Psychology Says The More You Do These 8 Things, The Luckier In Life You'll Be
The foundational habits that will attract more success into your life.
MangoStar_Studio | Canva Lucky is not a personality trait. Nor is it a divine blessing. I’ve spent years figuring out what makes people find success and attract positive things into their lives. I learned that being lucky results from a series of creative acts.
It’s not something you are born with. It’s not a gift afforded to people from specific cultural groups over others. In other words, luck is the result of lucky habits. The more these habits are enacted, the luckier in life you'll be:
The more you do these things, the luckier in life you'll be:
1. Expose yourself to opportunity
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Given that luck happens when you expose yourself to more opportunities, the missing foundational catalyst in creating more options for you is: do more. The more action you take, the more the world will take notice.
Be a maniac. Attention placed on you and your work through doing more will bring more luck into your life.
2. Do hard things
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Why not focus on what is easy and only on what makes you happy? Because ‘hard’ is almost always code for high-leverage activities that make you nervous or feel challenged.
Hard things, be it having difficult conversations with people or speaking on a stage, put you ahead of most people because most people avoid these things. Beyond opening up more rewards for you, demanding things will stretch you and make you stronger — therefore propelling you even further.
Doing hard things is often linked to personal growth, increased resilience, and a sense of accomplishment. This is primarily driven by the brain's reward system, which releases dopamine when we overcome challenges.
A study from Vanderbilt University explained how this leads to a positive feedback loop that motivates us to tackle even more challenging tasks. Neuroplasticity further supports this, as the brain adapts and rewires to handle demanding situations better.
3. Prioritize flexibility
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Unlucky people limit themselves and their environments, inadvertently making their life devoid of luck.
When a challenge veers into view, whether a hefty tax bill, a divorce, or the threat of environmental disaster, they are forced to take significant losses.
Lucky people are continually aware of the need to remain flexible and footloose with a mature approach to creating backups and safety nets in their lives to endure fewer losses and — ultimately — enjoy more ‘lucky’ wins.
4. Risk being disliked
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The greatest documented fear beyond death itself is our fear of being criticized by others. As such, most people actively avoid the pain of conflict and the potential to be rejected.
Avoidance has never been part of any formula for a lucky life. To be lucky, you must be willing to have people dislike you. This means getting yourself out there, speaking your truth, and being bold.
The fear of being disliked is primarily rooted in our innate need for social connection and belonging, making the potential for rejection a significant threat. A 2020 study published in Cogent Psychology found that this fear can manifest as hypervigilance to social cues and a tendency to people-please. It can even lead to anxiety when faced with situations where others might not like you, often stemming from past experiences or perceived inadequacies.
5. Consistently take risks
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Taking risks doesn’t mean you live recklessly and do stupid things that put your life at risk. Lucky people know that they must be okay with taking on a risk for greater rewards.
But not just any risk. Ask any wealthy or incredibly successful person how they got there, and most will talk about taking regular, thought-through, calculated risks. Luck rarely comes off the back of playing it safe.
6. Give more than you take
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Many miserable people who never seem to get anywhere share a common habit: they are takers. They expect things to be a certain way and get more upset when things don’t go their way.
They exist in an endless cycle of victimhood, always quick to blame others for their misfortunes. Happy, lucky winners know that rewards will come their way in abundance when they follow the hidden Universal rule: you get what you give.
The more one gives, be it in sharing value and generosity or giving without expectation, the more will be reciprocated. There isn’t a direct formula in this, but the more one gives in general, the more likely you are to prompt others to return the flow of energy to you.
The positive impact that actively helping and supporting others can have on an individual's mental and emotional well-being often leads to feelings of fulfillment, increased self-esteem, and a sense of purpose — giving triggers the release of endorphins, creating a helper's high and fostering strong social connections.
However, a 2024 study found that sharing can have negative consequences if done excessively, leading to burnout and feeling taken advantage of if not balanced with receiving support.
7. Focus on creating, not consuming
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If consuming is equivalent to staying at home, creating opens the door and stepping outside. Luck isn’t waiting for you in your living room.
You must leave home and focus on creating new things, whether new products, a piece of art, a relationship, or writing a book.
And you must create every day. If you’re not creating, you live life passively, and passive is a slow death.
Lucky people know that creation is about moving fearlessly. Only in creative motion will you beat a path to the fantastic rewards that make life worth living.
8. Make the first move
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Lucky people are well aware of the spell that steers most people: they can’t act unless they know it will mean being accepted. Lucky people act whether it will lead to acceptance from others or not.
Making the first move involves a complex interplay of self-esteem, fear of rejection, social norms, and the desire for connection. A 2017 study found that individuals must overcome their anxieties to initiate contact with someone they are attracted to. This often requires balancing confidence and consideration for the other person's feelings. Making the first move can be seen as a test of personal agency and a way to actively pursue a potential relationship.
This could look like starting a unique business, being an early adopter, or talking to a stranger. This often means that decisions can lead to making mistakes, looking bad, and being criticized. Lucky people care less.
They know that by committing to a strategy of making the first move often, they open themselves to a vast array of treasures that the scared, conformist masses will never enjoy.
Alex Mathers is a writer and coach who helps you build a money-making personal brand with your knowledge and skills while staying mentally resilient. He's the author of the Mastery Den newsletter, which helps people triple their productivity.