For years, my favorite quotation has been something computer scientist Alan Kay once said: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” In other words, you create your own luck—and your own future.
Success is where preparation and opportunity meet. If you’re prepared for an opportunity when it arrives on your doorstep, and you’re willing to take it, then success will be yours.
Here are five powerful ways to make your own luck—and to invent your own future.
1. Tap Into Your Optimism
Optimistic people naturally create lots of good luck. Studies have proven that more than 80% of people who feel they’re lucky actually work harder at creating their good luck. On the flip side, people who feel unlucky tend to believe that bad luck just happens (to them, a lot) and that it isn’t something they have any power to change. Lucky people view the world with optimism. When bad things happen—and they do—it is their optimism that makes them extremely resilient. They are able to pick themselves up and face another day—creating more good luck. So tap into your optimism and begin creating your own good luck.
2. Be Open to the Possibilities
Get to know as many people as you possibly can and build an extensive network of contacts. Constantly be on the watch for potential opportunities, and work hard to make them happen. Be open to the possibilities—even if it means embracing a different way of thinking about something, or a big life or career change.
3. Listen to Your Inner Voice
A lot of times, people don’t listen to their inner voice—their intuition—and then soon regret it. How many times have you said to yourself, “If only I had listened to myself?” The next time you have to make an important decision about the future, first clear your mind—even deep breathing works. By calming your thoughts, you will be able to hear your inner voice that much louder and act upon it.
4. Shoot for the Moon
You’ve heard the saying, “Shoot for the moon and you might just catch some stars on the way down.” It’s true! You can create your own luck by setting goals that you’re not sure you can achieve, and then going for it and working hard to make them real. By working hard toward your biggest dreams, new opportunities can and will be realized—including some you may never have considered. Seizing these opportunities and making the most of them is how we make our own luck.
5. There Is No Finish Line
In order to continue to create your own luck, you need to remind yourself that there is never a finish line. Never stop learning and growing. Reminding yourself that there will never be a finish line and continuing to learn and grow and remain optimistic will bring you the best luck of all—happiness and contentment with your life and who you are.