How to Get “Luckier” in Life: How Shifting Your Mindset Can Lead to Success

Have you ever met someone who always seems to be in the right place at the right time? They land the perfect job, meet the right people, and somehow manage to turn every setback into an opportunity. It’s easy to chalk their success up to luck, but what if luck isn’t just random? What if you could actually create more luck in your life by shifting your mindset?

While luck often appears to be a matter of chance, research and real-world experience suggest that it’s deeply connected to our attitudes, actions, and perspectives. The good news? You don’t have to wait for luck to find you—you can cultivate it. Here’s how shifting your mindset can increase your opportunities and make you “luckier” in life.

1. Embrace a Growth Mindset

The first step to attracting more luck is adopting a growth mindset, a term popularized by psychologist Carol Dweck. A growth mindset means believing that your abilities, intelligence, and circumstances are not fixed—they can be developed with effort and learning.

People with a fixed mindset tend to see challenges as threats and failures as proof that they’re not capable. In contrast, those with a growth mindset view setbacks as opportunities to improve. This shift in thinking makes all the difference. When you believe that effort leads to improvement, you’ll take more risks, persist longer, and ultimately create more opportunities—what many might call “luck.”

How to Develop a Growth Mindset:

•    Replace “I can’t” with “I haven’t yet.”

•    Seek feedback and learn from criticism rather than avoiding it.

•    Focus on progress rather than perfection.

•    Celebrate effort and resilience, not just results.

2. Be Open to New Experiences

Lucky people tend to be open to new experiences and willing to step outside their comfort zones. When you try new things—whether it’s traveling to a new place, picking up a new hobby, or striking up a conversation with a stranger—you increase your chances of encountering unexpected opportunities.

Psychologist Richard Wiseman, who has studied the science of luck, found that people who consider themselves lucky are more likely to notice and act on chance encounters. They don’t just walk past opportunities; they recognize them and take action.

How to Cultivate Openness:

•    Say yes to invitations and opportunities, even when they feel unfamiliar.

•    Switch up your routine to expose yourself to new experiences.

•    Practice mindfulness to become more aware of the possibilities around you.

3. Develop a Positive Outlook

Optimism is a key ingredient in what people perceive as luck. Those who expect good things to happen are more likely to take actions that make positive outcomes more likely. They also recover from failure more quickly and keep moving forward.

When you have a negative mindset, you may not even see opportunities because you’re focused on what could go wrong. On the other hand, a positive mindset helps you notice doors opening and encourages you to walk through them.

How to Foster Positivity:

•    Practice gratitude by writing down things you’re thankful for daily.

•    Reframe failures as learning experiences.

•    Surround yourself with optimistic and supportive people.

•    Engage in self-affirmations to boost confidence.

4. Build Strong Relationships

Networking isn’t just about professional advancement—it’s one of the key ways people get lucky. Many great opportunities come through other people, whether it’s a job offer, an investment tip, or an introduction to someone who can change your life.

Lucky people tend to have strong, diverse social networks. They stay connected, show genuine interest in others, and give without expecting immediate returns. This creates goodwill and increases the likelihood that opportunities will come their way.

How to Expand Your Network:

•    Attend events, both social and professional, to meet new people.

•    Be a giver—help others without expecting anything in return.

•    Follow up and stay in touch with acquaintances.

•    Approach networking with curiosity rather than a transactional mindset.

5. Take More Action

Luck favors the bold. People who are seen as lucky often take more action than those who don’t. They apply for more jobs, pitch more ideas, and put themselves in situations where opportunities can arise.

Many people assume they need to wait for the “perfect” opportunity, but the truth is, that success often comes from creating many opportunities and seeing which ones stick. Even if you face rejection, each attempt increases your chances of finding the right fit.

How to Take More Action:

•    Set clear goals and break them into actionable steps.

•    Move forward despite fear—confidence comes from action, not the other way around.

•    Accept rejection as part of the process and keep trying.

•    Take small risks regularly to build resilience.

6. Trust Your Intuition

Intuition is often dismissed as irrational, but in reality, it’s your brain processing information at a deeper level. Many lucky people report that they “just had a feeling” about a decision or opportunity. That’s because they’ve learned to trust their instincts.

When you ignore your intuition, you may overlook important opportunities. On the other hand, learning to listen to your gut can help you make better decisions, especially when logic alone doesn’t provide a clear answer.

How to Strengthen Your Intuition:

•    Spend time in quiet reflection or meditation to tune into your inner voice.

•    Pay attention to patterns in your life and how certain choices have played out.

•    When making decisions, check in with how they make you feel, not just what seems logical.

7. Reframe Setbacks as Opportunities

Finally, one of the biggest secrets of lucky people is their ability to turn setbacks into stepping stones. Instead of seeing failures as the end of the road, they ask, What can I learn from this? How can I use this experience to grow?

Every setback contains valuable lessons and, often, hidden opportunities. The difference between lucky and unlucky people isn’t that lucky people never fail—it’s that they see failure as part of the journey rather than a dead end.

How to Reframe Setbacks:

•    Ask, What’s the lesson here? Instead of Why me?

•    Identify any new opportunities that arose because of the setback.

•    Remind yourself of past challenges you’ve overcome.

•    Stay flexible and willing to pivot when things don’t go as planned.

Getting “luckier” in life isn’t about magic or chance—it’s about mindset. By adopting a growth mindset, staying open to opportunities, cultivating optimism, building strong relationships, taking action, trusting your intuition, and reframing setbacks, you can dramatically increase your chances of success.

In the end, luck is often just a preparation meeting opportunity. And the more you create opportunities, the luckier you’ll become.

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