9 Ways To Create Your Own Luck

“Feeling grateful for what you have helps the door to luck open wider,” says Shimoff. So even though you may crave a new job, a bigger paycheck, or to be in a romantic relationship, be thankful for everything and everyone in your life at this moment. “When we ignore or dismiss what we already have, it shuts down the pipeline to more good coming in.”

Do yourself a favor and fight the urge to dissect every aspect of every situation. “All of us overthink choices that lie ahead,” says Bob Miglani, an executive at a Fortune 50 company and author of “Embrace the Chaos.” “Thinking is important, but often we let our minds direct us forward.” Your best bet: Stop thinking, and start feeling. “Lucky people seem to lead from the heart, not from the head,” he says.

Learning to dust yourself off from previous setbacks and disappointments will also increase your odds of catching some lucky breaks. “The biggest way we block our luck is by lack of forgiveness,” explains Shimoff. “Holding onto resentment, grudges, and anger cuts off the flow of luck coming to us. No matter what someone’s challenge may be — finances, relationships, health — one of the first things I suggest is to practice forgiveness.”

Being a member of Mensa will not increase your chances of opportunities landing in your lap. In fact, “lucky people admit they’re not smart,” Miglani says. “They become smart by trying and reading. They ask questions, welcome new ideas, and toil away at their craft day in, day out. And they recognize that happiness and success in life comes from constant learning.”

If you’ve been under the assumption that being lucky comes down to a sprinkling of fairy dust, think again, says Miglani. “Lucky people know they were not born lucky and they do not count on luck,” he says. “They simply make a choice to think differently and to take action.”