THE LUCK FACTOR – Are You Feeling Lucky? How to Get Lucky with Scientific Principles.
The Scientific Study of the Lucky Mind
The summary of The Luck Factor by Dr Richard Wiseman
Summary of The Luck Factor by Dr Richard Wiseman
The Luck Project was originally conceived to scientifically explore psychological differences between people who considered themselves exceptionally lucky and unlucky. This initial work was funded by The Leverhulme Trust and undertaken by Dr. Richard Wiseman in collaboration with Dr. Matthew Smith and Dr. Peter Harris. To explore the subject more read ‘The Luck Factor’ by Dr. Richard Wiseman, available as an ebook.
Dr. Wiseman has since built upon this initial work by identifying the four basic principles used by lucky people to create good fortune in their lives and developing techniques that enable individuals to enhance their own good luck. Unlucky people can become lucky and lucky people can become even luckier. This is one of my favourite books, which changed my life.
“Fortune favours the prepared mind.” Louis Pasteur
This research has involved working with hundreds of exceptionally lucky and unlucky people and has employed various methods – including psychometric questionnaires, laboratory experiments and extensive interviewing – to better understand the psychology of luck.
What is luck? Luck is being in the right place, at the right time, doing the right things. How? By being in the right state of mind – in the luck factor mindset (which is in your control).
The results of this work reveal that people are not born lucky. Instead, lucky people are, without realising it, using four basic principles (with further sub-principles) to create good fortune in their lives. The opposite is true, too, as Napoleon noticed that there is no such thing as an accident, only failure to recognise the hand of fate.
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Maximise Chance Opportunities
Lucky people are skilled at creating, noticing and acting upon chance opportunities.
They do this in various ways, including
1a) building and maintaining a strong ‘network of luck’,
1b) adopting a relaxed attitude to life and by
1c) being open to new experiences in their life. The classic story of boats and helicopters is a good example of how lucky people notice opportunities. -
Listening to Lucky Hunches
Lucky people make effective decisions by listening to their intuition and gut feelings.
In addition, they take steps to
2a) listen to their gut feelings and hunches,
2b) actively boost their intuitive abilities by, for example, meditating and clearing their mind of other thoughts, reflecting on their hunches, focusing, learning to dowse, etc
[an extra speed reading tip: use direct learning to download this book/ebook into your subconscious mind for immediate results]
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Expect Good Fortune
Lucky people are certain that the future is going to be full of good fortune. These expectations become self-fulfilling prophecies by helping lucky people persist in the face of failure and shape their interactions with others in a positive way.
In addition, they
3a) expect their good fortune to continue in the future
3b) attempt to achieve their goals, even if their chances of success seem slim, and persevere in the face of failure (they understand that determination, persistence and patience are key to achieving goals and they never give up)
3c) expect their interactions with others to be lucky and successful.
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Turn Bad Luck to Good
Lucky people employ various psychological techniques to cope with, and often even thrive upon, the ill fortune that comes their way.
For example, they
4a) spontaneously imagine how things could have been worse – see the positive side of their bad luck,
4b) are convinced that any ill fortune in their life will, in the long run, work out for the best,
4c) do not dwell on the ill fortune,
4d) take control of the situation and take constructive steps to prevent more bad luck in the future.
“Ability is of little account without opportunity.” Napoleon Bonaparte
The most recent research has shown that these four principles can be used to enhance the amount of good fortune that people experience in their lives.
The Little Book of Luck by Richard Wiseman
The Little Book Of Luck by Dr Richard Wiseman
More on the luck factor: http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/inspiration/200902_omag_making_your_own_luck
Download a pdf of the summary of the Luck Factor by Richard Wisman
BBC Online article on Prof Wiseman’s luck research
Fast Company article on The Luck Factor in business.
The Daily Telegraph reports on an experiment on connectivity and luck.
Report on Prof Wiseman’s work exploring luck and superstition.
“invest in yourself”
“Invest in as much of yourself as you can. You are your own biggest asset by far.” “Anything you do to improve your own talents and make yourself more valuable will get paid off in terms of appropriate real purchasing power.” “Anything you invest in yourself, you get back tenfold,” And unlike other assets and investments, “nobody can tax it away; they can’t steal it from you.”
Warren Buffet
Watch Warren Buffet and Jay-Z talk about the power of luck
Remember: determination, persistence and patience will get you there… never give up
Also, read the summary of Summary of Success and Luck: Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy by Robert H Frank
Eastern cultures believe that there are three types of luck: heaven luck (destiny), human luck (values, behaviours and actions) and earth luck (feng shui)