Why are some people luckier than others? What do lucky people do that others don’t? They set goals, work hard and master the skills for making their own luck. Here are the five luck skills.
- Challenging Assumptions is questioning what most people see as the truth or status quo. It’s examining your belief systems, asking why things are always done a certain way, seeking new alternatives, and developing a number of solutions. There is often more than one right answer.
- Recognizing Opportunities is perceiving patterns, seeing things in new ways, and making connections between seemingly unrelated ideas, objects or events. Try creating order out of chaos, seeing the commonplace with fresh perceptions, and looking at the differences and similarities in things with new eyes. And, once you recognize opportunities, take advantage of them.
- Using Chance is taking advantage of the unexpected. It is overcoming procrastination by seeing chance as a call for action, following through to leverage opportunities, and understanding that the window of opportunity for luck is time-sensitive.
- Taking Risks is daring to try new ways with no control over the outcome. It’s not being afraid to be wrong, make mistakes, look foolish or fail. It’s developing risk tolerance by initially taking small risks and being willing to take long shots for a worthwhile outcome. Taking risks becomes easier when you ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” and then deciding you can live with the worst or strategizing to lower the chances of it happening.
Every new venture or new job requires taking a risk. You might make mistakes; you might fail. But you can’t grow without stretching and there isn’t anyone who has succeeded at anything who didn’t take some measure of risk. You can’t succeed unless you are willing to fail. For most people, risk taking is the most difficult of the luck skills. You must overcome your fears in order to take risks.
- Building Networks is forming linkages between people to exchange ideas, information, connections and encouragement. A net is stronger than its separate strands. Networking requires being active and visible, asking for help when you need it (since other people are not mind readers), taking initiative, following up, and showing appreciation for help and contacts. Networking is a way of life, not something you just do when you need help or a job. Luck by design particularly thrives in a strong network of contacts and resources.
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