The Four Characteristics of Lucky People

According to the economist Robert H. Frank, “Talent and drive will get you so far but luck and life chances also play a huge role”.

We have all heard of people referred to as being “lucky” and assuming that certain people have been an overnight success when in fact they have spent years working really hard to get where they are. People often tell me that I am lucky. I even had a friend who used to call me by the nickname “Lucky La”. It occurred to me that I am indeed very lucky, so I decided to do a quick Google search of whether there was any science behind lucky people. To my surprise there is, and I do indeed have the characteristics of someone with a lucky mindset – what luck!

There have been numerous academic studies of superstitions and good luck charms and I came across an article called “The Luck Factor”, written by Professor Richard Wiseman of the University of Hertfordshire and published in “The Skeptical Enquirer” Volume 27, No. 3 May/June 2003. In this interesting article, Professor Wiseman argues that following 10 years’ of study and experiments in relation to the science of luck, he has established that there are four main psychological principles, which underpin the mindset of lucky people. He says that lucky people actually generate their own good fortune by thinking and behaving in four distinct ways:

1. They are more open to noticing chance opportunities and seizing upon them. Their open mindedness and alertness to opportunity means that they are not only able to recognize an opportunity when they see one but also to take swift action to capitalize on it.

2. They tend to be optimistic. Their mindset means that they create self-fulfilling prophesies by pushing forward and expecting the best outcome. Undeterred by minor and sometimes even major setbacks, the lucky person will persevere, which has a greater chance of producing a positive outcome.

3. They are intuitive. Lucky people have a finely tuned inner voice and they listen to that intuition because their gut feeling often tells them what will bring them luck.

4. They are resilient. Their optimistic attitude means that they are able to persevere and transform their bad luck into good fortune.

These findings suggest that adopting these characteristics will help you become a luckier person. Why not try it out? Good luck!