While it might feel like some people have all the luck, those #blessed folks likely understand that it takes a lot of effort when it comes to how to have more luck in life. Sure, from the outside it might seem like the universe is handing them great jobs, tons of success, and wonderful partners on a silver platter. But rest assured — it's all happening because they're making it happen.
And that's good news, really, because it means the rest of us can be lucky, too. "Luck is preparation meeting opportunity," psychotherapist Amanda Stemen, MS, LCSW tells Bustle. "I believe that what we want is always there in some form, but we often aren't aware of it because we're focused on something else — often the lack of [what] we want. So it's simply a matter of refocusing our attention on what we want and then looking at the world through an open lens. In looking at it like that, we all have access to 'luck.'" It really can be as easy as that. By knowing what you want, and being ready to receive it from the universe (on a silver platter), you can have all the luck you want. Here's how to do it.
1Keep Your Eyes Open
It can be tough to spot good opportunities when you aren't present, and keeping your eyes peeled for them. And it's even tougher when you're expecting bad things to happen, since that focuses your attention on the negative, instead of the positive that's often right there in front of your face.
So try to be more mindful, as well as open and receptive to the world around you. As Stemen says, "I think the luckiest people are those who are always open ... and that allows them to seize opportunities as they happen."
2Hit The Pavement
You can sit in your room and send out positive vibes to the universe, and dream about what you want. But in order for any of it to come true, you need to get out there and make moves.
"Luck is about ideas and connections," Benjamin Hardy, author of the upcoming book, Willpower Doesn't Work, tells Bustle. "It's about putting yourself in the right place at the right time. How do you get into the right place? You invest in yourself and your relationships so that you can be in rare environments where only certain kinds of luck, inaccessible 'luck' to most people, can strike."
Maybe that means going back to school and filling in gaps in your education. Interning. Or going to networking events. If you're out in the world making things happen, things will happen.
3Put In The Hours
Think of someone you know who has achieved an incredible goal, or someone who has a lot of talent and success. Sure, a small amount of the world is born with raw talent. But everyone else has to put in the hours necessary to get on that level.
"What people often fail to see when someone appears to have a lot of 'luck' it is the countless hours [they] put into making something work," chief empowerment officer Brandyce Stephenson tells Bustle. "We are so used to instant gratification. In my experience, luck actually takes work. Yes, there is being in the right place at the right time, for instance, but you have to show up to be in that right place at the right time. Taking consistent action toward your goals and being persistent in pursuit of those goals is just one way someone can increase their luck. "
4Surround Yourself With Positive People
Most people achieve success by knowing the right people. And that can be achieved by anyone, simply by getting out there and networking. Oh, and making sure that you have a solid support group.
"Surround yourself with happy, positive, empowering people," psychic and spiritual counselor Davida Rappaport tells Bustle. "Shift your circle of friends if they are toxic. You want your energy and the energy around you to reflect positivity and success."
5Make Room In Your Life
In order to have good things coming into your life, there has to be physical, mental, and emotional room. So go ahead and clear the space. "This means physically clear your space (at home, in the car). Mentally, emotionally, and spiritually clear and cleanse," certified life and mentor coach and intuitive consultant Julie Cusmariu tells Bustle. "Clear and shed what no longer serves you and your intention and heart’s desire." A therapist or loved one can help you shed past emotions hanging around, so new, great things can enter into your brain. But there's something pretty magical about simply cleaning up your living space, too.
6Be Kind
It's easier to get ahead if people are on your side, so be kind whenever you can. If others regard you as someone who is helpful, a good listener, and easy to relate to, you will stick out in their minds, psychotherapist and author Jeffrey Von Glahn, PhD tells Bustle. "In having an engaging personality and an openness to your experience and to your surroundings, rather than the opposite, you are creating an environment in which you are taking in more information than most others do. All of this increases the chances, the probability, that a 'surprise' will happen." And that surprise can be new connections for your dream job, or a potential partner.
7Know Exactly What You Want
Above everything else, you need to know what you want, and be able to express it clearly, in order for it to come your way. "You can increase your luck in life by being crystal clear about what you want," happiness coach Susan Rose tells Bustle. "When you are focused on what you want rather than what you don't want — or worse, what you would settle for — you put yourself into a mindset of receiving that."
But by knowing what you want (and hey, maybe even creating a vision board so you can physically see it every day) good things'll happen. "Your subconscious starts looking for it everywhere and finds it, which some people call luck and those in my line of life coaching call manifesting. The key is to be clear and specific about the desire so you aren't putting out mixed messages."
By following these guidelines, you'll increase the luck in your life, and have a better shot at getting and achieving all the things that are most important to you.
