How to increase your luck (according to science)
A scientist studied good luck for 10 years and discovered this
🏷️ Categories: Behavior, Mathematics, Mental models.
Some people seem to live in sync with the universe.
Good things happen to them effortlessly. They meet the right person at the right time, stumble upon hidden opportunities, arrive precisely when they should. From the outside, it looks like luck. But what they’re actually doing is far more fascinating: they’re creating the conditions for luck to find them.
Science has an explanation (and you can learn to do it too).
Let me tell you…
The Newspaper Experiment
For 10 years, psychologist Richard Wiseman studied luck—and discovered its key.
He gathered over 400 people: some considered themselves very lucky; others, deeply unlucky. He conducted interviews, tests, and observations to uncover what made them different. The simplest experiment turned out to be the most revealing.
He handed them a newspaper and asked them to count how many photographs it contained.
The result was astonishing.
The “unlucky” ones took two minutes.
The “lucky” ones—just a few seconds.
On the second page, there was a huge message: “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper.” And a few pages later, another one: “Tell the experimenter you’ve seen this and win $250.”
The lucky people noticed it. The unlucky ones didn’t.
Why?
The difference wasn’t luck—it was attention.
Wiseman found that lucky people are calmer, more receptive, and curious. They don’t move through life rigidly or fear getting off track. They stay open, observing the bigger picture. While the unlucky rushed through the pages, the lucky stopped, explored, and noticed.
That openness creates the fertile ground where luck grows.
The 4 Types of Luck
Wiseman’s insight can be taken even further—and trained.
In 1978, neurologist James H. Austin, in his book Chase, Chance & Creativity, classified luck into four types. Each one depends on the level of action and awareness with which we move through life.
Let’s look at each.
1. Blind Luck
Blind luck is the kind you can’t control.
Winning the lottery. Finding twenty euros on the street. Being born in a country full of opportunities. You can’t cause it—but you can be ready to seize it if you’ve prepared yourself beforehand.
Saved money.
Learned a language.
Practiced a skill.
When blind luck knocks on your door, you must be awake and ready to answer.
2. Luck from Motion
This is where most people begin to create their own luck.
This type of luck favors those who move—those with curiosity and willingness to explore. The more you move, the more things happen. You write more. Meet more people. Try more ideas. Expose yourself to more systems. And even when it seems like nothing’s happening, one action can trigger massive change.
A post goes viral.
A conversation opens a door.
An offer arrives at the perfect time.
None of that was random—it was motion.
3. Luck from Preparation
Here, luck stops looking like luck.
It’s the fortune of those who’ve cultivated specific skills and knowledge. They see patterns invisible to others. As Seneca said:
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
The more you know, the more you see.
A seasoned doctor spots a symptom others would miss.
An investor recognizes an opportunity before anyone else.
An experienced programmer instantly sees cutting-edge solutions.
Preparation turns intuition into good fortune.
4. Unique Luck
The fourth type is the most powerful—and the hardest to build.
It’s the luck that seeks you out.
It favors those who’ve developed distinctive traits, eccentric passions, or a way of doing things so unique that randomness seems to chase them. Your values. Your style. Your way of thinking. Your special talent.
When you create something so original that no one else can replicate it, the world starts calling your name.
The universe chooses you by chance because only you can solve one of its problems.
Most people wait for Type 1.
But Types 2, 3, and 4 are the ones that truly change lives.
How to Increase Your Luck
Most people wait for Type 1. But Types 2, 3, and 4 are the real game-changers.
1) Move More (Type 2 Luck)
Movement generates opportunity.
Every time you do something—post, write, attend events, have conversations—you increase your activity within a system. Think of each system as a universe where you can interact with multiple elements. Ask yourself what you can do to be active in the system of writing, sports, investing...
Luck favors the movers.
2) Learn More (Type 3 Luck)
The more you know, the more you see.
A veteran investor spots an opportunity before anyone else.
An experienced doctor detects a symptom invisible to a novice.
A seasoned writer knows which story will resonate deeply.
Time spent within a system sharpens your eye. What others call “luck” is often just accumulated practice. Build specific knowledge by specializing in topics that interest you and staying informed about your system.
Preparation turns intuition into good fortune.
3) Be More You (Type 4 Luck)
The most powerful luck is the one that looks for you.
Develop a style so unique—and become so extraordinary within your system—that luck finds you because only you can meet that need.
If you’re a writer, be so prolific and develop such a distinct voice that publishers seek you out because only you can bring that idea to life.
If you’re a chef, be so good and create such original dishes that people chase you for every event and your restaurant becomes unmistakable.
If you’re a teacher, teach with such clarity and passion that others invite you to train teachers, speak at conferences, and teach in top schools.
When you work on your craft, you define who you are and opportunities come to you.
Being lucky isn’t about chance.
Every choice, every conversation, every habit expands or shrinks your field of luck.
Work passionately for years, stay active in your system, sharpen your skills…
And when the world sees you shine, they’ll say you were lucky.
You’ll know the truth.
Luck is the result of designed behavior.
And that, my friend, is pure mathematics.
Want to go deeper? Here are 3 related ideas:
✍️ Your turn: What could you learn this week to expand your field of luck within your system?
💭 Quote of the day: “Men of action are favored by the Goddess of Good Luck.” — George Samuel Clason, The Richest Man in Babylon
See you in the next one 👋
References 📚
Austin, J. H. (1978). Chase, Chance, and Creativity: The Lucky Art of Novelty.
Wiseman, R. (2003). The Luck Factor.
Wonderful article. My husband often says (and practices) that good fortune is infatuated with prepared. Then there's me. I need to develop the courage to grab those opportunities when they come along, not be suspicious of an "offer" that, in my gut, feels shady. It's a balancing act. But courage to respond to opportunities is part of the mix.
Relevance realization at work.