Creating a Wee Bit O' Luck for Yourself

"Luck is very important. Of course, you can't wait for luck, because it won't come. While you start a journey, luck may eventually come to you."

― Jack Ma, Co-Founder of Alibaba Group

Happy St. Paddie's Day!? A day of good luck and the hope of better fortune. We can all use a bit of that! The hopefulness of St. Paddies goes far back. In the olden times, Celtic priests believed that four-leaf clovers had mystical powers and prevented bad luck. Today, plenty of people hold fast to the belief that the unexpected spotting of a four leaf clover is a harbinger of good fortune. Which leads me to my question for you: How much does success depend on luck?

Chances are that most opportunities haven't fallen right in your lap. They require time, effort and persistence in order to nurture those possibilities into successes. As the phrase goes, "the harder you work, the luckier you get," but you need to be working on the right things to get lucky in the right ways.?

How to Increase Your Chances??

Good luck doesn't have to be a gamble. Here's 3 3 ways that you can bring more innovation in your life with a deliberate approach inspired by some of the top habits of lucky companies:

1. Treat?Boundaries as a Challenge

Boundaries can feel limiting but they can also also serve as the inspiration to go beyond your perceived limits.?To put this theory into practice:?The next time you need a new idea, impose a stringent time limitation.?Give yourself 2 minutes.?And in the spirit of creativity, go for as many ideas as you can generate WITHOUT self-editing.?By the end of those 2 minutes, I guarantee that you will have at least 1 winning idea by the end.

2. Let Inspiration Incubate

Your BEST ideas are rarely the FIRST ones. If you feel like you're coming up with the same old ideas, allow your mind to purposefully wander.?Step away from the problem, and allow for your mind to randomly connect with other stimuli. Sometimes all it takes is allowing yourself the space and time away from your challenge to produce the singular, breakthrough idea.

And it wouldn't be true to the Deliberate Innovation philosophy if we didn't encourage you to:?

?3. Bend the Rules.

Those who dare to bend the rules are the ones who reinvent the way things are done. There's nothing wrong with knowing and following the rules.?And on occasion, we have to creatively bend the rules to change our fortune. Rest assured, it's not easy. Breaking with tradition is rarely welcome and can be perceived as threatening. But as the General Douglas MacArthur once said, "You are remembered for the rules you break [not the ones you follow]!"

And in true Gaelic style, let us share this blessing with you: "May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind always be at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields."

Dan and The Deliberate Innovation Team