How Luck Happens

Sharing my learnings from the book, How Luck Happens by Janice Kaplan & Barnaby Marsh

How Luck Happens by Janice Kaplan & Barnaby Marsh

After spending a year researching and experiencing gratitude for The Gratitude Diaries, Janice Kaplan is back to tackle another big, mysterious influence in all our lives: luck. And this time she’s joined on her journey by coauthor Dr. Barnaby Marsh, a renowned academic who guides her exploration. 

Together they uncover the unexpected, little-understood science behind what we call “luck,” proving that many seemingly random events are actually under your–and everyone’s–control. They examine the factors that made stars like Harrison Ford and Jonathan Groff so successful, and learn the real secrets that made Kate Spade and Warby Parker into global brands. Using original research, fascinating studies, and engaging interviews, Kaplan and Marsh reveal the simple techniques to create luck in love and marriage, business and career, and health, happiness, and family relationships. Their breakthrough insights prove that all of us–from CEOs to stay-at-home moms–can tip the scales of fortune in our favor. 

• It’s important to understand that while chance is totally out of our control, it’s always accompanied by other factors that we can control. In fact, luck is the result of chance meeting talent and hard work, and increasing your luck involves preparation and the ability to seize opportunities.
• there are a few ways to help you transform your day-to-day approach to life and improve your luck.
  • be persistent and passionate about your ideas. With enough determination and hard work, you will eventually find the break you need.
  • they must be combined with placement – that is, putting yourself where luck will be. if you put yourself in places where opportunities are likely to arise, you’ll increase your probability of success.
  • you need to start thinking differently.
• several techniques you can adopt in your life that will help you be ready when an opportunity comes knocking
  • establish a wide network of acquaintances. The possibility of new opportunities is greater when you’re around people you hardly know, as opposed to your close network of friends and family (the strength of weak ties)
  • diversify your life. You never know what will pay off, so having multiple activities will increase the likelihood of success
  • The thing with lucky breaks is that they can start out small – so you need to be able to spot them
• Chance can contribute to career success, but those who get lucky are those who stand out.
• To find the right person, you need to be in the right place. To increase your luck you need to put yourself in places where opportunities are abundant. This also applies to meeting potential partners. the strength of your connection with somebody is more in your control than simply improving your odds. After you meet that somebody great, it’s important to remember that the “perfect” person does not exist. We’re all human, and we’re all flawed, and sometimes the flaws of our partner may lead us to seek perfection elsewhere. you should think of love as an exciting investment, not something you “settle” for. Given enough time and effort, you can cultivate a strong relationship that will make you feel truly lucky in love.
• To increase a child’s luck, you should show them the wealth of opportunities available to them, while refraining from forcing them down any particular path. children (and, by extension, adults) will be happier if they believe their lives are governed by their own actions, as opposed to by external actors. By letting children see the effects of their own efforts, even if those efforts are mistakes, they’re able to learn a lot about themselves and the world. Another thing you can teach children is that they don’t have to follow conventional paths.
• Preparation is the best way to reduce the severity of natural misfortune. And it’s usually best to start small.
  • when dealing with health, you should focus on the little things that can be controlled, rather than worrying about highly unlikely outcomes.
  • When it comes to unfortunate disasters, whether human-made or natural, a little precaution can go a long way.
  • Bad luck can also be avoided by controlling your reactions. More specifically, you can turn bad luck into good with a positive outlook.