Top 10 Ways To Increase Your "Luck"

roshan.thiran@leaderonomics.com

So, how do we turn “bad luck” into “opportunity”, and how do we recognise and seize “good luck” when it happens?

Here are my top 10 ways to increase your “luck”:

1. Be a believer

There are heaps of opportunities in life. We need to be abundant thinkers who always believe that there are amazing opportunities to leverage.

A negative person generally is a scarce thinker, believing that all the best opportunities in the world have been taken. The theory called the Pygmalion Effect states that you get what you expect.

Most “lucky” people expect the best, and are confident that their future is going to be great. Somehow, these expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies.

Ask around and you’ll find that “lucky” and “unlucky” people have astoundingly different expectations.

2. Be action biased

Inaction is the surest path to failure. If you keep trying, you will ultimately succeed and luck will be on your side. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t be afraid to fail.

3. Make the most out of unplanned events

The unexpected will constantly bombard us. Learn to love spontaneity and enjoy it. New opportunities may unfold when we least expect it.

4. Be aware

Always ask questions and explore your surroundings. Lucky people are aware of what is happening around them and are continuously searching for opportunities.

5. Don’t be afraid to say yes

In the movie Yes Man, Jim Carrey was made to say “yes” to everything. He ended up being ‘lucky’ by unearthing new opportunities and even met the woman of his dreams. So, say “yes” more times than you do “no”.

6. Never eat alone

Building and maintaining a strong social network with other people is critical to success. If you love people, and love being with people, new opportunities will always appear.

People provide support in times of trouble, act as resources when you need information, and most importantly, they can bring you “luck” by their valuable connections to social networks.

So, make sure you limit your eating alone to one meal a day. After all, in Asia, food places are where most relationships are built.

7. Overcome self-sabotage

Our greatest enemy is ourselves. Don’t beat yourself up with negativity and destructive self-talk. Stop using words like “I can’t” before even trying.

8. Be curious and don’t be afraid to ask

Take risks and ask. Curiosity doesn’t kill the cat. It opens up new opportunities.

Travel, try new things and don’t stay in your comfort zone. Your return of luck (ROL) magnifies when you identify these lucky breaks and leverage them.

9. Help others and ask for help

I have learnt that the more I give of myself to others, the luckier I am. The more I give, the more blessings I receive.

At the same time, don’t be afraid to ask for help too. Lucky people ask for help and they reciprocate when others need help.

10. Pray often and do good always

Many people turn to a greater power to help them increase their luck. Some say a prayer before they start their day for the strength and the positive attitude they need to not give up.

And do good always. As Datuk Seri Idris Jala reiterated to me, when you do good often, good will befall you. Karma has a way of rewarding do-gooders.

To read the full story: Luck Is Not Luck: You Can Influence Your Return On Luck

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