Some people seem to have it all: a great career, lots of friends, good health, a great marriage, and plenty of money. How did they get all that? Are they just “lucky”? How can you be “lucky” too?
While good things and bad things happen to everyone, it’s the choices we make every day that determine our ultimate reality. Chances are if you really look at the “lucky” person’s life, you may find that she received some great opportunities. But the real deciding factors are that (a) she made the most of them, and (b) she helped create those opportunities in the first place by taking the right steps to prepare herself.
You have great opportunities waiting for you too, and you can help create your own “good luck.” Here are 10 actions you can take today:
1. Be Clear About What You Want – Create a Vision
Every “lucky” person I know has clarity about what they want. They have a vision and take actions that help them move closer to where they want to be. Having a clear vision about what you want in life is critical. When an opportunity presents itself, a vision helps you determine if it’s a good opportunity or a bad opportunity. Just because something seems like a good opportunity, does not mean it’s a good match with what you want in your particular life.
We all have the same hours in the day and only so much energy. If you spend your valuable time and energy on projects or “opportunities” that drain you or that take you in the wrong direction, you won’t have the resources available when a truly good opportunity comes along. When you’re clear about what you want, decision making becomes much easier. Take responsibility for your own life and for creating your own good luck with each decision you make.
Need help creating a vision? Check out my Coaching Programs.
2. Assess Your Current Situation
Stop and take an assessment of your own life. What things are going well for you right now? What things aren’t going very well? Make a list for each. For the things you listed as not going very well, what would “going well” look like to you? Be as clear and specific as possible.
For the things you listed as “going well,” why are those things going well? Are there habits or circumstances you can bring from these areas to the challenges in your life? For instance, if your job is going really well because you love what you do, could you find things you love about managing your finances to help improve that situation? Identify your strengths and find ways to bring those strengths to other areas of your life.
3. Seek Out Solutions
For the things you identified that aren’t going well in your life, begin to seek out solutions. What is one small step you can take today to begin making improvements in this area of your life? Take that small step. Then take another one tomorrow.
Try thinking “out of the box.” Begin to ask yourself, “what if?” When you are able to engage the creative right-side of your brain, you’ll be amazed at the solutions you can find.
4. Put Time and Energy into Achieving Your Dreams and Goals
“Lucky” people also consistently worked hard to get where they are today. They took time preparing for what they wanted to do. Maybe they went to school, took some specialized training courses, worked with someone in their desired field, or just practiced their skill consistently. They likely spent a lot of time working toward their goal.
Decide that you are going to work toward your goals today, and begin putting some of your time and energy in that direction. Even if you are working at another job or doing something else, carve out some time each day to work toward your dream. You’ll be surprised how opportunities will begin to present themselves.
5. Be Present
If you’re stuck thinking about all the things that happened in the past, or worrying about what might or might not happen in the future, you’re missing out on opportunities available to you right now. Focus on being present.
6. Change Your Negative Thoughts into Positive Affirmations
Stop allowing your negative thoughts to get in the way of your success. Instead of thinking, “I’m not lucky,” or “I couldn’t do that,” replace those thoughts with these positive affirmations that will help bring you good “luck:”
I am filled with good luck. Good luck flows into me like the river into the ocean. Amazing things happen in my life each day and I am grateful.
I attract good luck and opportunities into my life through positive right actions.
Amazing opportunities and good fortune are coming my way.
Good luck and good fortune come easily and naturally to me.
7. Be Happy for the Success of Others
If you find yourself feeling envious of others’ success, see if you can turn those feelings around and be happy for the person. Life is not a zero-sum game. There are more than enough good things and opportunities for everyone. When you are focused on what others are doing, it’s easy to lose sight of the actions you should be taking for your own success. By celebrating the success of others, you help build that same potential within you.
8. Practice Gratitude
When you practice being grateful for what you already have in your life, you will immediately realize you are already lucky in many ways. Practicing gratitude helps you notice the things that are already going well in your life and allows you to build on those things. When you start the day, write three things you are thankful for each morning. It will shift your outlook for the entire day.
9. Allow More Joy and Optimism Into Your Life
Allowing yourself to have more joy and optimism in your life gives you higher levels of energy, focus, and enthusiasm for life. Plus, people are more interested in working and spending time with happy, optimistic people which results in more new opportunities coming your way. Remove the negativity from your life and your attitude and you’ll make room for more good luck than you’ve ever imagined.
10. Try Things Before You Think You Are Ready
It’s easy to fall victim to the, “I’m not ready yet” syndrome. There’s always more education you could get, more certifications you could receive, or numerous other reasons for you to delay starting to work towards your dreams. Taking action, especially your first steps, can sometimes seem overwhelming. The key is understanding that you may never “feel completely ready.” Most “lucky” people will tell you, one reason they got to where they are today is because they were willing to take action, even before they thought they were ready. So today, instead of standing on the sidelines, take your first small step into the arena and begin moving toward your goals.
Now It’s Your Turn
What things do you do to create your own luck? I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below.
Hello from Montana,
It always amazes me when I am at a trade show and there are drawings there and people say “Well, no use entering, I never win anything.”
Of course you don’t win if you don’t at least make the minimum effort. It is actually a matter of math, the more you enter, the higher your chances are of being lucky.
Judy Helm Wright aka “Auntie Artichoke”
Great point Judy, I hear that a lot too and think the same thing. If you don’t try, of course you won’t win. Great to see you on my blog, hope you’re doing well!
Wise words. Taking an empowered stance over a victim mentality makes a BIG difference in the amount of “luck” we experience. Thanks for sharing this great advice.
Thanks Mira, it’s great to see you on my blog. I agree completely, taking control over your own life and decisions is transformational.