You’ve probably known someone who just seems…lucky. They happen upon a great deal, getting the timing right, sit on the plane next to the right person. It just seems that opportunity is always opening doors for them.
America loves an overnight success story, so we don’t often talk about the long hours, exhaustive research or practiced pitches (of ourselves) that create the foundation of our success. We make it all seem like luck.
But what does that “luck” look like? Is it really about stars aligning?
Inc. magazine ran down a list of ways to improve your luck.
Try (a Lot) More Things
Say you really, really want to sell more of your app. Do you try one thing—say, promotional placement on the app store. It raises sales a little but doesn’t change the game, maybe because there was a different release the same day. You think that was just bad luck. But what if you kept trying? What if you wrote blogs or created an ad? What if you did interviews on
podcasts, what if your “bad timing” story became part of how you show resilience? Keep throwing darts at the dartboard and you’ll rack up points
even if you don’t land a bullseye.
Meet Many More People
What’s true for activities is true for people, too. You may not know investment bankers. But maybe you know people who are investment banker-adjacent. Check out your alumni club, your professional organizations, neighborhood councils. You never know where they will lead you or who you can meet.
Expand Your Boundaries
Ever heard that Einstein’s definition of insanity? It’s “trying the same thing and expecting different results”. Creating good luck is all about trying in a lot of different ways to get where you want to go. Take a class. Learn something new. Volunteer. Make new connections, not just socially, but intellectually.
Give
Birds of a feather flock together. That means that if you are involved in giving—volunteering, speaking on a panel, mentoring—you will be thrown in with other people who like to give. And that may give you a group of people who will respond when you ask for help.
Ask
You never know when you’re just a single “yes” away from changing your luck. And “yes’s” happen for a lot of reasons. But you’ll never hear it if you don’t ask.
In a world of so much uncertainty, don’t leave luck up to chance. Create it!
To Your Continued Success,
Luis Raul Scott, Jr.
