Conventional wisdom posits that luck is a matter of chance; some people have it and others don’t. Ever met someone who always seems to land the dream job, meet the right people, or stumble into amazing opportunities? It’s easy to chalk it up to luck—but science suggests there’s more to it.? Could they actually be creating their luck?
Richard Wiseman, a British psychology professor at the University of Hartfordshire, has been studying how luck plays a role in our lives. He maintains that while people often attribute luck to chance, there are some significant differences between self-professed lucky people and unlucky people. According to Wiseman’s research, lucky people are better at creating and noticing opportunities.
Studies show that lucky people share some common traits and behaviors. They establish eye contact more and smile twice as often as their unlucky peers. That sociability increases the likelihood of a lucky opportunity because of simple math. The more people they meet, the more experiences they will have, the more opportunities they’ll encounter in those experiences.
“Luck is generally thought to be an external force–sometimes we’re lucky and sometimes we’re not–but it’s possible to make your own luck. To a very large extent, lucky and unlucky people are responsible for much of the good and bad fortune they encounter.” -Richard Wiseman
Here are 3 characteristics that lucky people share:
1. Optimism: Expecting the Best Opens Doors
Lucky people don’t just wait for good things to happen—they expect them. And this mindset actually changes the way they see and react to the world. Psychologists have found that optimism helps people stay persistent, take more chances, and notice opportunities that others might overlook.
🔹 How to develop it: Try reframing setbacks as temporary obstacles rather than permanent failures. Instead of thinking, "I never get good opportunities," try, "The right opportunity is coming—I just have to stay open to it."
2. Open-Mindedness: Seeing Possibilities Others Miss
Luck often comes from unexpected sources. If you’re too rigid in your thinking or routines, you might miss out on valuable opportunities. Lucky people tend to be more curious, flexible, and willing to explore different paths.
🔹 How to develop it: Say yes to more experiences! Have a conversation with someone outside your usual circle, take a different route to work, or try a new hobby. The more you expose yourself to the unknown, the more opportunities will come your way.
3. Unpredictability: Breaking Routine to Invite Luck
Lucky people don’t just stick to the same predictable patterns. They take risks, shake things up, and step outside their comfort zones. This unpredictability creates new encounters, experiences, and possibilities that wouldn’t have existed otherwise.
🔹 How to develop it: Do one thing differently every day. Change your usual coffee spot, take an impromptu day trip, or start a random conversation. Small changes can lead to big opportunities.
So, if some people are luckier than others are some places luckier than others, too? Is it possible that there are states where people are more likely to be lottery winners, have fewer car accidents, or live longer lives than others? It turns out that Minnesota is the luckiest state in the country according to those criteria. Minnesotans have an impressive life expectancy of 81, lucky years. This is helped by generally good job opportunities and a smaller than average chance of death by car accident or extreme weather.
Comments