
Let’s look at them one by one.
1. Be observant.
Lucky people are more observant. They notice things that other people overlook. As a result, they can spot opportunities that escape others’ attention. Other people may have the same experiences, but only these people can recognize the opportunity in front of them.
How can we be more observant?
My suggestion is this: keep an idea journal. Make it a habit to write down the ideas you get. It might seem simple, but this habit can make a big difference in your life.
If you keep an idea journal, you will become observant. Why? Because you are always looking for something to write in your journal. You won’t let an idea go unnoticed. You will catch it and record it in your journal.
I have been keeping an idea journal for years. In the past two years alone, I have recorded more than 1000 ideas in it.
2. Try new things.
Trying new things introduces you to new worlds that you might not experience otherwise. As a result, you provide more “doors” for opportunities to come to you.
A good way to try new things is to have side projects. Having side projects allows you to explore something new in a practical way. In a side project, you create something real – but you don’t have to leave your day job for it.
You never know what opportunities might come to you through side projects. This blog, for instance, started as a side project. Over time, it grew to the point where it allowed me to leave my day job.
My current side project is game development. I have spent some time to learn the techniques, and now I’m working on my first (simple) game.
3. Meet new people.
Similar to trying new things, meeting new people opens more doors for opportunities to come to you. New people could give you new ideas and the contacts to make them happen.
A good way to meet new people is to join a social club. The more diverse the clubs you join, the better – because you will then meet different kinds of people.
In my case, I recently joined Toastmasters. I routinely meet interesting new people there.
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In essence, here is how you get lucky:
- You provide “doors” for opportunities to come to you (#2 and #3 above).
- You spot the opportunities once they come (#1).
The better you do these two things, the luckier you will get. People will see you as being in the right place at the right time.
What do you think? Any thoughts on how to get lucky? Please share them in the comments.
I completely agree with this, sometimes you have to shake things up to get lucky. It means opening yourself up to new experiences that can lead to new opportunities. I have found that people are very willing to connect when you open yourself up to do so, they will also share so much information with you. You just have to figure out a way to take advantage of it.
“sometimes you have to shake things up to get lucky. It means opening yourself up to new experiences that can lead to new opportunities.”
That’s a good way to put it, Diana. Thanks for sharing!
The three attributes you stated will ready you to receive new opportunities and are powerful with a positive mindset.
Yes, it’s like what Seneca once said: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
Trying new things is really important and we must keep trying despite failure. The ones that get the lucky breaks aren’t the ones that gave up at the first sign of difficulty.
Exactly. You need to keep at it to get lucky.
So you started this blog as a side project and eventually was able to leave your day job. Now that made my heart sing because I’m starting a blog as a side project as well and it’s kind of scary to put yourself out there into cyberspace. It can be like a black hole.
Indeed, it’s kind of scary. But – by having it as a side project – you still have your day job. So it’s a managed risk.
You make your own luck – hence the saying the harder I work the luckier I get! But I do believe you get more of what you focus on – so by keeping opportunities in the forefront of your mind I think you experience more opportunities coming to your attention.