🧭 How to Create Your Own Luck

Joe Montana on Opportunity

How to Create Your Own Luck

Today’s post is inspired by Jason Kelce’s reference to luck in this story…

Luck is often misunderstood. People think it’s random, unpredictable, and reserved for the few. But the truth? Luck can be a skill if you understand what it takes. A mindset. A byproduct of preparation, self-awareness, and the willingness to take action when the moment comes.

If you train for the opportunity, recognize it when it shows up, and have the courage to act - you’ll start to feel “lucky” too.

Why this matters: Everyone wants to be lucky. But most people don’t realize luck isn’t just chance. The most fortunate people aren’t waiting on good fortune. They’re creating the conditions for it to show up.

🔍 What You Should Know

Dr. Richard Wiseman studied 400+ people for over 10 years to understand why some people seem to live charmed lives and others don’t.

His research uncovered something surprising: Lucky people think differently.
They’re not more gifted, more spiritual, or more talented. They just behave in ways that generate more opportunity. Lucky people:

• Stay open to new experiences

• Use optimism to turn setbacks into growth

• Trust their intuition

• Create their own momentum through action

Wiseman even created a “Luck School” and found that 80% of participants felt happier, more fulfilled, and significantly luckier after just a few weeks of mindset shifts and simple behavior changes.

📚 Is it luck or is it skill?

1. Richard Wiseman’s “Newspaper Experiment” - Wiseman gave volunteers a newspaper and asked them to count how many photos were inside. Lucky people found the answer in seconds. Unlucky people took minutes. Why? Page 2 had a massive headline that said, “Stop counting. There are 43 photos.” Lucky people noticed it. Unlucky people didn’t. The takeaway? Lucky people are more open, relaxed, and attentive.
   They see what others miss because they aren’t tense or hyper-focused on one outcome.

2. Dennis Rodman Made Rebounding Luck a System - Rebounding looks like luck. Dennis Rodman made it a formula. He trained at 3 am, inviting friends to shoot so he could study spin, bounce, and trajectory. He learned every teammate’s shooting tendencies - how many times the ball rotated and where it landed. He studied where opponents’ rebounds usually landed. Rodman’s brilliance was obsession with details others ignored. He turned randomness into reliability.

3. The Lucky Encounter that Sold a $300M Company - Barnett Helzberg Jr. was walking past the Plaza Hotel in NYC when he heard someone call out, “Mr. Buffett!” He recognized the name, approached the man, and introduced himself. It was Warren Buffett. One year later, Buffett bought Helzberg’s jewelry company for hundreds of millions. Was it luck? Yes. But Helzberg had clarity, courage, and preparation. He recognized the moment and acted.

💡The Principles of Building Luck

So what can we learn from this and how can we make a process out of this? Well let’s go back to Wiseman. His research identified 4 behaviors that lucky people consistently practice. If you want to create more luck, build these:

1. Create and Notice Chance Opportunities - Lucky people put themselves in situations where something good could happen—new people, new places, new ideas. They aren’t stuck in routines. They seek variety.

   Ask: Where am I repeating patterns that limit opportunity?

2. Listen to Your Intuition - They trust gut instincts - not magical thinking, but subconscious pattern recognition built through experience. They pay attention to what they feel drawn toward.

   Ask: When has my intuition steered me right?

3. Maintain Positive Expectations - They believe good things can happen even when they don’t. That optimism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It keeps them motivated, open, and ready to act.

   Ask: What’s one area I need to reframe with optimism?

4. Reshape Bad Luck into Good
   When bad things happen, they focus on what could have been worse or what they can learn. This perspective reduces fear and builds resilience.

   Ask: What’s the best thing I can take from a tough situation I’m in?

Final Thoughts: Getting More Lucky

• If you’re a coach: Teach athletes how to stay mentally open and curious. Luck shows up for the alert and the prepared.

• If you’re a leader: Create space for randomness - networking, collaboration, new ideas. Promote optimism and reflection.

• If you’re a parent: Help kids spot “luck” moments then show them how their attitude, focus, and prep made them possible.

• If you’re an athlete: Create your own luck loop: study your craft, take action, stay curious, and build momentum.

Luck is real. But it’s not magic.
It’s preparation. It’s awareness. It’s the courage to act when the moment comes.

Don’t wait for it.

Build it.

Favorite Posts I Found This Week

Free Mental Fitness Links 👇

For athletes and performers:

• Joe Burrow on how to respond when you get overlooked

• How to be more relentless in everything you do

• Why your attitude is perspective, not circumstance

• 6 easy strategies to improve your commitment

• Everyone tells young people that they need to: "work hard", "be tough", and "lead by example." But no one teaches the skills that actually build those traits. The 5 foundational skills that everyone needs to learn →

For coaches and leaders:

• 6 takeaways from the best coaching podcast ever

• The 3 key skills found in all elite cultures

• Matt Rhule on the skills that all great coaches need

• Peyton Manning explaining how to lead by example

What I am reading and listening to:

📚 Book: Scotty: A Hockey Life Like No Other by Ken Dryden

🎥 Video: What Drives Exceptional Performance? | with author James Kerr

🎧Podcast: Jason Kelce describes new NFL role, thoughts on KC 3-peat, life under microscope & Kylie |The Pivot

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