I am a very unlucky person. If something bad is going to happen, it will happen to me. Cancelled flights, lost wallets, wrong-place-wrong-time moments, you name it. But here’s the thing: when life gives you lemons, you don’t make lemonade. You make life take those lemons back. You seize the means of statistical outcome, count the cards of life, and bend reality to your will. Luck isn’t something you wait for.
It’s something you manufacture.
Many people believe success comes purely from hard work, skill, and determination. However, life is not a controlled system where effort always leads to predictable results. Luck, probability, and opportunity all play a role in shaping outcomes. While short-term success can be random, long-term success follows patterns that can be understood and influenced. The key to manufacturing luck is recognising these forces and strategically positioning yourself to shift the odds in your favour.
Understanding Probability and Luck
Imagine flipping a coin ten times while competing with 100 others. Some will land ten heads in a row, appearing highly successful. Others may get no heads at all, despite equal effort. Most will fall somewhere in between. This is an example of normal distribution, where outcomes are shaped by probability rather than pure skill. A Galton board illustrates this idea well, thousands of ball bearings bounce off pegs in random patterns but always settle into a predictable curve. Over time, this distribution evens out, showing that persistence increases the likelihood of success.
However, luck is not just about probability. Some people start life with advantages that tilt the odds in their favour. Inherited wealth, family connections, and access to better education all increase the likelihood of success. Meanwhile, others may face obstacles from the start, making the path forward more difficult. This is beyond your control, much like being born into a game where some people start with extra coin flips while others begin with fewer chances.
Shifting the Odds in Your Favour
While the conditions of your starting point are fixed, your actions and decisions influence where you go from there. Instead of focusing on the unfairness of the system, the goal is to maximise opportunities within your control. Expanding your network, developing valuable skills, and consistently putting yourself in positions where good outcomes are more likely can gradually improve your luck.
A useful way to approach this is by following the LUCK framework:
Think of the Galton board again. If you tilt it slightly, the ball bearings will shift towards one side, creating a bias in the system. The same principle applies to life, your choices, awareness, and persistence can tilt probability in your favour. Over time, repeatedly pursuing the right opportunities increases the chances of success.
Rather than waiting for luck to appear, manufacturing luck means positioning yourself where opportunities naturally arise.
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