10 Little Ways to Be Luckier All Year Long
For many of us, 2016 was a doozy, but we here at Brit + Co are ready to hit refresh in 2017! Follow our Hit Refresh series through January for new ideas, hacks and skills that will help you achieve (and maintain!) those New Year’s resolutions.
We have to admit — it can seem like some people have all the luck. They’ve been genetically blessed with great skin that doesn’t require face scrubs; they land jobs with the companies everyone wants to work for with seemingly no effort and find true love as soon as they’re ready for it. Of course, it’s not always exactly what it looks like — and believe it or not, there are a bunch of little things that can help bring more luck into your life. Scroll on for 10 easy tricks you can use to generate cool career opps and movie-scene worthy meet-cutes (aww), and ensure lots of other good stuff happens this year.
1. Take control. Owning everything you do and feeling totally confident in your decisions means you set doubt free. Since hesitation can totally stand in the way of being lucky (or open to opportunities and chance), going through life with control over the things that matter will increase your odds that great things will happen.
2. Be genuine and kind. You’ve probably heard it before, but it’s definitely worth stating again: The golden rule really IS gold. Treating others with kindness isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also a surefire way to make friends, professional connections and open up doors for yourself that may have stayed shut. Do your best to avoid burning bridges and to always take the high road — it majorly pays off. Treat yourself with the same kindness that you give to others too. You’ll feel better, brighter and more worthy of all of the good luck that’ll come your way.
3. Set clear goals. Having clear goals gives you direction, which makes it easier to jump on lucky opportunities that pop up along the way. Case in point? Making a career change. When you have a clear goal of doing specific (and different) work than you do now, you’ll be in prime position to get lucky and hear about openings in your new niche as you educate yourself, attend related events and reach out to have conversations about what you want to achieve.
4. Clear negativity from your life. Surrounding yourself with negativity is no way to be lucky! Whether it’s people, places, work or self-talk, removing anything that’s not positive from your life will dramatically change how things go for you. Letting go of anything that doesn’t lift you up will also give you more free time for lucky things that will. See how it works?
5. Embrace failure and rejection. Failure and rejection are awful in all realms of life, but making a mental shift about them can help you become luckier. When you teach yourself to embrace and appreciate each unpleasant experience as a growth opportunity, you get a super rare chance to elevate yourself to a new level. Since many people are unable to do this, you’ll stand out and rise up when you’re able to own up to mistakes or ask for tough feedback. People will notice and appreciate you as a dedicated and inspiring person, generating even more forward momentum, positivity and luck.
6. Adopt a flexible mindset. Luck is all about being open, so instead of setting super strict standards or rules for yourself, be more open to chance and possibility. Psychology Today detailed a few fab examples of what this can look like:
- “When it comes to relationships, you might think, ‘here’s my checklist. They have to be smart, attractive, financially secure, subscribe to The New York Times, love to cook and love dogs.’ Try this approach instead: ‘I don’t really have a type. I’m open to anyone as long as he’s a good person. I’ll know it when I see it.'”
- Is your problem more work related? You might be thinking, “‘I need to finish this project by 11, team meeting at 12, lunch at 1, finish that report this afternoon and I’m home free by 6.’ Try this approach instead: ‘I want to try to accomplish two major things today, but in my downtime, I’m going to explore a few other ideas that could help the company or my career.'” Pretty brilliant, right?
7. Follow your instincts. In case you were wondering, opening up your mind definitely doesn’t mean letting go of things you hold important or going against your strong inner emotions. In fact, lucky moments happen most when you’re following your instincts and being true to yourself. Feeling like you need to move across the country? Find the courage to trust your gut and do it. Have a side hustle or passion you feel compelled to put more time into? Go for it. Good things will come.
8. Give daily affirmations or a personal mantra a try. Reciting affirmations, or short powerful statements, can make a major difference when it comes to feeling and attracting positive vibes. Since you get what you give, try affirmations that align with good feelings of self-worth, confidence and positivity. Adopting a personal mantra, or powerful one-liner you can use as a guiding idea, is also another luck-generating tactic.
9. Get in the right headspace. Luck is pretty hard to come by when you’re feeling ultra flustered or confused. Instead of wandering through your day-to-day in a haze, start each morning clearheaded so you can spot a lucky moment when it happens. Getting in the right space can look different for everyone, so figure out if it’s adjusting your morning routine, adding an activity like yoga or meditation or something else entirely.
10. Practice gratitude. If you’re not grateful and constantly thinking about what you *don’t* have, you might gloss over lucky moments by completely failing to notice them! Cultivating the habit of being grateful means that you’ll appreciate and acknowledge everything in your life — including the tiny details and opportunities that are easy to write off. As Tony Robbins wisely said, “Trade your expectations for appreciation and in that moment, your whole life will change.”
How do you make your own luck? Tell us your secrets on Twitter @BritandCo!
(Photos via Getty)
