Do you ever feel like other people have all the luck, while you're stuck doing the same (boring) thing over and over again? Maybe you feel like your friends scoop up all the good jobs, all the good partners, and have all the fun while your life never changes? If so, you definitely need to work on bringing more luck into your life.
I know, you're probably thinking, "That sounds great. But there's no such thing as luck." And you'd be right. Luck definitely isn't what people think it is, and it certainly doesn't involve four leaf clovers or anything like that. "Luck ... is a mindset, a way of attracting what you want," happiness expert Vernon Brown tells Bustle. "We've all heard the phrase, 'If you go out looking for trouble, you will find it.' Well, the same works in the opposite direction." And that's what it means to have luck.
Basically, if you want better things in your life, you have to open yourself to new opportunities. And you have to be willing to change. "The limitations that bind us to bad luck are often unspoken and subconscious, and all of that can become bad habits," says Lori DiGuardi, an author, coach, and TEDx Speaker. "And like any bad habit, bad luck requires self-awareness to break. The common denominator in all your bad luck experiences is you. So you must start there."
Here are some helpful ways to turn things around, and attract more luck to your life.
1. Start Your Day With Gratitude
To get yourself in the right state of mind, make a habit of practicing gratitude. "Start each day by writing or saying out loud at least five things that you appreciate about that moment or day," Madeleine Culbertson, a life coach and yoga instructor, tells Bustle. While it may seem trivial, I promise it'll change your outlook on life.
2. Stay As Positive As Possible
Once you're feeling grateful, try to keep that positivity going throughout the day. While it may be difficult (and not always possible), it's important to have high hopes for yourself.
"Positive energy attracts positive energy," says spiritual counselor Davida Rappaport. "When you shift your thinking, and look at what improvements you can make in your life, you will gradually start to see things shift as well."
3. Fake It 'Til You Make It
When things aren't going your way, prevent yourself from getting too negative with a few positive affirmations.
"Think of it as the 'fake it 'til you make it' way of doing things," Rappaport says. "If you schedule a time each day to recite daily affirmations and put some intent into this practice, things will shift — sometimes quickly, sometimes a bit slower. Stay with it and invest your energy accordingly."
4. Live As If You've Already Met Your Goals
I'm not saying you should spend money you don't have, or anything like that. But you should set aside time each day to act as if you've already met your goals.
"Write a thank you letter accepting your dream job, carve out time in your schedule for your new [partner], or plan the fun trip or experience you will have when you get more money, etc.," Culbertson says.
It may sound like wishful thinking, and it is. But it's also about setting that all-important intention.
5. Meet As Many People As You Can
When it comes to making new friends, meeting a partner, or scoring a new job, sometimes it's all about knowing the right people. Or at least a lot of people. "A saying I think is very true: the more people you know, the luckier you are," says life coach and licensed esthetician Pearl Dworkin. "When you have a wide friend and varied social network, you automatically are exposed to more opportunities and might seem 'luckier.'" So get out there and start networking.
6. Go Ahead And Plant Some "Seeds"
In order for good things to come your way, you have to plant some proverbial seeds.
"To me this means taking chances, entering contests, buying that raffle ticket, smiling and saying 'hi' to the cute [person] at the grocery store, or maybe sending an email asking for an opportunity that you may not otherwise ask for," Dworkin says. "Luck favors the adventurers and risk takers."
7. Be The Most Charismatic Person In The Room
If you're giving off good vibes, good things will come your way. So go ahead and be as charismatic as possible. "Walk with a sense of direction, head held high, and shoulders back with a smile on your face," says Brown. While you don't have to act contrary to your true personality, being more open and inviting can attract positive people — and thus more positive experiences.
8. Don't Keep Your Goals A Secret
The more people who know about your dreams, the more likely it is they'll come true. Do you want to be an author? Would you really like to travel the world? Start talking about it. And don't be afraid to ask for help. As holistic creativity coach Michele Jennae says, "There's no shame in recruiting help from your friends and real-life muses." That's how things get done.
9. Try A New Approach
If you keep doin' the same thing over and over again, you shouldn't be surprised if nothing changes.
"I let clients know, if you're not having 'luck' doing what you're doing, you need to do something else," licensed psychologist Crystal I. Lee, Psy.D. tells Bustle. "That might mean getting outside of your comfort zone and stretching yourself in ways you never have before. But it'll pay off."
10. Expect Good Things To Come Your Way
There's something to be said for being as optimistic as possible. "We get what we expect," says Jennae. "If we expect to be lucky, we're more likely to be in tune with opportunities." Again, it's all about positivity and how it (almost magically) attracts good things your way.
11. Write It All Down
Write down your personal narrative, or make a vision board that shows off all your hopes and dreams. Then refer to it daily. "If you keep a representation of your goals close at hand and revisit it frequently, your objectives will be top of mind (and subconsciously, become all the more attainable)," says credentialed life coach La Tondra Murray, Ph.D., ACC. Makes sense, right?
12. Surround Yourself With Positive People
If you have negative people in your life, consider backing off on those relationships for a while. "The last thing you need is someone dragging you down," Rappaport says. "Shifting your group of friends changes the energy around you." And it can even change your luck.
13. Let It All Go
Put in the work every day, but do allow yourself to relax and "let it all go." As soul coach Carmelle Kemp says, "One of the biggest mistakes in manifesting our dreams is that we attach a timeline to it [even though] the timing is not really up to us." So don't force it, and don't stress yourself out.
While it may take time to see noticeable changes in your life, luck will come your way — if only you'll allow it.
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