I just read How Luck Happens: Using the Science of Luck to Transform Work, Love, and Life, by Janice Kaplan and Barnaby Marsh. It’s a really awesome book into why some people are more lucky than others, and how we can leverage on things we can do in order to be luckier. In other words, luck is (partly) a SKILL that you can hone. The science of luck will be an interesting trend to watch, much like how the concept of antifragile trends, because both have their roots in complexity, systems-thinking, and chaos.
Sharing them here as reference for myself, and for anyone who might find it useful. This is not a book review, just raw notes lifted directly from the book, with some minor interpretations and categorisations of my own. This is part of my reading list for a new season.
.
Diversification
Diversify your life to get lucky, just like investing. Having many eggs or many different baskets.
Risky approach which may bring big rewards: Diversify away from the middle, load up on either end - extremely safe or extremely risky. Bet on black swans, disruption to the dominant way.
Going for broke and all out, is a myth with regards to luck.
Find right balance of eggs in basket. Don’t get too precious/myopic with what you have currently that you forget to look out for backups.
Diversify across 2-3 options. Simplest is a primary and a fallback, and a third outlier one that’s completely different in case first two failed for same reasons.
Diversifying doesn’t mean you don’t commit to what you’re currently doing. Throw yourself fully into whatever is current, but have a next egg hatching.
.
Action - lucky break doesn’t mean lucky outcome.
A lucky break is just a foot in the door.
You still need to be prepared, recognise it, know what to do after the big opportunity comes, and want to make the most of it, otherwise if mishandled it leads to nothing, or worse, disaster.
Lucky break doesn’t mean it has to be big or life-changing. Luck builds on luck. Cumulative advantage of tiny breaks can compound through multiplier effect into big ones, sometimes longitudinally over your lifetime.
Every exit is an entrance to somewhere else.
.
Aspiration - lucky life
Having larger life aspirations/goals puts yourself in the right place for luck to happen.
You need context in order to see opportunities as opportunities, even if you need to be open to new opportunities.
Planned serendipity is key.
Dealing with circumstances as they come up increases your luck, instead if trying to predict what will happen.
Fate is what will happen if you don’t do anything, but destiny is your potential and requires your action along the way.
Navigate with a compass, not a map. In a quickly changing world, a general idea of where you’re headed, but stay flexible and make turns.
Change keeps you young, so never stop changing.
.
Lucky attitude
Believe you’re lucky to be lucky. If you don’t think you’re lucky, you won’t be lucky.
Believing yourself as lucky and having others see you that way, adds to your luck.
“I’d rather have generals who are lucky than good.” - Napoleon
Interview question: “Are you a lucky person?”
Right outlook - openness, willingness to try the unexpected, positive attitude, optimism and sense of hope, i.e. positive emotions are essential for lucky life.
Reinforce good moods, treat triumph and disaster the same, to increase your luck.