Make Your Own Luck

“The more I practice, the luckier I get”
Arnold Palmer

Are some people are just born lucky? Or do you believe you make your own luck in life?

Lucky people get further faster, so understanding how to become luckier is a key to your success.

Do you consider yourself to be lucky? Or not? There is a misconception that people who are successful are ‘lucky’ – as if it happens by chance that they are in the right place at the right time, meeting the right people. But luck is not about sitting and waiting for something to happen – there are things you can do to engineer it. Therefore, you can have more control over your success than you realise.

Once you understand the difference between luck and chance, it is possible to become luckier. We have no control over ‘chance’ events, like winning the lottery. Chance events rarely happen to the same person. But lucky people consistently and frequently experience good fortune, because of what they are doing. Therefore, if we know what they do, we can actually learn to be lucky – and actually make good fortune happen!

‘Luck’ is an event, that occurs independently of us – the skill is in using such events to our benefit. They are unpredictable, and can be good or bad, but whichever they are, they’re significant and have an impact on us. We don’t cause luck events – they happen to us, but we can increase the number of luck events we encounter (‘the more I practice, the luckier I get’), and we always have a choice in how we respond to them. We gain the advantage by taking control of them and knowing how to use the ‘luck events’ that happen in our lives.

Although you can’t control every aspect of your business’ results, you can do a lot to influence your success. Research has identified exactly what lucky people do, and by replicating this, we can all learn to be lucky. Without even realising it, lucky people think and act in ways that create good luck in their lives. By modelling them, we can do what they do, to get similar results.

Here are your “Lucky 7” ways to create your own luck:

1. Be in the Game
How can you have any luck if you don’t take part in the game? You’ve got to be in it to win it. Don’t sit waiting for opportunity to knock at your door: get out there and be open to possibilities. When an opportunity arises, at least if you’re aware, you’ll have a choice whether to ‘go for it’ or not. Any decision is better than no decision! This is not about betting big – it’s about being in the game at all – and making sure you are around when luck happens, so that you can take advantage of it. Keep rolling the dice..

2. Prepare to be Lucky
Do the right kind of preparation in your business, like research, planning, sales and development, and you will be ready to grab these lucky, ‘chance’ opportunities when you see them. Oprah Winfrey, self-development guru Anthony Robbins, and Roman philosopher Seneca all reckon that: ‘Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity’, so it’s surprising that more people don’t create their own luck by making themselves ready for taking action.

3. Be Open to New Experiences
Lucky people create, notice, and act on any chance opportunities they encounter. They build and maintain strong networks, have a relaxed attitude, and are open to new experiences. One way to be more lucky is to be open to new experiences. If you’re too focused and driven in one single direction, you become blinkered and unable to see anything else. Recognise that there are opportunities all around you. Being open to possibility allows lucky people to maximize whichever opportunities are around them. Unlucky people get stuck in old, safe routines; whereas lucky people are open to new possibilities, more ready to take risks, and calm enough to see any opportunities there are to grab.

4. Listen to Hunches
Never underestimate gut feelings. Intuitive feelings are often right, and going with them reaps profits. Instinct isn’t just innate: it builds on the vast knowledge you’ve gathered along the way. Our brains are set up to recognise patterns, and when something feels right – it usually is, so trust it. Make effective decisions through gut feeling and listening to your intuition. Boost your intuitive abilities by clearing your mind from the clutter of thoughts.

5. Expect Good Luck
Lucky people are self-assured that the future is bright, and that good things will happen. It’s a proven fact that what you set your mind on attracts your attention. You only have to decide to buy a red Ferrari, to suddenly see red Ferraris all over the place. You only have to think about selling your house to become acutely aware of all the ‘for sale signs’ in your area.

It’s not magic – it’s your Reticular Activating System: the visual part of your brain that draws your attention to whatever’s on your mind. You’ll be surprised that what you focus on becomes apparent, so why not focus on good things? This expectation becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that helps you to persist in the face of failure and will positively affect your relationships with other people.

6. Get a High Return on Luck
It’s all very well experiencing a ‘luck event’, but you also need to ensure that you get a high return on your luck. This means making an investment in opportunities when they arise, and taking action. Many people have the same opportunities presented to them – but few take them and make use of them. The difference between doing ‘okay’ and being highly successful is in how you use luck. So optimize your ROL – your return on luck. This means making the best of any luck – good or bad. Maximise the good luck in your life, and minimize any damage done by bad luck.  Ensuring a great return on luck means greater success!

7. Turn Bad Luck Into Good
Lucky people use a variety of techniques to cope with – or even to relish – any bad luck that comes their way. They instantaneously think ‘things could have been worse’ and are grateful they weren’t. They don’t dwell on bad luck, but take control – and try to make an advantage of any difficulties they’ve had. Any challenge becomes an opportunity for better things.

So, that’s your “Lucky 7”. How are you going to use this information to make luck work for you? What can YOU do, to make your own luck? Get a great return on it, and enjoy the benefits!

Luck is too important to leave to chance. So invest in making your own luck, have fun, and enjoy the benefits of the return you make on it.

Further Reading:
Great by Choice – Jim Collins (Amazon Link UK, US)

The Luck Factor – Richard Wiseman (Amazon Link UK, US)

Blink – Malcolm Gladwell (Amazon Link UK, US)

If the above topic, or indeed any of my blogs are of interest to you, then contact me and let’s talk! Drop me an email at getintouch@marcwinn.com.

Buy Me a Coffee

Did you love this article? If so please consider buying me a coffee.

Buy Coffee

Take The 50 Coffee Adventure

A Fun, Light and Easy Way to Build Connections

Buy Now (UK) Buy Now (US)

Or search your local Amazon store for "The 50 Coffee Adventure".