What can you do to have more luck in life?
Is luck something some people are born with — while others, unfortunately, are not?
Is it a mysterious, almost magical quality that makes everything “fall into place” for some, while others constantly struggle uphill?
For years, we believed that luck was a matter of chance. Fate, a gift from the universe, a streak of good fortune. Each of us longs for “a bit of luck in life,” yet most people believe they belong to the group of the “unlucky,” not the fortunate “chosen ones.”
But is it really true that some of us are born under a lucky star, while others are somehow destined for constant setbacks?
In fact, luck is not a matter of chance at all. People are not born as favourites of fortune or eternal underdogs.
Psychological research shows that luck is not a gift — it is a skill.
One of the books that explains this in a particularly clear way is The Luck Factor by psychologist Richard Wiseman.
Luck is not magic, but a way of acting
For many years, Wiseman studied people who described themselves as either very lucky or very unlucky. He wanted to understand: what really sets them apart?
The results were surprising — it wasn’t fate that differed, but behaviour and mindset.
Lucky people, contrary to what we often believe, do not have a “better start,” are not protected from problems, and do not avoid difficult experiences.
The difference lies in how those who consider themselves “lucky” respond to what happens in their lives.
Lucky people see more
One of the key traits of lucky people is openness. They are more attentive, curious about the world and about others. As a result, they notice opportunities that others overlook.
Not because the world offers them more, but because they are not overly tense, not obsessively focused on one scenario. They allow themselves flexibility and ease, and they remain open to other people.
Bad luck often does not come from a lack of opportunities, but from not noticing them.
What does it really mean that people we consider lucky are more open to life, opportunities, and others — while “unlucky” people are the opposite?
Wiseman’s team conducted an experiment involving a man who considered himself very lucky and a woman who saw herself as consistently unlucky.
Each of them was invited to a café. Before entering, a banknote was placed near a rubbish bin outside. Inside, there was only one available seat for each participant — next to a “planted” person.
The man who saw himself as lucky noticed the banknote near the bin and picked it up. Inside the café, he sat next to the “planted” person and quickly started a conversation. As a result, the “stranger” paid for his coffee.
The woman who considered herself unlucky did not notice the banknote. Inside, she sat next to the same type of “planted” person but did not engage in any interaction. On the contrary — she remained withdrawn, avoided eye contact, and felt irritated that she had to share space with a stranger.
Afterwards, she described the experience as unpleasant — and, of course, “unlucky,” since she had to pay for her own coffee.
This example shows that “luck” largely depends on our mindset and disposition.
Intuition as an inner compass
Lucky people are more likely to trust their intuition. This does not mean they act blindly or without thinking — rather, they are able to listen to subtle signals from their body and emotions.
When we are in constant stress, analysis, and tension, intuition goes quiet.
Lucky people know how to pause, check in with what they feel, and allow themselves to make decisions that may not be perfectly logical — but are aligned with who they are.
Many of Wiseman’s participants described their actions by saying they didn’t know exactly “why” they did something — they simply followed an impulse.
Expectations shape reality
What we expect has a powerful influence on what happens.
People who believe that something good will happen are more open to others, more willing to take action, and more likeable.
Not because they “attract luck,” but because they behave as if it were possible.
Those who consider themselves unlucky often expect failure — and this leads them, often unconsciously, to reinforce it or withdraw from opportunities altogether.
Why would they try or open up to others if they are convinced nothing good will happen?
Even difficult experiences can become “lucky”
One of Wiseman’s most powerful findings is that lucky people interpret the past differently.
When something difficult happens, they are more likely to find meaning, see what they have learned, and say:
“That was hard, but it gave me something.”
This is not about denying pain, but about psychological flexibility. About the ability to return to balance.
Instead of defining the past as a series of failures that still carry frustration and pain, they treat experiences as lessons from which constructive insights can be drawn for the future.
Luck can be trained
The most important message? Luck is not fixed. It can be developed.
Through changing your mindset, becoming more aware in everyday life, working with your beliefs, practising gratitude, and staying open to people and new experiences — in other words, through mindset work.
Because luck is not the absence of problems or a series of lottery wins.
It is the ability to respond to what happens to you.
It is noticing opportunities.
It is being willing to try again.
In closing
The results of psychological research may strip luck of its magic and mystery — but they are deeply optimistic.
Because if luck is a skill, then anyone can learn it.
And anyone can become “lucky.”
It starts with a shift in mindset.
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